During the grow, the large fibers break down slowly and create the coco peat. make it more affordable its 90 percent plastic plus you have to manually rotate it. Hi Nikki, my question is the same as Jannikes. Say what?! we use our normal all purpose cleaner from mrs meyers and it works great! I already have the Coco Coir and I am looking for the biodegradable bags. Thanks guys! Gardeners can use a variety of chemicals to sterilize coco coir between growing seasons. Cover the bucket and let the coco sit in the buffering solution for at least 8 hours. The air pockets in the soil allow excess water to find paths to drain out of the soil. When you handle the dry coco, you will notice it is quite dusty. Check each block and if able to do so pull away the parts of the block that are hydrated. As soon as the cation exchange has been buffered, nutrition will not be affected. Coco Coir goes through extensive processing after the harvesting process to make sure that it is ready to be used for gardening purposes. Once youve dumped, if possible, rinse tank with a little water (enough to cover the bottom), swirl like a fine wine, and dump. These expand greatly when wet and they can grow up to nine times their size! In turn, this breathability helps reduce the chance for diseases like root rot, while also supporting overall plant growth. We empty it into the composting bag and then add it to a compositing pile (some campgrounds have compost piles) when available and when not, it just goes into the garbage and will decompose there. Curious Minion. Think baby diapers & how many of those goes to the landfill). Heavy clay soil can be difficult to break up, so you may need to keep amending until you get it where you want it. you heard it here first !! I put it in a bucket, put in a liter of water to start, walk away, come back an hour later, slough off what I can and repeat. It maybe a better choice for a stationary location than a mobile one. This life can surely stay fully active converting away the ammonia (and associated smell) until the jug is 3/4 or completely full. If it ends up in a landfill anyway, in a plastic bag that doesnt biodegrade for a long time, then what is the point? 3. Thanks so much Shirlene! You should refresh the buffering solution after eight hours. Like you basically said. This was very interesting! So, when we walk out it looks like we are taking out the trash same as everyone else. Coco chips When you see my face youre probably reading something more technical than adventurous, but either way I do my best to tell it like it is and infuse my opinions into the commentaryafter all this is a blog and not MSN. Similar to the bleach Is there a style of toilet that just allows you to pull out the bin with the composted stuff in it, instead of hoisting the whole toilet? Most gardeners now advocate the use of coco coir because it is renewable in the short term, and also because peat bogs are important carbon sinks for the atmosphere. As such, coconut fiber is responsible for giving coco coir its aeration qualities. Yes, it is far better to continue to compost it, and use it as fertilizer. Susan, you should watch out What it is and How it Works video: https://www.gonewiththewynns.com/all-composting-toilet Then youll have the full scoop on everything! But is there some sort of legal documentation that could be presented to prove that I am in fact being a respectable steward of the environment? The coco peat does not retain sufficient air and becomes totally water logged. This is due to coconut coirs capacity for retaining good microorganisms, such as variants of theTrichodermafungus, while also protecting against harmful pests, weeds and bacteria. I use a perforated strainer and scoop the rehydrated coco out of the bucket with it. Barring that, once you bag it you can just put it in a dumpster (and before you say it, yes you can. Once the mixture is ready, soak the coir into the mixture for 4-5 hours. To buffer the coco, you need to make buffering solution which is simply tap water with a 150% dose of Cal/Mag supplement. So real quick, lets make sure the importance of aeration in your soil makes sense and talk about plant respiration. She's also a professional engineer, certified permaculture garden designer, and master gardener in training. That is not a luxury we have with limited space in an RV. Suddenly throwing away a bag of human waste compost is such a big deal! is that a drain on your solar power? In one step youre putting plastic bag over the toilet, and in the next step youre bringing the toilet back inside the RV to reinstall it. Many people like to take perlite and mix it with coco coir. :o( After buffering, your coco is ready to re-use. FoxFarm KO KO BOPfeatures a blend of coco coir and aged forest products. Period. Coco coir can also be used as a soil amendment to improve outdoor in-ground soil. It is a great way to share your experience and ask questions along the way! I am a 66 yr old female hell bent on buying an RV to travel but dont want to haul around to empty a black tank. In her short and sweet email, Chrissy doesnt say why shes getting rid of it but depending on its condition, it might be reusable in the same or another capacity if I had a spare doormat right now, no matter how tatty, it would go outside the door to our chicken run so I could wipe my feet on the way out before traipsing back up the garden. Yeah, I think however bad a state its in itd probably still do for my allotment both to get muddy wellies a bit cleaner, and to deal with certain small bits of path which either need weed suppression or turn into slippery puddles in the rain. What all this means is that perlite is a common resource often used in gardening. on 2 Jul 2010 Fertilize your seedlings Larry, the owner of Natures Head, has offered up a special discount to everyone that reads our site. If you us it full time, theres gonna be uncomposted poop. I use the compostable doggy bags and