Crop Application · Hydroponics
Maximum oxygen delivery. Minimum EC contamination.
Triple-washed husk chips at 70–80% AFP deliver the oxygen saturation recirculating systems depend on. Native EC below 0.5 mS/cm keeps your nutrient solution accurate from day one.
70–80%
AFP
< 0.5
Native EC
3–5 yr
Substrate life
The Challenge
What rockwool can't solve for serious recirculating hydroponic systems.
20%
Rockwool starves roots of oxygen
Rockwool AFP is 15–20%. At recirculating irrigation frequency, the root zone stays semi-saturated — oxygen delivery drops and root disease pressure rises. High-frequency systems need structural oxygen delivery, not irrigation-dependent delivery.
±0.3
Substrate EC contaminates solution
Unwashed or low-grade media releases native EC into recirculating solution. In a closed system, any substrate contamination cumulates — your nutrient formula is no longer accurate and adjustments become guesswork.
1 season
Annual rockwool disposal
Rockwool compresses and loses structural integrity after one season of recirculating irrigation. Annual replacement and disposal costs stack — and the carbon footprint of rockwool production is significant.
The Coir Fix
What triple-washed husk chips change for recirculating systems.
70–80%
AFP that doesn't depend on irrigation timing
Chips at 70–80% AFP deliver oxygen structurally — the air gaps between chips provide oxygen regardless of irrigation frequency. Roots colonise the gaps, not the chip surface. No irrigation schedule can replicate this.
< 0.5
Triple-washed — solution stays clean
Three wash cycles remove native EC to below 0.5 mS/cm. In recirculating systems this means your nutrient solution stays on-formula from day one and across the full growing season. No correction for substrate contamination.
3–5 yr
3–5 year structural life
Husk chips resist biological breakdown. One substrate charge runs 3–5 growing seasons before replacement is needed. The economics change entirely — annual disposal cost becomes a once-per-five-year cost.
System Type Guide
Key parameters per system.
Aeroponics
EC Target
Start 1.5, increase weekly
Drain %
appHydro.var1Drain
Use chips as root chamber packing. Fill loosely — do not compress. Pre-rinse once with pH 6.0 water before filling. 70–80% AFP ensures maximum O₂ at the root-air interface.
Substrate Hydro
EC Target
2.0 – 3.5 mS/cm in-slab
Drain %
40 – 50%
70% pith + 30% chips blend optimal. AFP 28–33%, WHC 58–63%. Fill loosely. Drain to waste. Avoid any ponding in the root zone.
NFT & DWC
EC Target
1.5 – 2.5 mS/cm solution
Drain %
appHydro.var3Drain
Use coir briquettes for seedling propagation. Transfer the clean coir root ball to the NFT channel. No chip contamination of the recirculating solution.
Setup Protocol
Pre-rinse. Fill loose. Monitor EC.
Chips require minimal preparation — their structure handles irrigation and aeration cycles that would collapse any peat-based medium within a single season.
01
Pre-rinse
Single rinse with pH-adjusted water (pH 6.0). Native EC < 0.5 means no further conditioning is needed for most systems. Let drain fully — minimum 15 minutes — before filling containers or chambers.
02
Container fill
Fill loosely — do not compress or tamp down. 70–80% AFP is structural. Compressing the chips reduces the air gap and defeats the oxygen advantage. For aeroponic chambers, place chips around roots at the collar only.
03
Nutrient management
Recirculating: start at EC 1.5, increase by 0.5 weekly to target. Monitor drain EC daily. If drain EC rises more than 1.5 mS/cm above feed EC within 24h, flush and investigate dripper delivery.
Agronomic Support
Substrate specification for your operation.
Share your crop, target EC, system format, and season length — we'll specify the right substrate and provide technical support for your first grow.
Talk to our agronomy team
Substrate guidance matched to your crop, system format, and target EC window.
Recommended Substrates
Ready to trial coir chips?
Configure your hydroponic chip substrate.
Share your system type, recirculation frequency, and crop — we'll specify the right chip grade and particle size for your setup.