Back to The Roots Organic Coir, 51 Quart Expanding Soil, Great for Seeds and Potting

Coir is a great, more sustainable alternative to peat as a potting medium. Similar to peat moss, coir is low in nutrients (which is important for seed starting as a nutrient-rich medium increases risk of disease for seedlings), and the texture is almost identical to peat moss. This stuff easily expands 2-3 times its dry volume. As you can see in the photo below, I entirely underestimated how much it would expand. I filled the seed tray with coir pieces to less than the height of the rim of the tray, and at the time I took the photo it was still expanding and coir was falling over the sides. So the brick may seem small initially, but it does give you a lot of growing medium. In the second photo, you can see that I have an almost 90% germination rate with the coir. I am growing different seeds in one tray. In the back row, I am trying to grow Gaura seeds, which are notoriously fickle, and which account for the 10% failure rate. (I do currently have 3 germinated.) I have had zero weed seeds germinate, so I think the medium is sterile, which is good. In the photo you can see some long fibers, but overall I found the coir to be of good consistency and low contamination. I do want to note that the dry coir brick is extremely dense and hard, almost as hard as wood. I would advise using a hammer and chisel to break up the pieces, or a saw.

Expands more than you’d think! This comes as a compressed brick, and rehydrates to make enough planting medium for a good sized planter box and/or tortoise enclosure (I use it for both). It retains moisture well enough to maintain optimal humidity for my tortoise but drains well enough to keep my cactus and succulents thriving. Works well for germinating seedlings and potting adult plants.

While this wasn’t my first experience working with plants, it was my first time needing to completely replace soil to rescue a plant from gnat-infested soil. I chose Back to the Roots Organic Coir, 51 Quart Expanding Soil because I wanted a clean, organic option that would help eliminate pests rather than reintroduce them. I also was working with a small space to replant. I did this in the bathroom. I placed the compressed block directly into a 27-gallon tote and added water let it expand and did a little chopping with a spatula. What stood out the most was just how much soil this product produced. Expanding the coir directly in the 27-gallon tote nearly filled the entire container, which really exceeded my expectations for a single compressed block. The soil has a rich, fine texture and looks evenly hydrated and well-aerated, as shown in the image. It was easy to work with and didn’t feel heavy or muddy, making it ideal for gently replanting without compacting the roots too tightly. Overall, this expanding soil made a stressful plant-rescue situation feel manageable and successful. The lightweight texture retains moisture while still draining well, which is especially important when dealing with fungus gnats. Since switching to this soil, the plant feels more stable and supported, and the surface stays clean instead of soggy. For anyone needing to refresh contaminated soil, repot stressed plants, or simply wants a clean and reliable organic growing medium, Back to the Roots Organic Coir delivers excellent volume, quality, and peace of mind. Picture is of the newly repotted plant.

This organic coir is fantastic quality and exactly what I needed. It hydrates quickly, expands beautifully, and provides excellent moisture retention and aeration for potting mixes. It's clean, consistent, and has zero weird odors or debris mixed in. Definitely a reliable go-to for starting seeds, blending custom soil, or potting up plants. Highly recommend!

Nice quantity and quality

Combine with a good compost and perlite for making great potting soil and half the price of a high quality bag of potting soil. Great germination; wonderful for winter sowing. Used it for years to save in the cost of quality potting soil. Environmentally friendly when used in place of peat.

I will never buy bags of potting soil again. I decided to try this because over the past 4-5 years, about every other bag I’ve bought of potting soil contained gnats, no matter what brand - I tried several. This soil was very easy to use and makes A LOT of fluffy, high quality soil. I didn’t want to use all of it at one time, so I’d barely moisten one corner or side of the block. I scraped or knocked off as much as I needed and then added just enough water to break up any lumps. I was amazed at how much soil I ended up with when I started with even a small piece of the compressed soil. This is easy to store too. So glad I found it!!

This is my go to, have bought it multiple times. I notice it’s a great amount nutrient for my starter seeds, and sustains my organic seeds for their whole first cycle of life. It swells up allot of water and a little goes along way, it’s more than durable and great quality!