Re: Coconut husks

From: "David Constantine" <drc at globalnet.co.uk> on 1997.10.16 at 18:40:16(1447) There's no need to get hung up about coconut husk for Anthurium. The main point about the coconut husks relates to the natural growth habit of Anthurium. Many Anthurium sp. grow naturally as epiphytes and their roots are adapted to a highly aerated, relatively nutrient poor, wet but not water-logged growing medium. This has implications for how to grow them well. So, for example, commercial growers of Anthurium andraeanum cut flowers (who have to grow their plants really well) use a very highly aerated, very freely draining growing medium. But what an individual grower will use will depend on where they are and what material is available locally. Thus in Hawai'i growers tend to use volcanic cinders or macadamia shells. In Mauritius they tend to use sugar cane trash. In Holland they tend to use rockwool. In Trinidad & Tobago they tend to use partially crushed coconut husks as mentioned by Julius Boos. The nature of the substrate is not very important, the root environment is. It's certainly possible to grow Anthurium in pots in compacted garden soil (I think Dewey Fisk would call it 'dirt') but in my experience they look pretty sick as compared to those growing in an aerated, freely draining medium. David Constantine +More drc@globalnet.cu.uk 2 High Street Ashcott Bridgwater Somerset TA7 9PL UK tel: + 44 1458 210607 fax: + 44 1458 210650

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