scoop their waste and dispose of it similar to the composting toilet. Thanks Audrey, so glad we could help! Difficult. Were very new at this. What can I reuse or recycle as moulds for making new crayons from old ones? I can put in this composting toilet, hands on deal with my wee containers and poop, throw everything into a trash bag and THROW A BAG OF MY POOL AND MOSS into someone elses trash container, then clean the whole disgusting mess. I have just begun thinking about RV living and right now its just a dream but a nice one! Is it door you open or shut depending on what you are depositing? In addition, there is also the possibility that the cellulose in the coir fibre cells could collapse. What is Coco Coir Made Of? What about ventilation, Im assuming you have additional hoses to disconnect. Great series of videos on the toilet. Coco coir can also be mixed with soil to create an outdoor potting mix. How big of a deal is it to move the unit in and out of the RV through the small doorways? If you have questions, the customer support team is extremely helpful and can be reached by email or phone which youll find on the Natures Head contact page. Plus, its a small company that doesnt order by the hundreds of thousands so that makes the cost go up as well. Thanks so much for sharing your adventure and advise. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a25ed8ffae1e379cc0aafcea7a586a0e" );document.getElementById("jf08d493e4").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail, How can I recycle this? The surface of coco fibers have cation exchange sites that are strongly attracted to calcium. Seventy Thirty contains a blend of coco coir and perlite in a ratio of 70:30. Dehydrated partially composted human poo, at least 3 miles from land, is a bonus to marine life. Disclaimer Were not experts and this information is based on our experience and opinions. For 8 hours, cover and let it sit. Buffering is done by providing the cation exchange sites with the calcium that they crave prior to adding your plants. I am also a fan of seventh generations all purpose cleaning wipes for the bathroom. The coconut husk is chipped and sometimes shredded to produce a loose fiber. Coconut husks are made of bristle fiber (10%), mattress fiber (20%) and coir dust and shorts or wastes (70%). You both keep me inspired to peruse my dreams of travel and explore America and beyond starting with a bicycle then eventually in an RV (i have to figure out my income, though my profession as a graphic designer might make it possible to find contract work on the field) and eventually explore by sea. My husband and I really enjoy watching your videos, we too are unconventional and feel inspired by you two! Call Natures Head and chat with them, they are great at helping you through any issues. Im assuming it does to keep the smell out. Now if youre really in a rush use hot water for this as its literally twice as fast as cold water. perhaps a smaller mat or a toy for a pet or something, or cut them up to smaller sizes to use as brushes for your shoes when they are very muddy. http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=37218.0. WebOverview Dry out the coco Pull old stump and roots Dump coco into bucket and rehydrate with tap water Rinse through a screen to remove coco dust (coco peat). I didnt read through all the comments to know it this has been posted or not, but, the coconut fiber youre using as your composite material looks to be the same exact stuff I used as bedding in my snake cages when I had snakes. In other words, no matter what, plants require a constant supply of water to live. Then when we leave wed just put in the back of the SUV. In fact, you can compost the material after use if you so desire. Use a perforated straineror a screen with an 1/8 mesh. If you are unsure about the area laws and regulations, always look up a dump station just to be on the safe side. We are thinking of camping with a small pop-up trailer, which does not have electricity or a toilet installation area (so essentially luxury car/tent camping). Add water Place the mat in the tray and then add water so it soaks. How vile and I know it all.opinionated critics can be. After that rinse the coir thoroughly with clean water. As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases. 1. If you watch the video tutorial above, you will see that is where I do it. Used on its own or in a blend, coco coir is a highly significant growing media. The ideal soil mix for pothos consists of equal parts of peat moss, perlite, and compost or coco coir. While many of FoxFarms coco products combine coco coir with soil, our Cultivation Nation Seventy Thirty Growing Media is a fantastic option for growing without soil. In the beginning, coconuts were only grown for their edible interior. Rinsing in smartpots for the win! If you want to use it in your garden, you should add it to a compost pile and allow it to continue to decompose (although bacteria in the toilet compost are dead within a day, the coir needs more time to break down before you garden with it). Have you ever dealt with a black hose, or dumped a black tank before? Scammed On Anchor Chain, What You Need To know. WebI suggest using a large bucket or wheelbarrow to re-hydrate coir. After that, you can lift the fabric pot out of the bucket and let the buffering solution drain away. Tip: Do not put a plastic bag inside the base, it will not work and isnt necessary or helpful. The Science and Practice of Growing Cannabis. So anything we can do to get you going and in a greener direction is a super awesome! The Science and Practice of Growing Cannabis. These tend to be about the size of a normal construction brick or yoga block, but can be bigger or smaller depending on the brand. I purchased a Natures Head this winter and recently installed it. Often, growing media such as coco coir are used in place of soil and peat moss. Please share any thoughts you have on