Charcoal

[quiltergal]

Does anyone know if aquarium charcoal is the same stuff as horticultural charcoal? I'm having a hard time finding charcoal at garden centers in larger packages. I'm thinking of going to our local fish store and see if they have any big bags of it. I could order it online, but the shipping costs as much or more than the charcoal.

[Vanda lover]

Aquarium charcoal is made from burned bones and horticultural charcoal is wood. I have used the aquarium kind before and it works fine. You can also buy a bag of lump charcoal that is used for barbecues. That's what I use for my vandas. Don't get the brick type. It's treated

[james mickelso]

Home Depot and Lowes sells "hardwood" charcoal in 25 pound bags. Don't get the bar-b-que charcoal briquettes as these are treated with petroleum by-products which are poisonous to plants. You'll see the difference. You will have to bust up the hardwood charcoal with a hammer. I cut it up using small branch cutters. I use it in all of my bark based media along with spongerock and a handful of canadien peat moss. In years past many orchid nurseries used charcoal for potting as bark hadn't become plentiful or popular at the time.

[CTB]

does charcoal hold moisture? interesting thread

[james mickelso]

Very little. And it has antifungal properties.

[oakrose]

The aquarium charcoal I found at Walmart is very small. Wouldn't this just take up the space that would otherwise allow air to flow? (beginner here!)

[james mickelso]

It would be ok to use. It is very coarse so it would still foster adequate air flow through the media.

[RJSquirrel]

I myself think charcoal in orchid mix for people who use city water supplies filters out a lot of the chlorine and heavier particles in their water. That's always good.The charcoal doesn't breakdown,so it does need flushing regularly or replaced like any other material. You can burn nutshells to make charcoal also if you have any nut trees around.

I like charcoal and use medium grade at the rate of 1/3 in the mix I have become comfortable with.

[james mickelso]

Yes Rocket. I like charcoal in most of my mixes too. Back in the 40's and 50's in Tenn and the adjacent areas the growers used charcoal alone or with spag because it was cheap. I remember my dad using it in the Epidendrum he got in the jungle in Panama in 1949. I like it at about the same rate that you use. Charcol has an affinity for any carbon compounds found in water and is electrical negative so helps take some calcium and manganese out of the water.

[Vanda lover]

I agree with you guys. My orchids definitely love charcoal. I also like to add some Perlite.