From what I've studied, there is little difference in the decomposition rates of CHCs vs pine/fir bark, and coir vs peat, so I wouldn't allow durability or longevity of the (soil) components sway my decision to use a coconut product or not. After being pressed by a dear friend to try/evaluate CHC's, I performed a little experiment. Below, is a copy/paste job from a post I left somewhere, earlier this year. Though it starts out talking about coir, it ends with some commentary about CHCs. Sphagnum peat and coir have nearly identical water retention curves. They both retain about 90-95% of their volume in water at saturation and release it over approximately the same curve until they both lock water up so tightly it's unavailable for plant uptake at about 30-33% saturation. Coir actually has less loft than sphagnum peat, and therefore, less aeration. Because of this propensity, coir should be used in mixes at lower %s than peat. Because of the tendency to compact, in the greenhouse industry, coir is primarily used in containers in sub-irrigation (bottom-watering) situations. Many sources produce coir that is high in soluble salts, so this can also be an issue. Using coir or CHCs as the primary component of soils virtually eliminates lime or dolomitic lime as a Ca source because of their high pH (6+). Gypsum should be used as a Ca source, which helps correct coir and CHC's low S content. All coconut products are very high in K, very low in Ca, and have a potentially high Mn content, which can interfere with the uptake of Fe. I haven't tested coir, but I have done some testing of CHCs (coconut husk chips) with some loose controls in place. After very thoroughly leaching and rinsing the chips several times, I made a 5:1:1 soil of pine bark:peat:perlite (which I know to be very productive) and a 5:1:1 mix of CHCs:peat:perlite. I planted 6 cuttings of snapdragon and 6 cuttings of Coleus (each from the same plant to help reduce genetic influences) in containers (same size/shape) of the different soils. I added dolomitic lime to the bark soil and gypsum to the CHC soil. After the cuttings struck, I eliminated all but the three strongest in each of the 4 containers. I watered each container with a weak solution of MG 12-4-8 with STEM added at each watering, and watered on an 'as needed basis', not on a schedule. The only difference in the fertilizer regimen was the fact that I included a small amount of MgSO4 (Epsom salts) to provide MG (the dolomitic lime in the bark soil contained the MG, while the gypsum (CaSO4) in the CHC soil did not. This difference was necessary because of the high pH of CHCs and coir.) for the CHC soil. The results were startling. In both cases, the cuttings grown in the CHC's exhibited only about 1/2 the biomass at summer's end as the plants in the bark mix. I just find it very difficult for a solid case to be made (aside from "It works for me") for the use of coir or CHC's. They're more expensive and more difficult to use effectively. The fact that some believe peat is in short supply (no where near true, btw) is easily offset by the effect of the carbon footprint of coir in its trek to the US from Sri Lanka or other exotic locales. That's the view from here. Al

Hi Jeff and Jessa...Welcome to the land of citrus..LOL..It's a very addicting hobby but fantastic too..isn't it great when buds open and house is fragrant, plus fresh fruit sprouts? Living in the midwest, I know what you mean about winter..though we haven't gotten as much snow as you guys up east, we've had some icy days..and gray..The additional lights sure help. I'm a Harris and Briteleaf Nursery lover, so those are the only 2 places I buy trees..Don't worry if your tree isn't dwarf, believe me..growing in our parts of the world, well, we won't have to cut the ceiling to make room.. I don't recommend pruning..If a tree did manage to get ceiling height, I guess that'd be a different story, but don't think that'll happen. I dont think there's a way to shape a bush into a tree..Maybe if you removed all but one main trunk, but I'd be too scared to try it. I've only one bush-like dwarf citrus, a grapefruit given to me as a gift from CA. Otherwise all citrus are tree-shaped. Grafted trees have a line near the base of the main trunk. You can literally see where it was grafted..btw, any growth under that line is rootstock and should be removed. It'll grow fast, take nutrients from tree, and is very thorny. Anyway, your trees look healthy, so far so good..Toni

Lbd, I wonder what could have gone wrong. Was the tree healthy to begin with, or already in decline? CHCs are so neutral in ph that I don't know how they could hurt a plant. I've used them on at least 20 citrus, pome and stone fruits, grapevines, and many tropicals. I'm in South Florida, the sweaty armpit of the world(G). I credit CHCs for the survival of my potted fruit trees on a burning hot concrete patio during our horrible summers. I don't soak the roots before repotting into chcs. After a tree is planted in chcs, it is almost impossible to remove the soil from the roots- they hold it so tightly. I just plunk them in the ground, or in a larger container, as they are, and they do well. So far, I have not had *any* transplant shock with chcs. Not even with Cacao, Tree Tomato or Papayas, all very picky plants. How have your trees responded when planted in other potting mediums? Have you tried an orchid/cactus mix? Those are similar in that they are fast draining, but they lack the moisture holding properties of chcs. You could try fir bark or pine bark to see how your trees respond to each ingredient. Is the Tangelo the only tree you switched? What was it in before? Lisa

The difference between 'small' and 'medium' isn't that much. What it really means is that per square inch, the larger chips have a smaller surface area. I know that might not make sense at first, but if you think about it, a bunch of tiny little marbles in a fishbowl has a much larger surface area than a bowling ball would, even though the volume of the smaller marbles added together is less than the bowling ball. For small CHC, this means there is less air in the soil solution and the roots are more tightly surrounded than in larger CHC. Make of that what you will, because I really can't see the major difference other than aesthetics and root-growth in smaller trees. Long story short, I've got my first cutting, a pre-grafting learning experience, planted in medium CHC. It's doing just fine outside in the wind and weather. I've even tipped it out of the container to see tiny little roots growing into the 'gigantic' CHC. It looks kind of funny in the pot, but other than that it's doing just fine and has a good grip on its 'soil'.