Coco peat or coco coir, by-products of the coconut industry, must be properly processed—aged, washed, rinsed, dried, buffered, ground, and graded—to be garden-ready. Without this, it may retain excess salts, compact over time, and cause nutrient imbalances, especially calcium and magnesium deficiencies. Due to its natural negative charge, coco peat can hold onto certain nutrients, leading to “nutrient lockout,” where vital elements like calcium aren’t available to plants. This is harmful, especially for fast-growing flowering plants that need optimal nutrition for high yields. To prevent issues like fertilizer loss, salt burn, and poor plant health, using high-quality, buffered coco peat is essential. You need to buffer the coco peat.
Buffering Up: Adjusting Cation Exchange in Cocopeat
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is a grow medium’s ability to hold nutrients. In cocopeat, high levels of potassium (K) and sodium (Na) often block calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) from reaching plants, causing deficiencies. While washing removes surface salts, it doesn’t fix this nutrient lockout. Buffering replaces K and Na with Ca and Mg by soaking cocopeat in a calcium-rich solution, typically calcium nitrate. This treatment frees the medium from excess salts and ensures essential nutrients reach plants directly. Unbuffered coco can contain up to 40% K and 15% Na—far too high for healthy growth. Properly buffered cocopeat enhances nutrient availability and improves plant health from the start. Advanced buffering techniques, which use longer treatments, further reduce unwanted salts and optimize growing conditions. High-quality buffered coco is essential for consistent, healthy yields
Buffering coco isn’t rocket science, but the quality lies in the process. Peregrine Roots follows one of the most refined and controlled processing protocols in the coco industry. Traditionally, coco is washed in open fields to remove high levels of naturally occurring salts using large volumes of water. Water is manually hosed over piles of coco for days until the runoff turns clear, signaling reduced salt content. This labor-intensive process lacks standardization, relies heavily on worker efficiency, and results in inconsistent quality.Manual drenching varies with worker alertness and fatigue, making uniform quality difficult. Inconsistencies in salt levels between bags are a global issue for growers, leading to unpredictable nutrient lockout, plant stress, and uneven yields. Traditional buffering uses calcium and magnesium nitrate to flush out bound salts, but it consumes five times more water and generates highly polluted runoff—harmful to groundwater and unsuitable for organic farming.
Buffered Coco peat itself has a minimal nutrient content. While it provides a good substrate for plant growth, it is often necessary to supplement with fertilizers & nutrients
Yes, Buffered coco peat is versatile and can be used for a wide range of plants including flowers, vegetables, herbs and even trees. It is adaptable to various gardening and horticulture applications.
Yes, Buffered coco peat can be reused for multiple growing cycles. After the first use, it should be drenched & washed off and may need additional fertilization before reuse. However, over time, its structure may break down, and it might be necessary to mix in fresh buffered coco peat.
Peregrine Roots set out to solve the two biggest issues growers face with coco media: inconsistency in quality and freshness. Traditional methods and poor raw material handling were the root causes. To address this, Peregrine Roots developed a unique batch processing system with minimal human intervention, ensuring uniformity in every product. The system recycles water, reducing water use and runoff by 80% compared to traditional methods. The nutrient-rich runoff is processed and reused by local farmers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. This makes Peregrine Roots’ buffered coco one of the most sustainably processed options available. Each product includes an 11-digit traceability code that tracks it back to its raw source. Peregrine Roots also introduced the first OMRI-listed and pH-adjusted buffered cocopeat, setting new standards for quality, consistency, and sustainability in the industry.
Peregrine Roots' controlled processing system ensures exceptional uniformity across every batch of buffered cocopeat. This consistency keeps salt levels minimal, eliminating the risk of nutrient lockout in hydroponic or indoor grow systems. As a result, growers gain full control over plant health and achieve uniform yields throughout the grow room, maximizing return on investment. Additionally, the plant-specific, pre-adjusted pH is a game changer—saving growers time, effort, and cost otherwise spent on pH correction. Peregrine Roots’ cocopeat is truly “ready to use,” delivering consistent performance and convenience from day one.