Anyone using coconut husk for phals?

[Orchids4ever]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Find more and more phals come potted in coconut husk chunks and so thought I'd try it. Only place I could find it was at the pet store and not sure if this will work, is the right size, or suitable for orchids.

Expert input please...

Hi
I found the best quality coconut husk chunks at Lee Valley Tools,it comes pre-washed.Its excellent .

[FrFrancis]

At one point I did, but that meant I soaked the plant for 15 minutes every time I watered it, I used medium chuck coconut husks. It was good for 2 years but now I use an orchiate bark mix for my phals and get about 3 years out of it.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Find more and more phals come potted in coconut husk chunks and so thought I'd try it. Only place I could find it was at the pet store and not sure if this will work, is the right size, or suitable for orchids.

Expert input please...

My concern would mostly be over whether stuff for pets has had the resins leached out of it sufficiently. Even stuff I've bought for orchids has leached a lot in the past and I've not been a fan of it (nor were my orchids it seems). I'm told the stuff that's cleaned a lot more for orchids should work better, but I've not tried it again.

[PaphLover]

Thanks Monika. Lee Valley has everything!!! Will check it out.

Thanks Rosie. The girl at the pet store said, "If it's good enough for frogs, it should be good enough." Her explanation was that frogs have really thin skin and are quite sensitive to toxins, etc. But so far, the response is pretty mixed to using it for orchids, though I'd say leaning more towards the "meh" or "don't like it" side.

Hmmm, I wonder why growers are using it?

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by PaphLover

Hmmm, I wonder why growers are using it?

One commercial grower told me he liked it because it held water longer and he could water less often. For me I found it held water too long and I was more likely to overwater.

People used to say it lasted longer then bark, but I found it decayed faster and decayed to quite a solid mush with no air, leading to root rot if I didn't spot it quickly.

[Kon]

Excuse me for asking silly question.
Instead of using coconut bark, could orchid be mounted on a whole coconut and grow happy?

[estación seca]

Why not? But I would cut it open, drink the juice, extract the meat and then use the shell.

[bil]

Frogs are a very good indicator. You would kill a frog if salts were leaching out of the husk.

I use large chunks of bark for phals, in wide, but shallow pots. No moss, no nothing.

I use a mix of fine bark and coco husk when I can get it for fine rooted orchids.