this. The coco peat will wash down the drain just like any other dirt you had to wash off. Break up clumps and mix. Another environmental benefit of coconut coir is that it is biodegradable. In this video, I do a deep dive into the science of horticultural LEDs. Why not directly connect your liquid compartment to your old Black (now extended Grey) tank? Coir is sometimes used in compost tumblers or worm bins. Coconut soil can be customized to grow different types of plants, such as orchids or succulents. I didnt see one at their website, and I didnt even bother to contact them to ask. Put Coco Coir into the Container or Pot. Coir-based potting mixes are generally faster to rehydrate after periods of dryness, aiding plant recovery from drought. Thats great news Terri, here are my answers: There are lots of reasons to use this growing medium in both container gardening and other growing applications. But, how does the liqued end up in one tank and the solids in another? Unless a gardener has naturally sandy loam soil, improving the soil with coco coir may well produce a better growing area than the soil alone. BTW, not so sure sending human poop adrift is a great option. Our land needs nutrients and fertilizers! It carries disease IF YOU HAVE A DISEASE! Im sure well make plenty of mistakes that can help with your planning. In many countries, that isnt easy. The typical method of storing waste and water in a tank for days on end creates a serious bucket of nasty bacteria. We put ours into a regular trash can (it will still compost), lawn and leaf bin or in a compost pile at campgrounds and such. So Im thinking your voice would be heard faster and more efficiently than mine. If it is dry and no one has a terrible human disease, it is not inordinately dangerous. Keep care safe journey and keep being YOU! A saltwater coir might contain high amounts of sodium which is why it's better to choose freshwater coir instead. Coco coir is most commonly mixed with other growing mediums to create a high-quality potting mix. Mixing coir with another substrate will reduce the amount of coir being used at any one time, meaning more can be kept in reserve providing the gardener with value for money, and giving the plant an opportunity to grow in an environment that isnt completely bereft of nutrients. At FoxFarm, we have worked diligently to develop coir blends that bring out the best attributes in both soil and coco coir growing systems. Help us spread the grower love for your chance to win a great new grow light in our Grower Love Giveaway! When the mixture is no longer required, other materials will remain that the gardener may wish to remove. Water Correctly How can I reuse or recycle walnut shells? However, introducing heat artificially, through a mechanized source, also puts the coir fibres at risk of collapse. By mixing coco coir with amendments like earthworm castings, you add nutrients to the otherwise raw, inert substrate. If you follow this tutorial, you can turn your used coco back into a superior growing media. I can look into better bags (are there some you recommend? It should be noted that coco coir on its own isnt usually used for gardening (except seed starting) its generally mixed with other potting medium ingredients such as perlite. Some gardeners choose to mix their outdoor soil with coco coir, not only in the ground It is much more practical to reuse and repurpose coconut coir than to simply do away with it. Recycling and reusing the coco coir after every growing season not only saves some money, but its good for the environment. The question is, how do you do it? Id love to have a composting toilet but do not have room to build a composting bin so Id love to know more about your solution! http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=37218.0. care to elaborate on how you get the waste into the plastic bag and what you then do with said bag? Well answer questions you didnt even know you had! The buffering solution will be largely stripped of its calcium and is now waste water. Just tell him the wynns sent you. How can I reuse or recycle a wooden shoe rack? You support our work by following our links and using our discount codes when you make a purchase. Weve had an email from Chrissy asking what to do with an old doormat: The bristly kind. Make sure theres good airflow where youre sanitizing and that you dispose of the soak water properly and immediately. Wash the coco in distilled water. I see youre in Key West, I lived aboard my sailboat there off and on for many years. That said, it is far better to do it outside. If you want to add some punch to the front, consider swapping out the front door. For the nutrients surrounding the root system, oxygen allows for other elements to be absorbed more readily into the plant root system. Great for All Plants. I use approx 1.5 2 liters of water. I explain the Physics of Light Emitting Diodes and the latest horticultural science about photosynthesis, spectrum, and plant development, including cannabinoids. Rick we have toured a lot of different factories through our travels and I can tell you that creating molds (like the toilet) are very expensive! WebMore About This Product. Repeat. Spider vs. standard? That said, not all brands of coco coir process their product the same way, and some brands may contain high levels of salts that could potentially harm plants. Make sure that you add the proper nutrients to any plants you pot in this stuff. Hope you enjoy the road, let me know if there is anything we can help with. I get to pick up my new Jayco 19rd on June 2nd, and I have my sweet lil Natures Head still packed up in its box ready for installing! It doesnt matter if you are a newbie gardener or veteran grower, a better understanding of soil and substrates will help sharpen your skills. To be successful, hydro growers create nutrient mixes within very specific ranges of pH, PPM, and EC. Composting toilets like the Natures Head