Technical product comparison
Crush Pot vs Chip Blends Specified buffer chemistry, a uniform no-chip blend, and verifiable certification — measured against typical chip/chunk coco blends.
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Technical product comparison
The bottom line
Both are coco grow containers with drip-ready holes. These four are the differences that hold up to scrutiny.
Ca buffering via horticultural calcium nitrate — specified, not a generic "buffered" label across mixed grades.
RHP-certified product with case-level batch traceability. Chip blends often cite a factory-level claim — or none — without a product certificate you can pull.
A uniform 70/30 pith and cut-fiber blend holds its structure. Chips and chunks drain faster but can settle and vary bag to bag.
A documented 55% ±2.5% VWC field capacity to crop-steer from. Chip/chunk blends usually list a hydration volume, not a VWC.
Crush Pot — by the numbers
Toggle the pot size. Expanded dimensions are cylindrical — height equals diameter.
Field capacity holds at 55% ±2.5% VWC for both sizes (machine-hydrated, transplanted to spec) — a documented target for crop steering. Chip/chunk blends typically publish a hydration volume, not a VWC field-capacity figure.
The core difference
The Crush Pot is a chip-free 70/30 pith-and-cut-fiber blend. Typical competitor blends add coco chips or chunks — the single biggest structural difference between them.
CharCoir Crush Pot 70% pith / 30% cut fiber · no chips
Uniform, milled to length — a consistent air-to-water profile, batch to batch.
Typical chip / chunk blend coco · fiber · chips/chunks · proportions unpublished
Segment widths illustrative — chip blends rarely publish the split. Chips/chunks are the variable.
Full specification
CharCoir from published specs (RHP-certified, CoA on file, traceable by case batch code). The right column characterizes typical chip/chunk coco blends — verify against the specific competitor product on file.
| CharCoir Crush Pot | Typical Chip / Chunk Blend | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attribute | 1 Gallon | 2 Gallon | General |
| Physical specifications | |||
| Container format | Recyclable rigid plastic pot, open top | Recyclable rigid plastic pot, open top | Fabric or PP grow bag, open top |
| Dried Crush Pot blend coir | 300 g ±10 g | 560 g ±15 g | Rarely published |
| Expanded substrate volume | 2.8–3.0 L | 5.2–5.5 L | Usually a hydration volume, not a substrate volume |
| Expanded dimensions | 6" H × 6" Ø (cylindrical) | 7.5" H × 7.5" Ø (cylindrical) | Bag footprint, if listed |
| Water held / holding CharCoir is a measured at-field-capacity value. | 1,500 mL at field capacity | 2,900 mL at field capacity | Often a qualitative multiple (e.g. “holds N× its volume”) |
| Coir composition & processing | |||
| Blend Chips speed drainage but can settle and vary; see blend section. | 70% pith / 30% cut fiber — uniform length, no chips | 70% pith / 30% cut fiber — uniform length, no chips | Coco + fiber + chips/chunks — proportions usually unpublished |
| Buffering Confirm grade and buffer chemistry on any chip-blend order; CharCoir's is named and RHP-documented. | Ca-buffered — horticultural calcium nitrate (specified) | Ca-buffered — horticultural calcium nitrate (specified) | “Buffered” often claimed; chemistry rarely specified; grade varies (unwashed → charged) |
| Wash / rinse | Triple-washed | Triple-washed | Washed / triple-washed (typically claimed) |
| Target EC Extraction ratio matters — confirm before comparing EC numbers. | < 1.0 mS/cm (1:1.5) | < 1.0 mS/cm (1:1.5) | Sometimes published, often at a different extraction ratio |
| pH | Stabilized 5.5–6.8 | Stabilized 5.5–6.8 | Commonly 5.5–6.5 (varies) |
| Certification | RHP-certified product; case code traceable to batch test & RHP compliance | RHP-certified product; case code traceable to batch test & RHP compliance | Often a factory-level claim, if any; product-level certificate not always available |
| Sourcing | Single-farm, peat-free | Single-farm, peat-free | Rarely specified |
| Drainage, aeration & structure | |||
| Particle uniformity | Cut fiber + pith, low batch variance | Cut fiber + pith, low batch variance | Chips/chunks + variable fiber — settling / uniformity variance |
| Field capacity (VWC) Chip/chunk blends drain faster — typically a lower water reserve. | 55% ±2.5% | 55% ±2.5% | Rarely published; usually lower due to chips/chunks |
| Drip / emitter holes Parity — most open-top products ship drip-ready. | Pre-drilled drip-stake holes | Pre-drilled drip-stake holes | Commonly drip-ready |
| Hydration behavior | Controlled-moisture compression → uniform rehydration | Controlled-moisture compression → uniform rehydration | Hydrate to runoff |
Structure
Pith with cut fiber milled to a uniform length gives a consistent pore network. Adding irregular chips coarsens it — faster drainage, but a less predictable structure that can settle unevenly.
CharCoir process controls
Composting/aging, contaminant & biological screening, bulk density, and calcium-nitrate CEC buffering. Each case carries a code traceable internally to its batch test and RHP compliance.
Off-spec blocks are pulled before shipping, holding the lot-to-lot variance that lets you steer from the spec sheet.
Ca via calcium nitrate, RHP-documented — not a generic "buffered" label across mixed grades.
55% ±2.5% field capacity gives a real moisture target — not just a hydration volume.
A uniform cut-fiber blend gives an even, repeatable dry-back across pots and lots.
RHP-certified product plus case-level batch traceability you can audit on request.