Cocopeat is a renewable growing medium that has attracted increasing attention as a sustainable alternative to peat moss in horticulture. This study aimed to develop compressed cocopeat blocks from Coconut coir pith using a laboratory-scale hydraulic hot press and to evaluate their physical and chemical properties for horticultural applications. Raw cocopeat was washed, dried, sieved, and compressed into blocks after optimizing the water-to-cocopeat ratio and compression pressure. The chemical properties, including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and macronutrients (N, P, K, Mg, and Ca), and the physical properties, including bulk density, particle density, moisture content, and water-holding capacity, were determined. The prepared cocopeat blocks were also compared with two commercially available cocopeat block samples.

The results showed that the prepared cocopeat blocks had a slightly acidic and an electrical conductivity within the recommended range for horticultural applications. Essential macronutrients were retained after block preparation, while the blocks exhibited good water-holding capacity and suitable physical properties for use as a growing medium. Compared with the commercial samples, the prepared blocks showed a lower EC value (1350±9 µS cm⁻¹), suggesting that washing the raw cocopeat effectively reduced soluble salts. Although the commercial samples exhibited slightly higher water-holding capacity and macronutrient contents, the differences in most physical properties were relatively small.

Overall, the study showed that compressed cocopeat blocks produced from current coconut coir pith possess suitable physical and chemical characteristics for horticultural applications. The findings also highlight the importance of raw material preparation, particularly washing, sieving, and appropriate compression conditions, in improving the quality of cocopeat blocks.