What type of Orchids do best in a cocotut husk Mount?

[Kona's Gold]

Ok now that I have seen the Coconut husk mounts I am ready to try it. I grabed a coconut (brown) off the tree in the front yard cut it in half cracked the shell out and it is soaking as I type this. Now the question is what orchids do best in this type of mount and what is the best method of holding it in the husk untill the roots take a hold? Please help me make the right choice.
Thanks
Roland

[Royal]

I don't have a coconut tree in my yard so I've never tried this, but I'd say most most any orchid that likes mounting in general would do well. Brassavola, Encyclia, etc. As for attaching it, I use fishing monofilament. Just don't wrap so tightly that you damage roots. Staple gun staples work well to and you can just push them in by hand. Some swear by panty hose, but I just can't do that to a poor innocent orchid.

[Jonna]

I've got bazillions of coconuts around too but I wasn't sure how to go from fruit on tree to hairy mount. You took a brown one huh? That had dried out and shriveled on the tree? Some trees have smaller ones that have done that for some reason.

Can you take one that is green and still smooth and cut it in half and remove the hard nut and the outside is what they are referring to? I was looking at a pile of discarded shells the other day and it did seem like the inside of the smooth outer layer was the kind of coarse, hairy stuff that I see here in pictures. It's called Coir?

I can't find any coconut shell chunks for sale, I think there are so many around no one would buy it. Except me who didn't know which part is the Coir. Plus, I'll have to get someone with a machete to cut them apart. The ones in the discard piles look to be full of rot and bugs, I think I want it a bit fresher. I've been reading everything and trying to figure out what Coir is for awhile, great to see this.

[Kona's Gold]

Originally Posted by Jonna

I've got bazillions of coconuts around too but I wasn't sure how to go from fruit on tree to hairy mount. You took a brown one huh? That had dried out and shriveled on the tree? Some trees have smaller ones that have done that for some reason.

Can you take one that is green and still smooth and cut it in half and remove the hard nut and the outside is what they are referring to? I was looking at a pile of discarded shells the other day and it did seem like the inside of the smooth outer layer was the kind of coarse, hairy stuff that I see here in pictures. It's called Coir?

I can't find any coconut shell chunks for sale, I think there are so many around no one would buy it. Except me who didn't know which part is the Coir. Plus, I'll have to get someone with a machete to cut them apart. The ones in the discard piles look to be full of rot and bugs, I think I want it a bit fresher. I've been reading everything and trying to figure out what Coir is for awhile, great to see this.

Jonna you can use the brown ones. You might be able to get the green ones picked and let them turn brown then cut them up. I got some coir ( chiped coconut husks) from a local Farm & Garden supply that came from Sri Lanka it came in 2 compressed bales, 1 bale almost fills a 20 gal can. I see no problem with the piles of coconut husks you find just get the better of them crack out the shell and soak them for 2-3 days to get the salt out that should also get rid of any bugs. Then you could either cut them up or shred them for coir. I plan on using just the halves to mount a couple of orichids since all my orchids are just loving the chipped coconut husks that I planted them in.
Roland

[Psyched]

Hi Kona,

In my case, I mix the husk with charcoal for growing orchid in pots with 1:2 ratio. Coconut husk balance the charcoal as it holds water well and charcoal has overall better drainage. Of course, fungus thrive in this mix so treat the husk with fungicide and dry it in the sun.

My Brassidium and phal seem to like this mix. My cymb is loving it as it flowered when first moved into this mix.

If you want to go for something unique for hanging orchid, you can try making as attached. This is what an orchid grower in my country do with a whole coconut.

He took the shell out from the coconut and reassemble the husk into whole coconut with wire. Fill the inside with tree ferns or charcoal and his Dend. aphyllum is absolutely loving it.

I bet pendulous orchid like Coelogyne rosshucheni (forgive me on the spelling) will like it also.

[Jonna]

Good info. I'm going to soak a few of the discards and see what it looks like. I wanted to mount on a concrete wall and was thinking if I had the coconut coir it would help the roots attach.

I really like the coconut ball, it looks like a fun project.

[Kona's Gold]

Well here it is my first mount I am keeping my fingers crossed that it goes OK.... It is a Cattleya jenmanii var. Coerulea X Brassavola nodosa should be a very interesting flower that smells good too.

[Junebug]

Originally Posted by Kona's Gold

Ok now that I have seen the Coconut husk mounts I am ready to try it. I grabed a coconut (brown) off the tree in the front yard cut it in half cracked the shell out and it is soaking as I type this. Now the question is what orchids do best in this type of mount and what is the best method of holding it in the husk untill the roots take a hold? Please help me make the right choice.
Thanks
Roland

Hi Roland,

My next door neighbor has a coconut palm and I've trained him to toss his discarded coconuts over the fence into my yard. Most of were initially green, but cutting them is my biggest fear and challenge (not too good with a machete), so they've all sat around and turned brown and hard. How in the heck do you cut them at this stage??? I sawed through one with a manual miter saw, and boy was that ever a time consuming workout. After some research I learned that a band saw will do the trick...problem is I have no band saw. So pray tell...how did you so neatly divide your coconut?

[rogerman]

Chuck it at your next door neighbor....make sure it hits him and he'll fire it back ten times as fast. Make sure you duck and it hits a concrete wall and splits.

Now seriously, the guys that do the coconut work have a spike that is upright and they push the coconut down on it. The spike seperates the husk and inside shell