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Fenland Orchid Society |
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Ray Creek
A Discussion on Growing Medium
Not what you could call a full complement of members when you consider how far Ray had travelled to be with us but enough to make it a worthwhile evening all round.
Ray began by saying he made no apology for doing his sales pitch while telling us all about the one type of medium he had to talk about, show us and hopefully sell us.
There has been a lot of propaganda about coconut husk as a orchid medium material. The chipped coconut husk Ray was showing to us is not of the salt bound types of the near past, but a clean and environmentally safe product.
To confirm to Ray that the product was of a suitable nature he reverted back to his days in horticulture, where it was said if it will grow lettuce seed then it’s a good enough medium to be used, this product did, so Ray set about getting some for his own use and trials.
Oak, Ash and similar bark products contain Lignum a natural fungicide which is why such is used for orchid growing. Chipped coconut husk contains Lignum but at a higher concentration so is a good product to safely plant orchids in.
Other orchid societies Ray has spoken to and in due course used Ray’s product have given it favourable mentions when asked by Ray what they thought.
The copra industries being in decline had to find further uses of the coconut to keep in business. As the outer shell was not used to it’s full potential they began by chipping it and then soaking it in fresh water for 3 days. This was done for a period of 12 days with water changes to remove impurities such as salts. It also had to under go a heat treatment to be sure it was free of live stock and pathogens.
Once processed it was then compressed into blocks. To get the block into a usable form for planting orchids you have to use a large drum, place the block in and cover with water. As the water is absorbed it swells and breaks free into a nice size of chunk which when in a pot allows good water run off, good water retention of the soaked chunks and good air spacing so needed by the plants roots. It is during the soaking process that Ray adds his fertiliser, saying that it is better held in suspension and better released to the plant and so gives it’s benefits over a longer period.
Ray was further able to demonstrate the benefits of the medium by showing a plant out of the pot and offered £25 to anyone who could find a dead root, something you get in pots of wet bark. He also showed a Disa that when he purchased it last year was looking a little past its best after a few months due to the medium it was in so he re-potted it in his chipped medium and there for all to see was a healthy plant.
Asked as to its life within the pot Ray could only say that as he re-pots every 2 to 3 years plants that he sells his only guide was a few he had experiment with and after 3 years the medium was still viable. He had heard of others saying 5 years and it was still ok. He mixes nothing with it such as perlite because it is already without additives doing what it needs to do as a medium for orchid growing. It is easy and safe to use, it has good water retention, potted properly it allows good air movement within the pot. His only additive is due to water conditions and this may be in the form of magnesium which some growers like to use.
Once broken from the block form into a usable state Ray did say that if it is dried and sieved the fine element that is passed through the sieve is very good for seedlings. Mixed 50/50 with the medium chippings and then topped up around the seedlings with the finer material it certainly seems to give them a head start.
Some growers who grow a little wetter than others may feel the need to add a little peat but this is choice not necessity.
First used as a component after draining he advices not to water until the pots are drying unless it is a very hot situation you are in when potting on.
Ray ended his talk with a free sample bag of pre wetted medium for each and every member present, a very much appreciated gesture.
Ray also had with him blocks of the medium and bags of a slightly coarser mix. His plants were very well received and a lot of members took advantage to buy and add to their collections especially as they were in this chipped coconut husk medium.
It was a very interesting evening and a big thank you must go to Ray for making the trip in not the best of conditions.
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March 09 abridged |
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Bagley X Sparsholt |
