Coir

[daninlondon]

Our disgustingly heavy clay soil needs more organic matter.

One of the main problems we face is that our plot is half way up a fairly steep hill, and getting anything heavy up there is a bit of a project.

I’ve heard that you can buy large compressed blocks of coir, which expand into a peat substitute when watered. What I can’t seem to find out on Google is:

(a) are they light;
(b) are they cheap;
(c) are they any good;
(d) where can I get hold of them?

[daninlondon]

[Baccy Man]

The organic garden catalogue sells them, they were discussed a couple of months ago in this thread.

http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,72/topic,27607.0

[ACE]

Children work in the manufacture of coir. Dont encourage it.

http://www.peopleandplanet.net/w.php?lid=16&tmpl=imagetext&imgid=36

[dtw]

I saw somewhere that it is depriving the areas where it comes from, their own source of compost.
They will buying our peat compost soon!

Can you not carry it down the hill? ;D

[daninlondon]

Thanks for the link Baccy Man. The Organic Garden Catalogue’s coir bricks seem a little too expensive for general soil improvement.

I’ve heard about the transport issues surrounding exporting coir, and that it could be taking away a local soil improver â€" but I’ve never heard about the child labour before. Surely this isn’t widespread?

[emmy1978]

Children work in the manufacture of coir. Dont encourage it.

http://www.peopleandplanet.net/w.php?lid=16&tmpl=imagetext&imgid=36

I’ve heard about the transport issues surrounding exporting coir, and that it could be taking away a local soil improver â€" but I’ve never heard about the child labour before. Surely this isn’t widespread?

Don't think that many places manufacture coir, so probably as widespread as the industry?