I’m grateful to get the heads up on this issue. I’ve only used it yesterday to pot on a Monstera and a few Coleus but unwashed. I’ll fill up two containers my coir is in with our soft tap water I use for orchids . Or maybe place them where the greenhouse roof gutter empties to rinse through in the rain.
Thank you! This was exactly the information I was looking for. I hate using peat for the environmental impact and I have blocks of coir. I plan on trying the rain water washes too.
@@TerryMcGearyScotland I'm in Wigan. Same issues as you but I guess you have them for longer! Biggest problems are lack of light and low temperatures combined with high humidity. Not a great combination for tropical plants!
@@Grow_Up_Man55Yes, so similar. I try to combat any big freeze issues by making my last watering in October, recommencing late March . I cover everything with a loose layer of newspaper or bubble wrap. Precious one offs or delicate specimens have to find a winter home on my windowsills.
the other alternative you can look for is composted rice hull. Here in the states, I can get a bag of soil that is a blend of rice hull and leaf compost. I've never actually tried it yet but I'm thinking it may be worth a look, perhaps blending it with coir. IME, it is still necessary to add some peat to the coir for best results. So for African Violets, I will do 8 parts coir to 2 parts peat and 2 parts perlite. They seem to do well, even without washing the coir.
Have you found any difference between coconut husks and the pithy type I'm using here for oncidiums? (Just ordered a load of Saintpaulias. They're apparently now a sub-group of Streptocarpus - so I HAD to!)
@@Grow_Up_Man55 I use the coir (pithy, cocopeat, whatever you want to call it) for regular houseplants and the husks for orchids. The coir I just rehydrate and use, I've never had a problem with it. The Adeniums absolutely love it, I blend it with leca and perlite, no peat. Seems to stay just the right level of moist. The husks I absolutely have to wash for the orchids, though some brands are "dirtier" than others. The one I currently use only requires two soaks (and a third with calmag to load it with calcium), versus three to five of other brands. I've gotten better root growth in husk than any other media I have ever tried. I'll DM you a few pics on IG, when I get a chance, of roots growing in husk.
Here in Borneo, orchids are grown in a mix of cocohusk and charcoal. Coir would retain too much moisture in our humid environment. But I grow my nepenthes in coir. And they love it.
Wow Borneo! I’ll bet you can just wander outside and see wild nepenthes growing in trees?! I also use coconut husks for nepenthes and orchids. I haven’t tried coir for orchids for the same reasons you’ve stated.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 Not so much in the city. But on hikes, yes. Especially if it's closer to the jungle area. One thing we have to look out for here is some people pillage the pitcher plants from protected/restricted areas to sell. It's the same for many species of orchids. Some are protected and it's illegal to buy or sell them. But some unethical people still do.
Thanks for this very informative video. I was startled to find that the initial washing of coir (Wilko) showed a reading of 1400ppm. Having done about 6 or 7 washes (the last 3 with de-ionised water) it's stubbornly still at around 100ppm mark. I'll mix it up with a bagged carnivorous plant mix, add some perlite and see how the seeds fare.
Just wondered do you keep insulation on all year or are you just geared up early for winter! By the way, that red an d white big-flowered orchid is phenomenal.
This a very old video - my insulation set up is very different (and much better!) now. Here's a video on what I currently have: ua-cam.com/video/cCyF6U-kLFU/v-deo.html and here's the follow-up video: ua-cam.com/video/y5IIzldmGxI/v-deo.html
Yeah they germinated but one by one they've died off after hanging on for months. Just one left - which I've transferred to fresh sphagnum - so let's see how that goes. (I forgot to wash the coir so expect the salts did them in over time.)
Probably not! I tend to add perlite for anything that needs germination just because it keeps the algae and moss down to some extent. But I expect they'd manage without it.
At 2:00 you show a bag of MiracleGro Peat Moss. I realize you are trying to switch away from peat moss and I'm not sure if you've been specifically using the MiracleGro brand, but just wanted to let you know that the MiracleGro peat we get in the states is enriched, which I'm fairly certain means it's got their nutrient blend added to it. I found out the hard way.
