Ever notice how some coir products are finer, more of the smaller particles, than other coir products?  The blends of particle sizes give the coir product two qualities.  Air fill porosity, amount of air space around the roots as a percent of volume, and water holding capacity, the amount of water the coir can hold as a percent of volume.

Air fill porosity is important because plants roots need air as much as water.  If you get root rot in your pots or beds it is often because the roots are stressed because of a lack of air around them.  We usually say that the media is too wet which is actually a lack of air.  Many people add things like clay pellets or perlite to the coir to increase the air fill porosity.  Because of the way that California Substrates’ coir is handled and treated during the processing of the coir the need for these additions can be eliminated.  From the fiber mill, to the sieving and handling before buffering, to the washing and dewatering, we create less small particles at each step.  So we end up with less fine particles and an air fill porosity of around 30% – perfect blend for max feeding schedules.  With a good watering regime, 30% air fill porosity will keep your roots happy and healthy.