Can I use freshly husked coconut fiber in my potting medium?

[Wade Coleman]

So I recently husked a coconut and I’ve heard of people using coconut husk in their potting medium as a means of retaining more water. When I looked up “coconut husk for orchids”, I could only find coconut chips rather than the actual fibers. Is there a reason why only chips are used? Would it be okay for me to mix in some coconut husk with bark and sphagnum moss? I just think it’d be cool to incorporate something from by backyard into my hobby!

[dansyr]

Back home (7 degrees north) we use whole coconut husks outside or add that stuff if it's super dry and seems to work. Bet it would work for you? I'm in the cold northeast US now though so not using this method currently, so take this for what it's worth

[Wade Coleman]

So adding the coconut husk won’t hurt anything? Do I have to worry about it rotting quickly or anything?

[dansyr]

I've never tried it in a pot before. Only on outdoor-mounted orchids like catts and thick-rooted dendrobiums where if it degrades, it just kinda falls or else the rain washes it out, and you just add more if you need. I could foresee decomposition gradient issues if it's in a pot. We mostly used it as top-dressing for mounts (like sphag).

[fishmom]

I would be sure to rinse the fibers thoroughly. In the past, coconut husk products that were sold commercially have sometimes had a high salt content. It all depends on how your coconuts were treated. Anyway, rinsing certainly wouldn't hurt!

[estación seca]

It can retain a lot of water. Pay attention to that and it should work well.

[Maryanne]

HI Wade:
I have no access to coconut fiber, but occasionally I buy a coconut at the grocery store. I had my husband cut it in half (after draining the water) on the bandsaw. then drilled more drainage holes in the empty shell. Voila! cool hanging basket. I potted a Bulbophyllum restrepiodes in it.It's been happy in that shell for at least 6 or 7 years.

Happy growing,
Maryanne in Massachusetts