I use coconut husks with great success. My plants (oncids, catts, and
phals) grow as large or larger on husks than in pots. A grocery
store oncid mounted on a half husk got a ribbon at the GNYOS show this
year. Plants on hard mounts seem stunted by comparison.


I leave the hard shell in as a structural support for hanger wires and
in hopes that the husk may take a while longer before it falls apart.
I do drill inch wide holes through the shell using a spade bit on the
drill. This lets roots grow in or out and helps with even drying and
oxygen. I can't even imagine trying to pull /cut the shell out, but
then again I am prone to damaging myself with sharp and blunt
instruments alike.

I have mounted on the spongy inner side with the shell removed and
found it to be a bit too soggy for the base of the plant. Stripping
the smooth skin off of the outside (when wet) and then cutting out
shallow plugs using a utility knife allows roots access to the inner
husk. Make shift wire staples hold plants securely to the husk until
roots attach. They can be easily pulled out once the plant is
established.

Husks tend to have salts and possibly nasty organic chemicals in them
either from seawater or from the tree's sap itself (the TDS of RO soak
water shoots way up). A fresh green husk will stain your skin and
clothing quite effectively. I assume that protective chemicals are
employed by the plant to prevent insects from chewing on the moist
tissue for water or boring through to eat the nut.

Either way I soak the husk in a bucket of tap water (with a
cinderblock/bricks to hold it under) out back for a couple of weeks
with several water changes. The holes through the hard shell help the
water go in and salts leach out. The first day's soak gets the shell
soft enough to drill safely and easily (wear boots/sturdy shoes and
hold the nut securely between your ankles when drilling. When the nut
floats low in the water you know that it has absorbed enough water to
leach much of the salt-chemicals out.

I don't understand the aversion people have to long term soaks.
Changing the water twice a week is not much work, just stick the hose
in and let it run for a couple of minutes if you don't want to move
the bricks and dump the water out. Yes, when I lived in an apartment
I had to work around a five gallon bucket sitting in the
bathtub-shower for two weeks but it didn't bother me much if I used a
white bucket instead of an orange one.

Hope this helps

TZ



"Orchidguy" wrote in message . com...
Greetings ,

A friend gave me a whole coconut husk and all , so I sawed it in half , and
removed the inner hard coconut .
well the dog got one half , and tore it in two pieces, but I salvaged the
two pieces, now should I let them dry completly before mounting, or just go
for it and mount the orchids I have ready for them ?
heres the orchids to be mounted
Enc. cordigera x Enc. nursery rhyme
Ctna. maui maid "ivory dolls" x Enc belenzsis
Mtssa Howards Dream...or we think thats the name?

Any advice is appreciated....!
Thanks & Good growing
Todd