Cocoa shells as growth medium?

[Silje]

Because of a limited availability of growth mediums for orchids here in Namibia, I'm always looking around trying to find alternatives and things to use. Now I've got hold of some cocoa shell mulch that looks like it could work. I've already decided to give it a try with one or two NOID phals as an experiment.

Does anybody here use cocoa shells as growth medium? I'd like to hear your experiences, both the good and the bad.

[Discus]

Never seen cocoa shells, so I'm not sure what they're like; I've seen mixes with macadamia nut husks in (from van Rooyen if you were wondering).

You could consider using inorganic potting mediums; many of them can be "recycled" by sterilising (heat or bleach) and then thorough cleaning in low mineral water. I quite like hydroton for this, although it's tricky enough to get hold of in ZA, not sure about in your neck of the woods. I've seen things potted up in granite chips even (I have a catt in this, and it seems fairly happy).

A quick test for most media is to soak them in some distilled water for a couple of weeks and see what they look like (in terms of broken down or otherwise holding up) and in terms of their effect on the water (colour, pH, conductivity - the latter two will need access to a pH and EC meter). If the pH and EC look good for the orchids you culture, you've won!

You may also find people may be willing to ship you media over the border; some compress quite well and increase in volume dramatically (sphagnum, coconut husk [not coco peat] bricks).

Most media are bark based, and some or other grade of bark is often available in nurseries (not sure about in NA though...).

If your humidity is high enough (unlikely except perhaps in your greenhouse) you can always just mount epiphytes, negating the hunt for potting media to some extent.

---------- Post added at 03:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:15 PM ----------

Had a quick google of cocoa shell mulches; they look very fine and will probably compact quite a lot, which could be a problem depending on what you grow in them. Using something else (like perlite or styrofoam) to make sure the medium doesn't collapse too much will probably help. Of course, experimentation is always a good idea - some things work out that you might not expect, and necessity can be the mother of invention!

[Silje]

I'm half Norwegian and I've never seen cocoa shells in Namibia, but my mother got loads for her garden in Norway. And right now I'm visiting filling my backpack with odds and ends stuff I can't get hold of in Nam.

This is where I get most of my growth mediums from, except the bark and the macadamia shells, and thr dolomite gravel. My perlite and LECA are gifts from abroad. Makes it very precious. Drooling over lava rock in all aspects, except the shipping costs.

I'm chucking some of this stuff in water for a while and will se what it does. It's very light and airy in dry form and I'm considering it in a mix with perlite and perhaps a bit of LECA.

I'm getting some hygrolon as well. Got no idea which plant to try that one though, but I'm intrigued of the possibilities.

I might even throw in a bit of live moss and see if I can grow it in the greenhouse. I love the look of mounts with moss on.

Oh, the possibilities! Just wish I had it all on my doorstep and didn't have to go to all the trouble to get hold of things.

[Ray]

If you're talking about cocoa, as in chocolate, then no, it is probably not a good choice.

That stuff is sold as mulch here, and reports I have seen (stayed away from it, myself) suggest it undergoes a rapid degradation to mush if relatively short order.

[Discus]

Dolomite gravel would probably be too alkaline for most orchids.

Hygrolon looks awesome, and a hygrolon epiweb/ecoweb combo mount has interesting possibilities too.

I've often wanted to try some seramis for smaller, more delicate plants (it's a small leca-type material), but not found any yet.

I can buy perlite in my local garden centre (small size); I'm not sure if people on bid or buy will ship to namibia, but I've seen it there too from time to time.

If you're willing to stump up the packing costs (and presumably import duty) repotme.com (and firstrays) have happily shipped things to me here - I ordered fairly light stuff though, like pots and sphagnum moss (and MSU ferts and ecoweb).

Incidentally, knowing the Namibians like a good braai, it's possible you'll find lava rocks being sold for gas braais.

re: the moss, ideally, make it sphagnum rather that "sheet" moss. I've had live sphagnum moss "come to life" out of peat moss before that was kept damp for months and months (enclosed in a ziplock bag). I keep meaning to figure out a way of making it grow faster; I suspect a 2l coke bottle will make a good container, with LECA at the bottom, some dead sphagnum at the top and the live stuff on top of that with pure water at the bottom somewhere moderately well lit. If you buy "dead" moss, again, make sure it's sphagnum and not "sheet".

[lyzzy]

I bought some cocoa shell sold her in the U.S as mulch for flower beds, and i put it on top of the soil of annnuals I have in pots outside, and it got moldy within a week. I would not use it on orchids, and will not use it again as mulch. The only good thing about it is that it smells good for a couple of days.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Many Paphs in the section Parvisepalum and Brachypetalum would appreciate the dolomite.

Basically, many of the orchids that are found growing lithophytically on limestone or terrestrially around limestone will like dolomite.

Many of the epiphytical orchids may not appreciate it.


If by cocoa shells you mean coconut shells, the shell itself is too hard and will not retain much moisture. However, the fibrous husks do, and it is commonly used in orchid culture.

[MattWoelfsen]

Originally Posted by King_of_orchid_growing:)

....
If by cocoa shells you mean coconut shells, the shell itself is too hard and will not retain much moisture. However, the fibrous husks do, and it is commonly used in orchid culture.

Hello king, he means the chocolate shell cast offs that can be used as mulch in the garden, home improvement centers offer them in 40 pound bags.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Ok. Well, what others have said.