Yeah you're absolutely correct that was just an oversight on my part - i.e. the image I used isn't actually the peat moss I use - I only became aware later that Miracle Gro add nutrition into it. Thanks for raising the point. 😀
If you buy the OG of all coco coir brands, Canna, (originally created for growing cannabis) you dont need to rinse. It's completely rinsed and free of salts. Highly recommend. I use it in my homemade aroid mix.
Thanks Rose that's really helpful. The brand I bought said it was washed but after testing it was still very high in salts. Good to know there's a brand true to their word. I'll definitely be buying Canna from now on - saves all the hassle.🙏
😂 just for a second I thought you said were trying out co it for growing cannabis instead of as opposed to carnivorous plants which I thought was a daring reveal😂. But this is just what I need for my carnivorous plants.🫡
I’m grateful to get the heads up on this issue. I’ve only used it yesterday to pot on a Monstera and a few Coleus but unwashed. I’ll fill up two containers my coir is in with our soft tap water I use for orchids . Or maybe place them where the greenhouse roof gutter empties to rinse through in the rain.
You can supposedly buy it 'washed' but always worth checking with a meter first!
Thank you! This was exactly the information I was looking for. I hate using peat for the environmental impact and I have blocks of coir. I plan on trying the rain water washes too.
I'm glad you found the information helpful!
I like the sound of your comment. I’ll check out the video tonight. I’ve just got a plant and already have soaked coir. Cheers!
Looking at your bench contents I think this is the channel for me. I’m hooked on orchids too for the moment.
I’ll bet your conditions are even more challenging than mine.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 I wouldn’t be surprised. Which area are you in? I’m central belt Scotland where the growing season is pretty short.
@@TerryMcGearyScotland I'm in Wigan. Same issues as you but I guess you have them for longer! Biggest problems are lack of light and low temperatures combined with high humidity. Not a great combination for tropical plants!
@@Grow_Up_Man55Yes, so similar. I try to combat any big freeze issues by making my last watering in October, recommencing late March . I cover everything with a loose layer of newspaper or bubble wrap. Precious one offs or delicate specimens have to find a winter home on my windowsills.
I'm thinking of trying shredded bark instead. Washing coir doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me. Too much work. Thanks for the video! Good growing!
Haha can't say I blame you! I'm hoping that once I've refined my 'washing' setup it won't be too onerous a task. Time will tell...
the other alternative you can look for is composted rice hull. Here in the states, I can get a bag of soil that is a blend of rice hull and leaf compost. I've never actually tried it yet but I'm thinking it may be worth a look, perhaps blending it with coir.
IME, it is still necessary to add some peat to the coir for best results. So for African Violets, I will do 8 parts coir to 2 parts peat and 2 parts perlite. They seem to do well, even without washing the coir.
Have you found any difference between coconut husks and the pithy type I'm using here for oncidiums? (Just ordered a load of Saintpaulias. They're apparently now a sub-group of Streptocarpus - so I HAD to!)
@@Grow_Up_Man55 I use the coir (pithy, cocopeat, whatever you want to call it) for regular houseplants and the husks for orchids. The coir I just rehydrate and use, I've never had a problem with it. The Adeniums absolutely love it, I blend it with leca and perlite, no peat. Seems to stay just the right level of moist.
The husks I absolutely have to wash for the orchids, though some brands are "dirtier" than others. The one I currently use only requires two soaks (and a third with calmag to load it with calcium), versus three to five of other brands. I've gotten better root growth in husk than any other media I have ever tried. I'll DM you a few pics on IG, when I get a chance, of roots growing in husk.
Here in Borneo, orchids are grown in a mix of cocohusk and charcoal. Coir would retain too much moisture in our humid environment. But I grow my nepenthes in coir. And they love it.
