CocoEarth Coco Perlite 70/30 Blend, commonly known as Coco Pearl, is a premium growing substrate made from 70% high-quality coconut coir and 30% perlite. This combination provides an excellent balance of moisture retention, aeration and drainage, making it particularly well suited to hydroponic growing, seed raising, planting mixes, elevated gardens, green walls and rooftop gardens.
The coconut coir provides excellent water and nutrient retention around the root zone, while the 30% perlite improves drainage and creates additional air spaces throughout the growing medium. This balanced structure gives growers greater control over watering and nutrient applications while encouraging healthy root development.
70% Coco Coir & 30% Perlite Blend
CocoEarth Coco Perlite combines the complementary properties of coir and perlite to create a consistent, free-draining growing medium.
Coir has excellent water-holding properties and helps retain moisture and nutrients around plant roots. Perlite is a lightweight, highly porous growing medium that provides increased aeration and drainage without holding excessive amounts of water.
The resulting 70:30 Coco Perlite blend provides a balance between liquid nutrient retention and drainage, allowing nutrient solutions to be supplied more frequently while helping maintain a consistent nutrient profile within the root zone.
Benefits of CocoEarth Coco with Perlite
- Improved aeration: The porous structure of perlite creates air pockets throughout the substrate, improving airflow around plant roots and helping prevent compaction.
- Balanced moisture retention: Coco coir has a high water-holding capacity, while perlite improves drainage. Together, they help maintain consistent moisture while reducing the risk of waterlogged growing conditions.
- Excellent drainage: The addition of 30% perlite allows excess water to drain more readily from the root zone.
- Nutrient retention: Coco coir helps retain and release nutrients around the root zone, while the open structure created by perlite helps maintain nutrient availability to plant roots.
- Root-zone aeration: Increased airflow through the substrate helps create favourable conditions for healthy root development and reduces conditions associated with anaerobic microbes and root disease.
- Low salinity: CocoEarth has a very low salt index, making it suitable for growers who require greater control over their nutrient program and for plants that may be sensitive to excessive salts.
- pH stabilised: The substrate is pH stabilised and designed to provide consistent growing conditions. Growers should still monitor and adjust pH according to the requirements of the plants and nutrient program being used.
- Pre-buffered with calcium: CocoEarth is pre-buffered to help prepare the coir for horticultural use.
- Free-flowing substrate: The larger particle size of the perlite helps the growing medium resist compaction during transport and storage.
- Lightweight: Its lightweight composition makes CocoEarth particularly useful for applications where substrate weight is an important consideration.
Ideal for Hydroponic Growing
CocoEarth Coco Perlite is particularly well suited to hydroponic cultivation, including recirculating and free-drain growing systems.
The combination of moisture retention, nutrient holding capacity, drainage and aeration allows growers to supply nutrient solutions regularly while maintaining good oxygen availability around the roots.
CocoEarth's consistent substrate properties and resistance to breakdown help maintain growing conditions over time. A high-quality coco-specific nutrient solution should be used in conjunction with CocoEarth for hydroponic cultivation.
Seed Raising & Planting Mixes
The lightweight and well-aerated 70/30 Coco Perlite blend is also suitable for seed raising and planting mixes. The combination of coco coir and perlite provides both moisture retention and drainage to support developing root systems.
For plant nutrition, a suitable controlled-release fertiliser can be incorporated into the growing medium before planting. Alternatively, a complete and balanced liquid fertiliser can be used to feed seedlings and plants.
Elevated Gardens
CocoEarth's combination of moisture, nutrient and air-holding properties makes it suitable for elevated garden growing systems. Its lightweight nature can also be beneficial where the total weight of the growing medium needs to be considered.
For elevated garden applications, CocoEarth should be used with an appropriate complete and balanced plant nutrient or fertiliser program.
Green Walls & Rooftop Gardens
CocoEarth is a lightweight growing material suitable for green walls and rooftop gardens where substrate weight can be a limiting factor.
Its internal micro-sponge structure provides excellent water and nutrient holding properties while helping provide insulation within the growing medium. The incorporated perlite further improves aeration and drainage while helping keep the substrate lightweight.
CocoEarth can also be combined with other lightweight inorganic growing materials such as pumice or scoria where additional adjustment of substrate weight, drainage or structure is required.
Consistent, Ready-to-Use Growing Substrate
CocoEarth Coco Perlite is thoroughly rinsed, pH stabilised and pre-buffered with calcium to provide a consistent growing substrate with a very low salt index.
The blend is designed to maintain consistent physical properties over time, helping growers achieve reliable moisture retention, drainage and aeration throughout the growing cycle.
OMRI Listed for Organic Production
OMRI Listed for use in organic production, CocoEarth Coco Perlite is suitable for organic and sustainable horticultural growing applications, including the cultivation of herbs, flowers, fruit and other plants.
Suitable Applications
- Hydroponic growing systems
- Recirculating hydroponics
- Free-drain hydroponic systems
- Seed raising and propagation
- Planting mixes
- Elevated garden beds
- Green walls
- Rooftop gardens
- Organic and sustainable horticulture