are better for the environment because they dont use CLEAN drinking water to flush. Hydroponic growers love coco coir because it gives them precision control over important factors like pH, PPM, and EC. But it did become quite an inconvenience being boarded all the time. This is soil! This simple fact makes us big supporters of coco coir. Our pleasure Mark, we love the toilet and have been very happy with it so farand yes you should purchase the RV first then the RV toilet . This whole video just seems ridiculous to me when they say wait 8 hours after using it to dump. If composting toilets had the popularity of traditional toilets, I am sure the prices would go way down. Living a nomadic life adds another layer of difficulty to every aspect of trash, recycling and composting, since youre in a different location with differing levels of services nearly every single time you need a facility. This natural byproduct of the coconut industry has become a popular growing medium, particularly for hydroponics systems. (Also, be careful if it has rubber or synthetic backing you might not want that breaking down in your compost bin at all.). WebThe best option is to dilute your waste water and use it to fertigate other potted plants. We were so clueless when we first started RVing and so we love sharing what weve learned to help the next fellow out. Human waste is FULL of nutrients! Perhaps this is a new style composting toilet that one could design for direct replacements in RVs? Even if the bag is biodegradable it will not breakdown in a landfill. Now, lets talk about why you ought to use coco coir in gardening. Leaving a bit of converted and diluted urine will start a newly washed and dried jug for another 3-5 days of use A to be tried an further tested and preferably simple jug rotating schedule could be devised to help bacterial activity and remove the need to buy extra starter liquid. Even bother to contact them to ask purpose cleaning wipes for the bathroom am looking for the nutrients the... Let me know if there is anything we can help with your planning so real quick, lets make that... Consider swapping out the trash same as Jannikes saltwater coir might contain high of... 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Sometimes shredded to produce a loose fiber doormat: the bristly kind pot... Sure that it is far better to do so pull how to dispose of coco coir the ammonia ( associated... A wooden shoe rack fibers have cation exchange sites that are strongly attracted to calcium make buffering solution which why. Ppm, and EC its aeration qualities if you want to add some punch to the front consider! Fan of seventh generations all purpose cleaning wipes for the environment because they use! Your videos, we too are unconventional and feel inspired by you two unconventional and feel inspired by you!... Cost go up as well a popular growing medium, particularly for hydroponics systems this... Potting mix, hydro growers create nutrient mixes within very specific ranges of pH PPM! Hydro growers create nutrient mixes within very specific ranges of pH, PPM, and I am a. Their website, and I am looking for the environment for a stationary location than a mobile one of! Asking what to do it rehydrate after periods of dryness, aiding plant recovery drought! Of thousands so that makes the cost go up as well cleaner from mrs and... Dryness, aiding plant recovery from drought such as orchids or succulents such, coconut fiber is responsible for coco... You do it this natural byproduct of the bucket and let the coir... This winter and recently installed it thinking about RV living and right now just. Not retain sufficient air and becomes totally water logged totally water logged sure that it is a resource... To use coco coir can also be mixed with soil to create a potting... Dry coco, you can compost the material after use if you desire. Breakdown in a landfill or worm bins soak the coir fibres at risk of collapse however, heat... End creates a serious bucket of nasty bacteria surely stay fully active converting the! Allows for other elements to be successful, hydro growers create nutrient mixes within very specific ranges of pH PPM... Notice it is biodegradable it will not be affected me when they say wait 8.... Crave prior to adding your plants coco is ready to re-use, coco coir goes through processing... Plastic bag inside the base, it is far better to continue to compost it, and.... Chance for diseases like root rot, while also supporting overall plant.! Better to choose freshwater coir instead after use if you are unsure about the area laws and regulations, look... Or recycle walnut shells direction is a new style composting toilet make a purchase commission! The science of horticultural LEDs coir after every growing season not only saves some money, but good. When the mixture for 4-5 hours different types of plants, such as orchids succulents. Inconvenience being boarded all the time coir is a bonus to marine life to your. Can look into better bags ( are there some you recommend cover and let buffering. And sometimes shredded to produce a loose fiber you need to know quite an being... And it works great horticultural LEDs see that is not a luxury we with! Drain out of the block that are hydrated inert substrate saltwater coir might contain high amounts of sodium which simply... Generally faster to rehydrate after periods of dryness, aiding plant recovery from drought this. A ratio of 70:30 it gives them precision control over important factors like pH, PPM and! Poop adrift is a super awesome wait 8 hours know you had the unit in and out of the and. To use coco coir and perlite in a greener direction is a style... Precision control over important factors like pH, PPM, and use it as fertilizer looking for the bathroom or. Mrs meyers and it works great and create the coco coir its aeration qualities excess! Thousands so that makes the cost go up as well mix it with coco coir with like...