Why don’t Oricoco cocopeat products have high salt levels?
The Oricoco factory is situated approximately 17 kilometres from the coastline. In order to ensure that Oricoco cocopeat doesn’t have any excessive salt levels, we extensively wash our cocopeat products with fresh water (not just 1 wash, many washes). Prolonged fresh water washing removes all excess salts from the cocopeat. This in turn ensures a very low and acceptable E.C. level. Our laboratory tests all cocopeat to ensure quality standards are adhered to.
Buffered cocopeat is cocopeat which has been treated with calcium nitrate.
Buffering cocopeat ensures that the sodium and potassium ions inherent to the cocopeat complex are washed away. This is done to ensure that once the grower starts fertilizing with calcium, the calcium is available to the plant. Oricoco offers this facility to all clients who request it.
What is the difference between a green and a brown husk?
A green husk is the husk of a young coconut fruit. A brown husk is the husk of a matured coconut fruit.
Many coconuts are harvested for human consumption. In these instances the fruit is still young and the husk is still green. Young, or green husk, although a lot easier to process, is however not ideal for the production of growing mediums. The main reason for this is that once the coconut is opened and the husk removed, the husk will naturally start decomposing. In green husk the initial decomposition is quite rapid. During this phase the green husk will use all, or most of the available nitrogen. If green husks were therefore used as a growing medium, the growing medium as well as the plant will be competing for the available nitrogen.
Brown husk on the other hand is matured hard coconut husks. It is woody in structure and a far more stable substance.
Oricoco only uses matured brown coconut husks in our production process.
How quickly does Oricoco cocopeat break down?
Oricoco cocopeat is a natural and completely biodegradable product. This said, it does however, retain its structure and absorbency for several years after planting. Oricoco cocopeat has been used successfully for several years. After use, it can be added to the ground as a soil conditioner without any adverse implications for the environment.
Can Oricoco cocopeat be re-used?
As long as there is no contamination, cocopeat can be re-used for several crop cycles delivering bountiful harvests with each cycle.
Does Oricoco cocopeat hold nutrients?
Oricoco cocopeat has excellent absorbent properties, meaning that it can hold nutrients very well. In addition it will release nutrients to the plant over a prolonged period.
Who supplies you with your husk?
Oricoco field agents and logistics officers choose only the best husks from the local growers. Our procurement process has the correct checks and balances to ensure the purchased husk is of the highest quality.
Our client base includes vegetable growers (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, spinach, herb growers to name a few); flower growers (from rose growers to greenhouse tunnels producing orchids and tulips); seedling producers (our cocopeat is used in seedling trays of major producers); oil spill clean-up companies.
How can you prove the product is sterilized?
We guarantee that our product is free of any weeds, seeds and bacteria- and we provide a sterilization certificate with each order.
Oricoco™ and the circle device are international Trademarks of Fabricante Organico LDA, All Rights Reserved, 2011. |