Coir source is important. Coir is also useful to deter snails from delicate plantings, and as a growing medium in intensive glasshouse (greenhouse) horticulture. Coconut coir from Mexico has been found to contain large numbers of colonies of the beneficial fungus "Aspergillus terreus", which acts as a biological control against plant pathogenic fungi. Coir is also used as a substrate to grow mushrooms. The coir is usually mixed with vermiculite and pasteurised with boiling water. After the coir/vermiculite mix has cooled to room temperature, it is placed in a larger container, usually a plastic box. Previously prepared spawn jars are then
Coir for the automobile industry in Europe. The material is also used for insulation and packaging. The major use of white coir is in rope manufacture. Mats of woven coir fibre are made from the finer grades of bristle and white fibre using hand or mechanical looms. White coir also is used to make fishing nets due to its strong resistance to saltwater. In agriculture and horticulture, coir is a substitute for sphagnum (peat moss) and peat because it is widely available and environmentally friendly. Many sources of coir however are heavily contaminated with pathogenic fungi, and the choice of the