Coconut husk chips are a popular choice for orchid growers due to their superior moisture retention, aeration properties, and environmental benefits. They have a porous structure that allows for excellent water drainage, preventing root rot, a common issue with orchids. Orchids thrive in airy, well-draining conditions, which coconut fiber provides. Using coconut husk chips as the potting medium for orchids can be an effective and sustainable option. The husk promotes good water drainage and proper root aeration.
However, it is important to wash the husk before using it as growing media or additives. Maxillaria tenuifolia, also known as the “Coconut” orchid, is a popular species of orchid that is easy and fast to grow. Most popular orchids such as Arachnis, Phalaenopsis, and Phapiopedilim are cultivated with planting media such as coconut husk for orchids.
Coir is another great addition to the mix when used properly. When used properly, coconut products are being used both as chips and as a ground material with a consistency like peat moss. It’s a very good growing material for some growing conditions. Producers like it because it’s inexpensive, lightweight, and simultaneously holds moisture.
A major advantage of coconut husk over bark is that it is much easier on the hands at re-potting time and more easily removed from the roots than bark. A light, absorbent like coconut husk helps the orchid’s roots stay healthy by watering it. Coconut shells are great for mounting several types of orchids.
In conclusion, coconut husk chips are an excellent choice for orchid growers due to their superior moisture retention, aeration properties, and environmental benefits.
📹 Orchid problem and coco husks??
Probably shouldn’t have been too hasty to completely strip the growth but i just have to try and discover the problem. Maybe that …
📹 Q&A – Where to find and how to use coconut husk for Orchids?
Today’s question is: Is coconut for reptiles good? Where can I find it? So here is how to use coconut husk destined for reptiles.
Hi Ed, great article and sorry the husk doesn’t seem to be working for some of your plants 😢. I’m really encouraged by your Masdevallia though as I’ve put my barlaeana into husk as it’s roots in bark were rubbish! I’m hoping it will take off now! So far so good and the leaves are showing no signs of stress so I hope it’s settling in and will finally get some flipping roots lol. Happy growing Ed 😊.
That definitely looks like caterpillar teeth marks. They would definitely be drawn to those tasty orchids. But it did make you look. What an oddity that first one…. I’m not sure what it is trying to grow. Spike yes, pb, maybe. Coconut husk is not something I like to work with. But it could be a good choice for masdevallias. I don’t know if the husk is the same pH as the bark after watering. Those miltassia oncidium types are very thirsty in my settings. I have them in sponge rock and sphagnum moss in a clay pot. Even now, i have to water every 2 to 3 days. By the way, you may never find that caterpillar but I’m glad you located your indoor cattleya squatter 🙂 have a great week, Rez.
Hello Ed, That looks like a worm has been chewing. Get you some diatomaceous earth and sprinkle all over your plants. ( there is a food grade and a regular, both work) It is not harmful to you or your plants. It works really well!! Especially on catapillars. It is a powder so a little messy, but rinses right off. Your other 2 plants just need to stay more wet and it takes them awhile to get going after a repot. The one with the chewed leaves and flower spike that’s the way new bulbs form. It looks as if they are not staying damp enough. I hope I helped some. In the states we don’t starilize or anything to the coconut husk and have now problems. I just don’t know anymore about it cause I only have it in a few pots that I purchased that way. Good luck to you and glad you got the slug!!!!😁😁👍
Well Ed, my lady slipper in bloom that a neighbor gave to me in coconut husk. I decided not to wait. I repotted it today in a mixture of bark. I am glad I did. You know the stringy coconut fibers. There was a ball of it on bottom compactly packed and saw dust fibers on top. It was so dry. After pitting I soaked it in fertilizer for a little bit.
In Brazil coconut husk/fiber are commom substrates. I’ve read tannins are a powerful herbicide and fungicide. If not properly treated it gives the roots a few months of root burns until all tannins are washed away during watering. It’s a very polemic substrate here too. Some growers say it becomes too acid too fast. Others say it’s a great option since the husk helps retaining moiture and the natural decomposition even reduces the use of fertilizers. All the phalaenopsis I bought/saw in stores so far came potted on coconut husks or fiber. I don`t know if it`s because the substrate was too old or too much watering, but they all came with some degree of root rots. Personally I rinse it until the water becomes clear. I use some coconut fiber on my phals, and the coconut dust on my gloxinia and african violet. The fiber I use to give aeration, the dust is also airy and holds a lot of moisture. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to give something in return for all the knowledge you share with us.
first i was lucky to find ur website … second i’m super fortunate to have ur same environment .. and so ur suggestions fit perfectly 4 me .. third u did a super useful article of how to clean orchid roots that really saved me … and after all ur invaluable suggestions u post this article … i’m super very lucky .. felling privileged .. OLE’ … grazie mille <3
I googled around a bit to find info on how tannins may be harmful to orchids. You mentioned low ph, but the ph of coir ranges from 6.5 to 4.8 or so, which is still magnitudes higher than sphagnum and peat. I also learned that tannins help protect the trees etc from fungi, bacteria, etc. The main problem I’ve read about with coir is its initial high potassium levels which interfere with magnesium uptake. Indeed I had a regular plant in coir and the lower leaves were turning purple and greened back up after adding Epsom salts. Additionally some brands are rinsed, some see buffered, and some are left unrinsed. I’ve had great luck with crop circles brand, whereas sunleaves piece coir was incredibly high in salts (1700 ppm tds after the first rinse). I just got the plant it/grow it! brand specifically labeled for orchids and it’s tds after rinsing was much lower…around 500 tds or so. I boiled it twice just for good measure, and it’s a nice big chunky shredded size. I’ve had best luck with coir and phalaenopsis (mixed with perlite and sometimes charcoal of course.) If you’ve got any info on hand regarding how tannins may be harmful to orchids, would you please send me some links? Thanks so much.
I’ve read that one of the main reasons to rinse the coconut husk is that it has LOTS of salt and that obviously is bad for any plant’s roots. Also your plants growing in this media, or any media, need to get flushed at least once a month because coconut husk retains salts from the fertilizers, more than bark mix. 🙂