What’s Wrong with Coconut Husk Substrate?

These waste products from the coconut industry are not good substrates —

There are a lot of different coconut husk products sold as substrate for our enclosures. These are a waste product of the coconut industry – not specially designed for enclosures. And they fall far short of what our animals need. They are no better than wood shavings, which are terrible substrates.

A good substrate has specific characteristics (See: The Great Substrate Debate) that provide humidity, hold moisture, drain well and allow air to easily penetrate. These are important features for plant growth and for bioactivity too.

The coconut husk provides none of these, or at least none of these very well. When wet it compacts, squeezing out air pockets and inhibiting bioactivity. When dry it turns to dust. It does not support plant growth over time.

Finally, it is expensive, especially for a waste product. My comparisons show that in local stores one example, called Eco-Earth is almost 300% more expensive than the small bags of Miracle-GroPotting Mix. Thats a huge, totally uneccesary cost when you can provide better for less.

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