On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 13:14:56 GMT, "Mike Stevenson"
wrote:

This is pretty wild, I would like to hear some opinions about this. I
recently got something from a site I buy food and supplies for my frogs
called Repta-bedding (or something to that effect). It is sopposed to be
100% pure coconut husk fibers. It comes in a small 2lb brick that when
soaked well in warm water for about an hour becomes this mass of material
that can easily fill up your average kitchen sink. Its designed as a bedding
for reptiles and amphibians, its soft and holds moisture very well. Dark
brown and very rich in texture, not at all abrasive. In fact its VERY much
like peat moss. It was also very cheap. That gave me an idea. I used my soil
test kit and tested it for Ph. I did this twice, came back 6.5-7.0 both
times. Sounds so far like an excellent medium as a seed starter. At least to
me. I plan to experiment with this some...

Anyone doing this? Any thoughts, conjectures about the pros and cons?


I use coconut husk chips for potting orchids and it's necessary to
soak and rinse the chips several times to get rid of salt. Since
your coco peat was intended for bedding material, it may not have been
rinsed well. I'd suggest doing so and checking the rinse water with a
TDS meter if possible.

deg