Hi Dave, Very good advice. I did the same thing a few years back and I had enough coir to choke an elephant. It took forever to use up and because it did so much damage to my plants, I finally chucked it in my compost bin and let the worms have at it. I'll try the taste thing, but I definitely won't swallow it...I think I have enough fiber in my diet and besides, that much fiber might constipate the life out of me. Warm Regards, Fred -----Original Message----- From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Laura & Dave Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 9:53 PM To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Subject: Re: [pbs] Coco Coir question Hi all I've been using coir as an ingredient in my soil mix for years, with no problems. I've been using a brand named _Down to Earth_, available at my local food coop and other area stores, and specifically processed for gardening. It comes in compressed blocks of various sizes that expand from 1/3 cu ft to 4.5 cu ft. Caution, /expand/ is a very active verb when dealing with coir! Break off what you think you'll need. And the amount of water it takes is rather surprising. If you expand too much, it does keep well in a plastic bucket ... or two. I know this because I didn't follow my own advice very well. Once however, I did buy some that I haven't dared use, or more accurately, can't use. It has taken a year to soak up enough water to break apart with some difficulty (I was curious). Also, there is surely salt in it. It was bought at a nursery, but had very little labeling. As far as salt problems, the best advice I can give is to taste it. The bad coir /tastes/ salty, whereas those like Down to Earth just tastes, well, fibery. I don't recommend swallowing though. Hope this helps, Dave Brastow