Testing a Different Brand of Coco Husk - Pt 1

As I've found some uses for this as a media for some orchids and I've run out of the original purchase, I've bought some more At less than half the price, I expect to have to do some work to get it clean enough to use with my orchids.
As always, thanks for watching.
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[rayogilvie]

I have now bought a bag of this coco husk and started soaking it and making a terrible mess with the danger of choking the kitchen sink. Then I had one of those moments - why not put it in an old pillow case and soak the whole lot in the bucket. Success no mess and very easy to soak as many times as I want. Thought I should share this.

[elenis.]

Roger you taught me how to properly prepare this medium. If I hadn’t watched your videos all my orchids would be poisoned by now. I’m a novice obviously, but willing to put in the work.Thank you.☺️

[Bananof]

Valuable information, thanks for sharing

[daemonng]

Hi Roger, I have an idea maybe helpful, use a big filter bag or bag to hold all the coconut husk in then zip it up before to place it in the water. This way maybe more easily to change the water many time without making a mess around. After all the washing done, you may bring the bag out to the sun to dry it together and reuse the bag again for other washing of orchid media. This is just my thinking, may not be a good idea.

[wandashaw]

Roger, you're cracking me up! 😂. I hope those numbers go down on your meter! That was incredibly high!

[victoriamarvelli]

I use the husk for reptiles too, way cheaper! I’ve also started putting some of my struggling plants in this media and they’re starting to grow beautifully! My new zygo loves this and I have a phal I have potted up in it

[paulsaunders]

This is the stuff I used, Roger. I managed to get the TDS right down to 20, but couldn’t stop the dye leaching out, even after a week!

[maxineevans]

Hi Roger, great mind thinks alike lol. I'm using the exact same product and I'm actually experimenting with a Masdevallia barlaeana that's not been doing too well in other media for me. I know these don't like salt build up at all so I was rather wary but I love a good experiment lol and so far so good. I did presoak and rinse several times before use so fingers crossed it won't hate it. Good luck with yours. It does look like good quality stuff and good value too so I really hope it works for us both 😊.

[orchidgarden]

I just ordered some reptile coco husk chips too because the orchid stuff I have is too ‘hairy’ and shredded and I want firmer chunks. I’m hoping it will turn out better. I purchased a phal a couple of years ago that was growing in the chunky kind and it had the most beautiful roots. It needed repotting and I didn’t like the stuff I’ve got, so it’s growing bare root until I can get the better stuff. It’s actually doing really well bare root in a vase, but it’s too much work for the long run.

[lynnsmith]

I have been doing soaking and rinsing since yesterday. Found what was left from my original coconut bark and Tony Nappin has also given me some of his as he has loads left and I wanted enough to put the Onc sotoanum’s in that have been in moss to grow more roots. It was nice stuff too. That stuff you have looks really good. I managed to get some tree fern fibre, again for reptiles, and am going to put my Masd igneas’ in and one or two of the veitchiana. Obviously got too much time on my hands. Michael also said that D. Formosum would be better off left in the husk that it came in, apparently it is a really fussy tike and will complain big time about different media. It appears to be a lot similar to infundibulum but much fussier.

[michaelmccarthy]

I use the stuff for reptiles simply because it has been heat treated first, so much less chance of some sort of undesirable bacteria/fungi/etc. being in it. (it just happens to also be far, far cheaper than the stuff labeled for orchids)
That looks like good stuff, not much "hair" and clean cut pieces. You should try potting a Phalaenopsis in that at some point. Myself and Paula Marsh have declared Phals the clear cut winner in the root growth department in husk. I've got to repot one that I only recently potted in husk (three months or so) because it is actually pushing itself up out of the pot and root tips are pushing up to the top of the pot.

[YnseSchaap]

I'm starting to think this stuff isn't worth the trouble 😁

[summerrobinson]

You did forget the joke last time...you also always have bread on the go (except today) and you've not mentioned how you take yours...tomato, cheese, butter, basil, all of the above? I'm sure you'll get it sorted out but if all else fails Mojo and Elvis would enjoy a new reptilian pet😄