Read our previous article about coir and its favourable properties to learn more about the material itself.
Our process guarantees safety
Kekkilä-BVB’s coir production process is RHP certified. This means we comply with nutrient and stability standards and do frequent quality checks. We actually take quality control to a higher level by conducting even more tests than required to ensure our customers of top quality.
We test the quality of all coir products used in BVB Substrates products in different ways. Next to that, we take samples and conduct tests to analyse the chemical composition, pesticide-levels and nutrient levels from every batch of coir arriving to our production sites. In addition, we always do growth-tests on our processed coir to determine germination and growth rates. As a result, a grower can be absolutely certain there are no harmful amounts of substances like human pathogens, pesticides or heavy metals left in the material.
How we avoid nutrient issues
Now, the cation exchange complex (CEC) of coir is naturally high. It means coir has a negatively charged complex which is naturally saturated with sodium and potassium.
This is known to cause some serious issues in growing, if the coir is not pre-treated adequately before mixing it into the growing media. In that case coir is known to release the sodium and potassium when fertilizer is added for the crops. It takes up calcium and magnesium from the fertilizer, causing calcium and magnesium deficiencies and excessive salt uptake in plants.
To avoid these issues, we buffer the coir with calcium (Ca2+). We also make sure to thoroughly wash the coir to optimize the EC-level (salinity), as washing rinses out the salts. Well-buffered and well-washed coir ensures that nutrients intended for the plants are well absorbed by the coir and released whenever the plants need them.
An agile process
Our state-of-the-art production process not only ensures growers of a safe, high-quality growing medium, it also benefits the agility of our delivery process. With this ready to use inline process we are able to process coir in a uniquely fluent way. This enables us to do same-day deliveries and immediately act on grower needs.
In our final article about this remarkable raw material we’ll focus on the ways Kekkilä-BVB manages to save water and limit the environmental impact of our production processes. Make sure to stay tuned.
Read the first article in these series: Why coir is used in growing media
Read the final article of these series: Saving water in our coir production process
