Usage of Coconut Husks

[thakshila smith]

As we know we use coconut husks as a media to grow orchids I would like to give some example of them.
Normally we live in hot climate area and weather is extremely hot at midday . Coconut husks can reduce that heat. Bec every one who mount them on tree trunks cover them with husks .With not only one but with four to five husks . Vandas. dens and oncidiums and pigeon orchids grow crazily over there and can produce many spikes, bushes of blooms.
Not only that you check the route system of the bushes .My God they develop as big as snakes. Because of the moist retain in between the husks .
That is the nature who provide this magic. Dendrobium cruminatums are the people who get this advantage mostly.
Bye Wish you my dear friends A Happy New Year too.

[snow]

great information; and a happy new year to you and you,re loved ones.

[thakshila smith]

no one is interested about coconut husks I suppose.
But in our country coconut husks are the oldest and the most popular tool of orchid growing .Now few of them use wood charcoal and some granite pieces as the medium
Also coconut cores.
Thank you !

[edwardwang]

Can you show me a pic? I am interested to try one. Can I drill many holes to grow vanda.

[rogerman]

I'll try and get a photo for you tomorrow.... No promises though.

Here in Thailand, we sometimes use whole coconuts (Not just the shell, but the husk as well)with the top chopped off and the meat scraped out. Put it on a hanger and theres your orchid pot.

It's too late and dark to go down the road to my shade house to get one.

[thakshila smith]

Thanks for replying me.
Edwardwang :-
We just fix the plant on a tree trunk with the help of coconut husks. I mean cover the plant roots section. And bind it with a piece of rope .
We normally unhusk the whole coconut to take out the coconut fruit by dividing the outer husk into four or five separate husks pieces. As a second method
those pieces are combined as a bowl by using some ropes. Therefore no need of drilling them again because holes are there already for draining
out water .
After some years laps coconut husks decompose and we replace them again.
In between husks orchid roots cultivate tremendously and healthily bec of the
moisture retain naturally.
Actually this method is used by the home growers . Orchid retailers use small clay pots and also wood baskets. Coconut husk growers are enjoying giant size bushes .
I suppose coconut husks can provide the necessary shade to the bush too.

[rogerman]

Originally Posted by thakshila smith

Actually this method is used by the home growers . Orchid retailers use small clay pots and also wood baskets. Coconut husk growers are enjoying giant size bushes .
I suppose coconut husks can provide the necessary shade to the bush too.

Not at all. Here the Cattleyas, Dendrobiums and a couple other varieties get put into 3 inch plastic pots with coconut husks that are already bundled up to fit the pot. Clay pots are only used as a decoration even though they also retain some moisture.
Coconut husks do not make an Orchid huge and they don't give any shade to the plant at all.

[quiltingwacko]

Originally Posted by thakshila smith

Thanks for replying me.
Edwardwang :-
We just fix the plant on a tree trunk with the help of coconut husks. I mean cover the plant roots section. And bind it with a piece of rope .
We normally unhusk the whole coconut to take out the coconut fruit by dividing the outer husk into four or five separate husks pieces. As a second method
those pieces are combined as a bowl by using some ropes. Therefore no need of drilling them again because holes are there already for draining
out water .
After some years laps coconut husks decompose and we replace them again.
In between husks orchid roots cultivate tremendously and healthily bec of the
moisture retain naturally.
Actually this method is used by the home growers . Orchid retailers use small clay pots and also wood baskets. Coconut husk growers are enjoying giant size bushes .
I suppose coconut husks can provide the necessary shade to the bush too.

That was interesting Thakshila. I have never read of that before. In my area we use the husks in small chunks as a potting medium. Carol

[thakshila smith]

Rogerman :-
Here we can't spend much money for pots .Therefore we use any thing available clay pots .wooden baskets, or plastic ones.
Husks or even cement pots. now they cement rigiform pieces and attach orchids too.
And you can try these as well and you see they bloom well and I bet these bushes are fairly bigger bec coconut husk baskets provide ample apace for root system.
I am sad I can't provide a photo of my vanda bush and her roots.

[rogerman]

I have huge Vandas in nothing but an empty pot. My biggest Vanda is getting close to 4 foot tall plus the roots of course.
Plastic pots are a whole lot cheaper and easier to plant in than using cement. I'd never use cement because of the weight...... Imagine having three hundred plants on cement.... One ton maybe? I do however mount Orchids on Teak wood though and have done well out of them.
The wood costs me $0.085 USD including a wire hanger each
Three inch pots cost me $0.028USD each