Orchid Q&A

* Air Conditioning
* Ansellia africana
* Aquarium Water
* Brassavola Care
* Brassavola Little Stars
* Black Growths
* Brassavola Care
* Calanthe Culture
* Catts in Hawaii
* Change of Environment
* Coconut Husk
* Cymbidiella rhodocheila
* Cymbidium Care
* Culture of Alba Orchids
* Dehydration
* Dendrobium Care
* Dendrobium Repotting
* Dendrochilum magnum
* Dormancy
* Dry Conditions
* Encyclia lancifolia
* Epsom Salts
* Eulophia species
* Fertilizer Injector Dosage
* Flowering Vanilla
* Habenaria rhodocheila
* Holcoglossum kimballiana
* Inobulbum munificum
* Jewel Orchids
* Judging Orchids
* Leaf Color
* Leaf Residue
Leaftip Burn
* Liparis viridiflora


Coconut Chips
I am having good luck growing my orchids in coconut chips. Should I be using a balanced (with a 1-1-1 ratio) fertilizer or a high-nitrogen fertilizer (3-1-1 ratio) as for fir bark? — J. Jameson



Coconut products are being used, both as chips and as a ground material that has a consistency like peat moss, as potting media for man genera. In discussions with several growers, notably Terry Root of The Orchid Zone, it seems that coconut-husk products are composed mainly, if not entirely, of lignin, rather than cellulose. Lignin requires many more steps to break down than cellulose, the main constituent of wood and bark products, and so would not appear to be subject to the same wood-rot bacterial action that is the reason higher-nitrogen formulas are required for bark culture. In other words, a balanced formula will be best. Coconut products have the added benefits of being a renewable resource as well as being the last remaining unused portion of the coconut. — Ned Nash

Coconut husk chips are usually soaked in several changes of clean water before use.

Orchid Q&A

* Masdevallia coccinea
* Mastering Miltonias
* Maxillaria sophronitis
* Mealybug Infestation
* Meristemming Monopodials
* Missing Pollen
* Night Length
* Night Lights
* No Flowers
* Non-flowering Doritaenopsis
* Oncostele Wildcat
* Oncidium Sharry Baby
* Orchid Honeydew
* Paphinia herrerae
* Paphiopedilum armeniacum
* Paphiopedilum delenatii
Phaius Culture
* Phalaenopsis Problem
Phalaenopsis Spiking
* Plant Sitter
* Psychopsis papilio
* Rainwater Collection
* Redwood Bark
* Re-rooting Plants
* Spotted Oncidum Leaves
Sticking Flowers
* Storing Pollen
The Larger the Better
* Vanda Keiki
* Virus Question
* Volck Oil Spray