Wow Borneo! I’ll bet you can just wander outside and see wild nepenthes growing in trees?! I also use coconut husks for nepenthes and orchids. I haven’t tried coir for orchids for the same reasons you’ve stated.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 Not so much in the city. But on hikes, yes. Especially if it's closer to the jungle area. One thing we have to look out for here is some people pillage the pitcher plants from protected/restricted areas to sell. It's the same for many species of orchids. Some are protected and it's illegal to buy or sell them. But some unethical people still do.
@@videowatcher6246 That's a shame but I guess it's very hard to prevent.
Thanks for this very informative video. I was startled to find that the initial washing of coir (Wilko) showed a reading of 1400ppm. Having done about 6 or 7 washes (the last 3 with de-ionised water) it's stubbornly still at around 100ppm mark. I'll mix it up with a bagged carnivorous plant mix, add some perlite and see how the seeds fare.
Thanks! Yeah washing is a pain. Better if you can source the pre washed stuff.
Just wondered do you keep insulation on all year or are you just geared up early for winter! By the way, that red an d white big-flowered orchid is phenomenal.
This a very old video - my insulation set up is very different (and much better!) now. Here's a video on what I currently have: ua-cam.com/video/cCyF6U-kLFU/v-deo.html and here's the follow-up video: ua-cam.com/video/y5IIzldmGxI/v-deo.html
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS 🖤
My pleasure. 😄
Did the seeds germinated? Did you made another video about this topic?
Yeah they germinated but one by one they've died off after hanging on for months. Just one left - which I've transferred to fresh sphagnum - so let's see how that goes. (I forgot to wash the coir so expect the salts did them in over time.)
Is adding perlite a necessity if you use coir with carnivorous plants?
Probably not! I tend to add perlite for anything that needs germination just because it keeps the algae and moss down to some extent. But I expect they'd manage without it.
Yes realistically.
At 2:00 you show a bag of MiracleGro Peat Moss. I realize you are trying to switch away from peat moss and I'm not sure if you've been specifically using the MiracleGro brand, but just wanted to let you know that the MiracleGro peat we get in the states is enriched, which I'm fairly certain means it's got their nutrient blend added to it. I found out the hard way.
Yeah you're absolutely correct that was just an oversight on my part - i.e. the image I used isn't actually the peat moss I use - I only became aware later that Miracle Gro add nutrition into it. Thanks for raising the point. 😀
This would be OK for the small grower, but as a large collector of over 1000 pots requiring peat, that's a lot of washing, and water...
Wow that's some collection! I've since found some coir that's pre-washed as even I can't find the time to wash it.🤷♂️
If you buy the OG of all coco coir brands, Canna, (originally created for growing cannabis) you dont need to rinse. It's completely rinsed and free of salts. Highly recommend. I use it in my homemade aroid mix.
I test it when rinsed as well. Perfect everytime.
Thanks Rose that's really helpful. The brand I bought said it was washed but after testing it was still very high in salts. Good to know there's a brand true to their word. I'll definitely be buying Canna from now on - saves all the hassle.🙏
@@Grow_Up_Man55 I'm so glad I can help! I'll be switching to coco coir for my carnivores, too. Happy gardening!
Do you recommend Coco Professional Plus from Canna? That's the only coco substrate available in my country from Canna.
you can buy coir that is pre washed 2 times in fresh water all the hydroponics people use it
Yeah it’s an old video and I have it! Great tip though. 👍
no problem @@Grow_Up_Man55
How do you make it more acidic
I've never needed to. My Drosera regia and Nepenthes grow in it perfectly well as it is.
@@Grow_Up_Man55 k
bruh from where can I get real fly trap seeds? plzzzz help they r fake on amazon ..
Which country do you live in?
The spots could also be from a virus
True! For some reason I always forget about pathogens.🤷♂️🤦🏻♂️
😂 just for a second I thought you said were trying out co it for growing cannabis instead of as opposed to carnivorous plants which I thought was a daring reveal😂. But this is just what I need for my carnivorous plants.🫡
🤣 I’d grow some for aesthetic reasons - but I doubt the authorities would believe me!
@@Grow_Up_Man55 I’m with you there. Out of curiosity as I never smoke.😇
@@TerryMcGearyScotland 🤣