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

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 16:53:33 GMT, "Orchidguy"
wrote:
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

I don't think it matters - so I will leave the dry or not to the
Southern folk.

As to the plants my understanding of planting in 1/2 a shell is
miniature plants as the planting space is the size of a fist.
All these plants (I think) would rapidly outgrow the space.
Howard's dream when it gets good care is a 8-10" pot size. Enc.
cordigera x Enc. nursery rhyme - Enc. cordigera when I seen it
growing is a big plant. Ctna like to be in big clumps at least a
6" pot if not larger. Is there space in your cocoanut for these
plants to grow?
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

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

Hi there TZ, many thanks for the tips & just want to mention that you sound
like a very methodical person, a trait needed for orchid growing (I think)?

Just one thing, isn't it dangerous to hold the coconut with your ankles
& drill?
--
Cheers Wendy(Another accident prone gardener)!!

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

TZ wrote:
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

You have to get the spade bit at a right angle to the shell in order
to cut the little disks out without hanging up as the bit breaks
through the material. A spade bit cuts a circle with the sides of
the bit so if only one side of the circle cuts through due to being
off angle the bit hangs up on the other side). You can see when this
is going to happen if you go slowly. Spade bits are a pain to use in
a hand drill no matter what. The shape of the coconut makes drilling
them pretty safe compared to most things. they just spinn around when
the bit binds.


Sitting on a bench with the coconut held by your ankles and with your
arms wedged between your knees/thighs is the easiest and most
controlled way I could find to do it. The worst thing that occurs is
that the drill may get wrenched out of your hand when the shell is
penetrated off angle. Your ankles can get a jolt at the same time. (I
skinned an ankle when the nut started to spin one time so I quit doing
it one handed and barefoot while holding a beer.

I try to just cut most of the way through the shell, stop the drill,
and then tap the partially cut disk with a hammer to break it out.

It is pretty safe even with the jolts. You are not going to drill
into yourself or have chips fly up and poke your eye out like you
would with a hammer and chisel. I have drilled about a dozen nuts so
far. A wet-saturated shell is much softer and easier to drill. I feel
safer drilling a coconut than I do a clay pot that's for sure.






"wendy7" wrote in message news:za9Mc.30660$9I.29698@okepread02...
Hi there TZ, many thanks for the tips & just want to mention that you sound
like a very methodical person, a trait needed for orchid growing (I think)?

Just one thing, isn't it dangerous to hold the coconut with your ankles
& drill?
--
Cheers Wendy(Another accident prone gardener)!!

Remove PETERPAN for email reply

You have to get the spade bit at a right angle to the shell in order
to cut the little disks out without hanging up as the bit breaks
through the material. A spade bit cuts a circle with the sides of
the bit so if only one side of the circle cuts through due to being
off angle the bit hangs up on the other side). You can see when this
is going to happen if you go slowly. Spade bits are a pain to use in
a hand drill no matter what. The shape of the coconut makes drilling
them pretty safe compared to most things. they just spinn around when
the bit binds.


Sitting on a bench with the coconut held by your ankles and with your
arms wedged between your knees/thighs is the easiest and most
controlled way I could find to do it. The worst thing that occurs is
that the drill may get wrenched out of your hand when the shell is
penetrated off angle. Your ankles can get a jolt at the same time. (I
skinned an ankle when the nut started to spin one time so I quit doing
it one handed and barefoot while holding a beer.

I try to just cut most of the way through the shell, stop the drill,
and then tap the partially cut disk with a hammer to break it out.

It is pretty safe even with the jolts. You are not going to drill
into yourself or have chips fly up and poke your eye out like you
would with a hammer and chisel. I have drilled about a dozen nuts so
far. A wet-saturated shell is much softer and easier to drill. I feel
safer drilling a coconut than I do a clay pot that's for sure.






"wendy7" wrote in message news:za9Mc.30660$9I.29698@okepread02...
Hi there TZ, many thanks for the tips & just want to mention that you sound
like a very methodical person, a trait needed for orchid growing (I think)?

Just one thing, isn't it dangerous to hold the coconut with your ankles
& drill?
--
Cheers Wendy(Another accident prone gardener)!!

Remove PETERPAN for email reply