When it comes to talking about sustainable peat, gardeners often talk about palm peat and coco peat. Some gardeners use both terms interchangeably. However, others think that both products are not similar. Is that so? To find the answer, you must check the comparison of palm peat vs coco peat.
Coco peat and palm peat are both 100% natural growing mediums. They are byproducts of coconut and palm fruit harvests. Both substrates look almost similar. However, do both of them differ in their particular characteristics? Let’s find out.
Palm Peat vs Coco Peat Difference
There must be a reason why sustainable peat manufacturers name one product coco peat and the other palm peat. The reason behind this naming is both products come from different raw materials.
Palm Peat’s Raw Material
The raw material used in manufacturing palm peat is palm fiber. The manufacturers extract this fiber from the waste of date palm, Arenga palm, or other palm types. Therefore, manufacturers label this sustainable peat as palm peat.
Coco Peat’s Raw Materials
The raw material of coco peat is coconut husk, which is considered a waste in the coconut food industry. Therefore, most manufacturers will label this sustainable peat as coco peat. However, other manufacturers label it as palm peat because the coconut tree is one of the palm tree species.
Palm Peat vs Coco Peat: Similarities
Despite their different raw materials, palm peat and coco peat have similarities in some characteristics.
- Biodegradation
Coco Peat and palm peat are biodegradable substrates. However, their decomposing process is slower than that of peat. Therefore, gardeners only need to mix the soil with these substrates every year or once in two years.
- Aeration and Drainage Properties
These sustainable peat types have good aeration and drainage properties. They can improve oxygen circulation in the soil and keep the soil moist.
- Product Form
Manufacturers sell palm peat and coco peat in several forms. Some of them are bricks, grow bags, and loose forms.
- Nutrients
There is no winner when it comes to comparing palm peat vs coco peat nutrients. Both are low in nutrients. However, some manufacturers add additional nutrients to their coco peat or palm products.
- Cost
Coco peat and palm peat are affordable substrates. Therefore, using them in gardening is not only cutting the amount the landfill waste but also cutting your gardening budget.
Palm Peat and Coco Peat Applications
You can use palm peat and coco peat in several different ways when gardening. For example, you can use both substrates as a soilless growing media when seeding indoors. You can also use it as a soilless hydroponic media. However, numerous gardeners choose to mix them with soil to amend it.
Palm peat and coco peat need to get through several processes before you can use them in gardening. You must soak these sustainable substrates in water for several minutes. Next, you must rinse the coco peat and palm peat. After that, you can use it in seeding or growing your plants.
From the palm peat vs coco peat comparison above, you see that both substrates have more similarities than differences. It is only their raw materials that make them different. For more information about palm peat, coco peat and other coconut derivative products, you can visit our website. You can also click link whatsApp here to send a direct message to our team.
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