Coconut Coir vs Peat

When it comes to choosing soil amendments, gardeners can explore different alternatives to suit their needs. Two materials that you can use interchangeably are coco coir and peat. These two are common ingredients used when preparing a potting mix. 

What is Coco Coir?

Coco coir is a natural, plant-based soil amendment that is derived from coconut husks. Coir is basically the fibrous materials of the husk. A by-product of the coconut industry, coco coir has been found to be a good replacement for peat. It is known for having a superb water-holding capacity and is very easy to saturate with water.

What is Peat? 

Peat is another type of soil amendment that is formed out of plant material debris that has piled up through time. It takes hundreds or even thousands of years for peat to form. They are harvested from bogs through strip mining. 

Comparison Between Coco Coir and Peat

	Coco Coir	Peat
Materials Used	Fibers from coconut husks	Dead plant materials that pile up through time (hundreds of years)
Physical Form	Fibrous, rich, dark brown	Fibrous, dark to black brown
Nutrient Content	High in potassium and phosphorus	Very little amount of nitrogen and phosphorus
Sustainability	Renewable	Semi-renewable (debatable) more details on peat.
Cost	Cheap or free (when created at home)	Costly

Benefits of Using Coco Coir or Peat

Natural

Both coco coir and peat are derived from natural resources. They’re safe to use on your plants because they don’t contain harmful chemicals. 

Increases Water Absorption 

One good feature of coco coir and peat is their ability to absorb water 10 to 20 times their dry weight. This makes them an excellent substrate for hydroponics. In container gardening, adding coco coir or peat increases the water holding capacity of the medium. 

Increases Nutrient Retention

Coco coir and peat have high cation exchange capacity. They’re able to hold more nutrients on their surface. As a result, these nutrients become more available for plant uptake.

Improves Aeration and Root Penetration

Because of their fibrous nature, coco coir and peat are highly porous. Using any of them in your potting mix helps create more pore spaces for oxygen molecules to fill. 

Houses Microorganisms

Beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi will thrive in coco coir and peat. They will provide a suitable environment for these living organisms to multiply. When peat is harvested, it already contains small amounts of those microorganisms. 

Slow Degradation Rate

Coco coir and peat are very durable. They won’t easily degrade over time. Thus, you can reuse them. 

Although both materials are effective soil amendments, there are several factors to consider when choosing to use one over the other. Listed below is the summary of the advantages and disadvantages of coco coir and peat.

	ADVANTAGES	DISADVANTAGES
Coco Coir	pH neutral	Little to no nutrients
	Less hydrophobic; more moisture is held even with less water applied	High potassium content that can interfere with calcium uptake
	Easy to find	Can be high in salts
	Aerates soil well
	Higher cation exchange capacity
	Readily renewable
Peat	Aerates the soil well	Low pH (More acidic)
	High water holding capacity given enough water is applied	Hydrophobic; very hard to rewet once dry
	Favorable medium for acid-loving and carnivorous plants	Less sustainable; massive strip mining of peat can have an adverse environmental impact
		Little to no nutrients
		More expensive