I know many others have great success with phals in CHC, but I did not. My phals are in a part shade GH in the summer and indoors under lights in the winter. The CHC mix I used (CHC, diatomite and charcoal) didn't keep the roots moist enough in the winter under lights. Also, many of the pots got a strange fungus. Some of you old timers may remember the pic I posted maybe 5 years ago--the mix looked like moldy fruitcake. I put a layer of styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot and use a mix of sphag and pea-size perlite, with diatomite sprinked over the top. I don't know whether the diatomite helps, but since i already had it in the mix, i just clean it with physan and reuse it each time i repot. I never have root rot (plants need water every 1-2 weeks, dependig on size of pot), and my phals do very well. All of them bloom every year, some with 2 spikes.

I've tried it in the past and it wasn't a success on whatever plant(s) i tried.( Lost in the mist of time). Have severe reservations against using Coco-nut stuff on Phals though it works fine mixed with Bark as a potting mix with Cattleyas. There is the old standby Tree-fern, though i read recently that some Bulbos do not like it. Other possibles. Slice up that green stuff florists use and tack it on a mount. I've used that in the past and it seemed OK. Paper Bark. Make a quick trip to Florida and peel off some paperbark from the trees that have gone feral there. Just kidding! What about weathered hardwood palings? Or on the outside of basket pots? I've got a Miltonia that is growing fine and the roots are entering the potting material.

Benny, I mixed up a huge batch of soil, in a wheelbarrow, over a year ago for those trees. I had 11 bare-root Stone and Pome trees, and ran out of my coconut husk chips for the last 2. That is why I have the comparison plant. The other one has been planted in the ground. I did not measure the ingredients. I dumped 4 double bales of washed chcs in the barrow, added some coarse perlite (I think), a few buckets of horse manure and about half a big chunk of peat moss. The majority of the mix was chcs. As I used up the mix, I made more, since I was filling 15 gallon pots, it went fast. It was not precise work at all. I don't like the perlite, it runs out the drain holes and makes a big mess. I don't use it anymore. I will try coarse gravel next time, just as an experiment, in my mixes. For plants that need acid soil, I use chcs and peat alone. I have no citrus to compare roots on, since they all are in chcs or in the ground- none are in pine based mixes. I have such delicate plants as Cacao, Sealing Wax Palms, and around 30 other fruit trees in chcs. So far, all are thriving. I don't sell chcs, it doesn't matter to me if other folks don't want to use them. But, I'm lazy and dislike repotting big trees, and tend to overwater, so longlasting chcs are perfect for my situation. Lisa

Yes Sri Lanka is the place where they come from. They are not toxic. I have all of my perrenial herbs and a thai lime tree planted in them. The one caveat is that from what I understand, the quality and salt content of the chips varies widely depending on the supplier and if they are from inland sources or coastal sources. My concern would be that if they are intended for reptile bedding, they may have a high salt content. If it were me, I wouldnt try it with the reptile bedding (or if you do, try it with something you dont mind losing) Most people that I know of recommend the Crystal Company in St Louis or Roberts Nursery. I would try to find it locally from an orchid grower or orchid supply. I got mine from a local orchid supplier (who gets them from Crystal Co). I paid $8.05 for 1/2 cu ft (approx 12 dry qts). So the reptile bedding is not as much of a bargain as you might think. Yes, it is safe to pot citrus in them. I found out about them from some folks on the citrus forum! Preparing the chips involves soaking at least overnight, rinsing then soaking again in water with epsom salts and calcium nitrate in it. They are obviously a lot more expensive than pine bark. I have seen big bags of "soil conditioner" in big box stores that looks pretty much like the partially composted pine bark that Al recommends. I dont use it because I have limited space and the bags are too big. I use the chips because I was able to get them in managable quantities, without paying shipping, and I dont have huge pots to fill. The biggest advantage for me is that they are easy to rewet. Most of what I am growing needs to dry out before watering so the rewetting issue with bark and peat drove me crazy! So that's my 2 cents. I love 'em but they are a lot more work than bark based mixes. Here's a link to an article about using them and preparing them. Good Luck! Lydia Here is a link that might be useful: Article on coconut husk chips