Technical Resources / Coco
A practical introduction to the technical terms commercial buyers encounter when comparing coco coir growing media. This guide explains terminology; it does not state Johnny Green product specifications.
Category fundamentals
A growing medium is the material used as the plant root environment. Coco coir is produced from coconut husk material and may be formulated in different physical forms and particle mixes.
Irrigation, nutrient delivery and monitoring are planned around the crop and cultivation system. A suitable nutrient and pH management program may be used; Johnny Green liquid products are not required to use coco growing media.
Technical glossary
Technical values are useful only when the product, condition, units and test method are clear.
Coco coir comes from the fibrous husk of the coconut. Growing-media formulations may combine fine pith, longer fibre and coarser chips. The confirmed composition and particle-size distribution are needed to evaluate a specific product.
Electrical conductivity indicates the overall level of water-soluble ions in a defined extract. It does not identify individual nutrients. A product value needs its units, extraction method and test condition.
pH describes acidity or alkalinity in a defined substrate suspension or extract. The reported method matters, so a generic literature range should not be used as a product specification.
Washing and buffering are not interchangeable. Washing is used to reduce soluble salts; buffering is a separate cation-exchange treatment. The status of each treatment must be confirmed for the exact product.
Water-holding capacity and air-filled porosity describe different parts of the substrate pore space after drainage. Results depend on the formulation, format, compaction and test method.
Expansion describes the reconstituted volume of a compressed medium under stated hydration conditions. It is separate from water-holding capacity, and every format needs its own verified preparation instructions.
Before a value is published
EC, pH, air, water and expansion figures should never be copied between products or compared without understanding how they were measured.
Reference framework
Verified product data
Tell us the exact OpenTop configuration and market you are evaluating. Product values and documents are supplied only when confirmed for that enquiry.