Your thoughts on coconut husk chips vs bark?

[JanS]

Up to now, I've been a bark man. I suck with spagh moss, and although I am improving, I tend to rot orchids I get in it after a few months no matter how scientific I try to be with my watering schedule ( and I AM a scientist!!). So up to now when I get a new orchid acquisition and it's in moss, first thing I do is repot it into bark.

I recently got some orchid specimens that require constant moisture and coconut husk chips were recommended. I looked them up and there is quite a bit of talk about their being a great replacement for orchid bark chips that have generally degraded in quality. Not being able to get them locally, I mail-ordered a 25lb bag for, like $20....and now have coconut chips to last me for 10 years!!! (They came dry and vacuum packed and when you add water they blow up to 10x the volume).

Anyone has experience with them for general orchid growing?

Thanks!

[Wild Orchid]

Hi there,
I've just started experimenting with coconut chips so for what it's worth, my 2

I get mine from the pet store and it's been discussed in length here and in other forums that this stuff needs to be soaked and washed thoroughly until all saults are washed out. I even bought a TDC hydometer for that reason. On average, it takes a few days of overnight soaking, depending on the water one uses.

Mine look more like long fiber not chips (only an few pieces of those here and there), so that might be a difference in application as well. The reason I switched was that I too found orchid bark mix staying too wet in a center and then some said that this would correct the probelm if switched to coco product.

Well.....you're right, the moment it gets wet, it tends to take all the room in the pot and some Phals with fragile roots start sulking. The mature, more established Phals seem to be doing well though.
Once I observe that the stuff is still wet a few days later , I tend to get concerned and start taking coco fibers out with the skewer fearing the root rot and to provide some more room for the roots.... Then I end up with a half empty pot and dry roots and have to water every single day, like it or not.

I also noticed difference on a hot day vs rainy day. The coco dries up really quick on the top but still holds moisture in the middle, which I find being rather confusing. On a positive side, you could tell by the color if there's still some moisture - quite a plus compare to bark!

So now I'm thinking may be I should use half fiber and half bark chips (larger pieces, not small as they tend to fall on the bottom and stay wet.)

Overall, it appears that in small quantities, coco is more roots friendly and easier to get where you want it to go in comparison with bark. But once I put just a bit more it tends to get and stay wet, at least for me.


I don't know if this is at all helpful as I'm still experimenting.

Lilia

[billc]

Here's an excellent article on CHC. It's geared more towards paphs but works for most orchids.
Use of Coconut Husk Chips

Bill

[RosieC]

People used to say it lasts longer than bark (3 years between re-pots rather than two), but my own experience using it with Phals and with Paphs is that it breaks down and needs changing much more quickly than bark. It goes to a dense mush within a year. I know I'm not the only one who has had this experience (though can't remember who it was that was also saying that).

It stays wetter than bark, so if you are looking for something to increase water retention (and slow drying times) then it could be good. I've mostly used it mixed with bark, though I have some in pure CHC.

Personally having used it for a few years I've gone off it and generally use just bark these days.

[Bloomin_Aussie]

Coco husk will deteriorate very quickly if you use certain types of fertilisers and nutrient additives.

[isurus79]

To me, it seems like coco husk is a good media that is more moisture retentive than bark, but less than spag.

[Ray]

I have a friend who operates a large nursery, focusing primarily on seasonal bedding plants, and he tells me that in that industry, CHC simply doesn't cut it, although I see that there is a ProMix CC now that contains chips to make it airier.

I can tell you that in my greenhouse environment, CHC doesn't last nearly as long as Orchiata bark.


Ray Barkalow
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[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by RosieC

People used to say it lasts longer than bark (3 years between re-pots rather than two), but my own experience using it with Phals and with Paphs is that it breaks down and needs changing much more quickly than bark. It goes to a dense mush within a year. I know I'm not the only one who has had this experience (though can't remember who it was that was also saying that).

It stays wetter than bark, so if you are looking for something to increase water retention (and slow drying times) then it could be good. I've mostly used it mixed with bark, though I have some in pure CHC.

Personally having used it for a few years I've gone off it and generally use just bark these days.

agree - and it also compacts in smaller pots very quickly. It's too much trouble for me, and I will be looking at orchiata bark next......the next "best" thing

[cbuchman]

Originally Posted by RosieC

People used to say it lasts longer than bark (3 years between re-pots rather than two), but my own experience using it with Phals and with Paphs is that it breaks down and needs changing much more quickly than bark. It goes to a dense mush within a year. I know I'm not the only one who has had this experience (though can't remember who it was that was also saying that).

It stays wetter than bark, so if you are looking for something to increase water retention (and slow drying times) then it could be good. I've mostly used it mixed with bark, though I have some in pure CHC.

Personally having used it for a few years I've gone off it and generally use just bark these days.

I had the problem with it breaking down quickly. I'm not sure why and maybe it was the product I started with. I also found it kept things too moist. I am still working on getting the correct amount of moisture to each plant without having to have a special watering schedule for each. I'm finding that bark mixed with sphag, charcoal and lava rock in varying ratios is working pretty well for me. It's the 1" pots and mounted guys that I need to water every day now, but that is to be expected.

So I am off CHC completely now.

[quiltergal]

I grow mostly Paphs & Phrags, so CHC works great for them. They are usually repotted annually anyway. I also grow Phals in it and they do fine. I think what you use depends on how often you like to water.