Your thoughts on coconut husk chips vs bark?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by 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.

I think people who water a lot or are in high humidity areas see it break down pretty quickly. The same can be said of spag too though. It really depends on how you use it.

[JanS]

Thanks for all your responses! - Bummer, though: the widespread claims that CHC last much longer than bark was also one of the reasons I went for it, and from many of your comments it's obvious that's not true. The comprehensive article BillC recommended (thanks!) claims increased longevity also, although their tests were done with fine grade CHC and bark and they caution that both tend to degrade after 6-8 months, so it's better to use coarser grades for adult plants.

So based on the info I'm getting here I am surely not going to be repotting everything I have into coconut, but will experiment. After all, that's a great part of the fun of orchid growing! Besides, now you guys have me researching "Orchiata Bark"!! Those Kiwis have it all: best spagh, best bark....

[tucker85]

I agree that sphagnum moss can be difficult to manage. I had problems when I was growing orchids in it. I’ve had very good results growing phalaenopsis in a mix of mostly medium size coconut husk chips with a little charcoal and a little sponge rock. I repot my phals once a year but a couple plants have remained in the mix for 2 years. When I do repot, I almost never see any dead or rotting roots. The roots are always plump and healthy. Coconut husk chips do need to be soaked and rinsed very well. I have only used chc on orchids that like to stay moist, like phals and paphs. I grow in the smallest clear plastic pots the roots will fit in. My suggestion, for what it’s worth, would be to experiment with a couple of orchids in coconut husk chips and a couple in Orchiata bark and maybe even some in a 50/50 mixture and see what works best under your conditions and culture techniques. Good luck.

[Orchids4ever]

Hi
I have 115 Orchids-Paphs,Phals,Dens,Catts
all of them -exept 5 - are grown in CHC
for the last 4 Years.Me and the Orchids are very happy with it and sofar i have not had a Problem-this year i repotted some because they needed a bigger Pot.And i water once a Week-if they needed or not.They are all in straight CHC,some got some charcoil in it,but thats all.
Any way-thats my 2cents.

[WhiteRabbit]

I love chc! I don't use it exclusively, but use it more than bark or sphag. I love that it's airy and retains moisture well. I love that it breaks down slowly.

To facilitate even drying, I like using styro or an over turned net pot in the center. I also use skewers to determine when to water. I do both for most orchids, regardless of media.

The chc I have now (hydrofarm coco croutons) has been fine to use straight from the bag, with no soaks and rinses, but never hurts to do those to be safe.

[lusenok]

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

Rosie, that's exactly my experience .For me coconut husk chips are not much different from sphag: it's hard to do it right.
Personally I tried to use CHC for orchids with higher moisture requirements (oncidiums/intergenerics) in order to keep all my plants on the same watering schedule. But after 8 months or so the oncidiums suffered quite a bit of root loss so I had to move them back to bark. It seems like I can't cheat my way out of twice/week watering.

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by lusenok

Rosie, that's exactly my experience .For me coconut husk chips are not much different from sphag: it's hard to do it right.
Personally I tried to use CHC for orchids with higher moisture requirements (oncidiums/intergenerics) in order to keep all my plants on the same watering schedule. But after 8 months or so the oncidiums suffered quite a bit of root loss so I had to move them back to bark. It seems like I can't cheat my way out of twice/week watering.

This has not been my experience with chc. I've been using it a few years, and have been very happy with it.

I don't know if it's difference in the chc product used, or some other factor that may be responsible for our different experiences.

[billc]

My experiences have been like Sonya's. I've had masdies, phals, catts and paphs growing in it and have not had it breakdown to an alarming degree. I do find that I have to flush with pure water every 3-4 waterings to avoid fertilizer build up.

Bill

[JanS]

I am encouraged by the positive recent comments - I guess the "Nays" spoke up before the "Yays". So there is still hope for my new giant block of coco chips!

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by JanS

I guess the "Nays" spoke up before the "Yays".

This happens a lot actually. Seems like the nay sayers of a topic (myself included!) often chime in first and the "yays" trickle in later. I've actually always wondered why this is....