Coconut water (milk)

[Serge]

Since i live in Florida, there is full coconut all around my place. Can I use the coconut milk for watering the orchid .
Is there a limit to use it.???

Also, on a coconut tree, there is a kind of sphaing on the older part.
Is that sphaing could be a good medium.

I think i'll go get a coconut pie for lunch.

Thank you

Vive l'orchidée

[Psyched]

Coconut water yes, coconut milk... better not

I live in tropical country where coconut is also in abundance. Although I have yet to use coconut water regularly to water my chids, some of orchid growers in my country do. It's good for chid growth as it contains nutrition and vitamins. In some orchid lab, they mix coconut water with agar as media for orchid seeds (after sterilization).

Frequent use can promote fungi growth though. You might have to use fungicide more often.

[Serge]

Hi,

Thank you for the answer.I will try it slowly on some plants and see how it goes.



Serge

[Psyched]

More on coconut water:

Composition of coconut water
Water 95.5 %
Nitrogen 0.05 %
Phosphoric acid 0.56 %
Potassium 6.60 %
Calcium oxide 0.69 %
Magnesium oxide 0.59 %

Iron 0.5 mg/100g
Total solids 4.71 mg/100g
Reducing sugars 0.80 mg/100g
Total sugars 2.08 mg/100g
Ash 0.62 mg/100g
Source: Pandalai, K. M. (1958). Coconut water and its uses. Coconut Bull. 12, No. 5, 167-173. (wikipedia ftw)

It's a good natural source for potassium.

[Undergrounder]

More importantly it's good for initiating certain stages of growth in orchids.. For instance in order to initiate the production of protocorm-like-bodies in vitro, you need to use coconut water. It has certain cytokinin-like hormones (Zeatin and zeatin riboside) that are extremely powerful hormones for initiating new growths and new plant growth (as in keikis). In fact keiki paste has similar chemicals in it to coconut endosperm.

In addition to the above list of inorganic minerals, it has a lengthy shopping list of amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, plant hormones and sugars in trace, but significant levels.

[Lene Th.]

And here comes the dumbee-question from one who just can se a coconut in some food-stores... What is the difference between coconut water and cocnut milk...?

The milk is inside the nut, i assume...but what about the water...?
*lol*

[Serge]

Undergrounder, Thank you

Very useful information.

If i start using coconut water on a regular base,should i use a fertilizer whit less potassium. 6.6% is a lot.

Thank you

[blackorchid]

no actually, the water is inside the nut, the milk comes from the white pulp of the coconut. One shouldn't drink too much coconut MILK because it has a lot of saturated fat, not good for you, and your orchids

[CoolPhrog]

Great topic! I just learned something new today! Thanx for the post!!

[Ray]

Neat! I always thought the liquid inside the coconut WAS the "milk", and is saturated in the "meat", but I now understand that it is "coconut water", and "coconut milk" is made by grating the meat and making a slurry with warm water.