Citrus Growers Forum

Junglekeeper · Posted: Tue 03 Apr, 2007 3:16 am

Lee Valley has added CHC to their catalog under product number XB599.

Anyone know whether this is a good price? (Link is set for prices in Canadian dollars.)

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Indoor Grower

Patty_in_wisc · Posted: Tue 03 Apr, 2007 4:46 am

Junglekeeper, I see that for 1.4 lb compressed brick, it is $4.50 (US)...don't know if that includes shipping. I recently bought a compressed bale... weighing 32 lbs. for $55.00, --- INC. shipping - much better deal. Sorry, I don't know how to convert lbs & $$$. I got it from Crystal Co. in St. Louis, MS (Millet told of it). Someone else just recently mentioned a place to get it cheaper (not prewashed though) but I can't find it.
From Crystal Co., it is already prewashed but I wouldn't mind prewashing for few $$ less.
Just checked my bookmarks & can't find it. Can't find ph# either (toll free).
Hopefully Millet will see this & post the ph #, or I'll find it later.

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Patty
I drink wine to make other people more interesting Wink

Patty_in_wisc · Posted: Tue 03 Apr, 2007 4:58 am

Also, go down about 7 threads on this forum to "Coconut Husk Chips in Houston".

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Patty
I drink wine to make other people more interesting Wink

Junglekeeper · Posted: Wed 04 Apr, 2007 12:36 am

Hi, Patty. It seems everything is harder to find and costs more in Canada if in fact it's even available. The brick is $2.57/lb working off the reduced price. The bale is $1.72/lb or about 67% of the price of the brick - much cheaper. I just repotted my trees in a bark mix so I think I'm good for a year or two. I posted the finding for those who may be interested in using CHC.

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Indoor Grower

Millet · Posted: Wed 04 Apr, 2007 12:59 am

I just received a CHC order from The Crystal Company of Saint Louis. I ordered a 12 large bale order made up of 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1/4-inch chips, 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1/2 inch chips, and 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1 inch chips. The price was $29.00 US per 3 cu. ft. bale plus UPS Hundred Weight shipping charges to Colorado. I did not look to see what the freight charges were, but my guess the bales were around $35.00 US per each 3 cu.ft. bale delivered. I always order at least 200-lbs. so I can have them shipped UPS Hundred weight. Hundred weight shipping is quite inexpensive. I am going to experiment with a 100 percent CHC medium, made up of 1 part 1/4 inch, 1 part 1/2 inch and 1 part 1 inch. We'll see how it turns out. Got to run, the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames are just starting the 3rd period. Right now it is Colorado 3, Calgary 2. - Millet

Patty_in_wisc · Posted: Thu 05 Apr, 2007 4:41 am

I ordered 1/2 inch CHC from Crystal & mixed about 4 parts of that to 1 part of my re-used sterilized soil (made up of peat, perlite ,& CHC & compost). Going more on CHC's now --- I think the soil befor got too compacted & roots needed more areation.

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Patty
I drink wine to make other people more interesting Wink

dauben · Posted: Wed 26 Dec, 2007 12:44 pm

Millet wrote:

I just received a CHC order from The Crystal Company of Saint Louis. I ordered a 12 large bale order made up of 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1/4-inch chips, 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1/2 inch chips, and 4 X 3 cu. ft. bales of 1 inch chips. The price was $29.00 US per 3 cu. ft. bale plus UPS Hundred Weight shipping charges to Colorado. I did not look to see what the freight charges were, but my guess the bales were around $35.00 US per each 3 cu.ft. bale delivered. I always order at least 200-lbs. so I can have them shipped UPS Hundred weight. Hundred weight shipping is quite inexpensive. I am going to experiment with a 100 percent CHC medium, made up of 1 part 1/4 inch, 1 part 1/2 inch and 1 part 1 inch. We'll see how it turns out. Got to run, the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames are just starting the 3rd period. Right now it is Colorado 3, Calgary 2. - Millet

If I wanted to order just one bale of CHC, does anyone have any recommendations on the chip size I should use? I have peat and sand readily available, but I don't want order three bales of CHC to get the three sizes.

Thanks,
Phillip

Millet · Posted: Wed 26 Dec, 2007 3:11 pm

After growing citrus and oak trees in CHC for the past 5 or 6 years I have adjusted my chip formulations three or for times. Each formula had its benefits and its limits. Today, if I had to order just one size chip it would be either the 1/2 or the 1 inch size, depending on the size of container that I intended to use them in. The purpose of using CHC is first to provide aeration, and second improved drainage while still providing a "reservoir" of water. This can be accomplished by using either pine (conifer) bark chips, or CHC. The advantage of using CHC is that they last 4 or 5 time longer than pine.

Millet
Dudley Herschbach - Professor (1932 - )

dauben · Posted: Thu 27 Dec, 2007 12:28 am

Millet wrote:

After growing citrus and oak trees in CHC for the past 5 or 6 years I have adjusted my chip formulations three or for times. Each formula had its benefits and its limits. Today, if I had to order just one size chip it would be either the 1/2 or the 1 inch size, depending on the size of container that I intended to use them in. The purpose of using CHC is first to provide aeration, and second improved drainage while still providing a "reservoir" of water. This can be accomplished by using either pine (conifer) bark chips, or CHC. The advantage of using CHC is that they last 4 or 5 time longer than pine.

Millet
Dudley Herschbach - Professor (1932 - )

Thanks Millet for the insight. I suppose if I needed smaller CHC, I could always break down the larger pieces into smaller ones with some mechical process. It would be much harder to go take the smaller pieces and make larger ones out if it (my wife would know I was nuts supergluing CHC together Smile

). James the gardner guy on HGTV showed a neat trick to break down mulch/compost into smaller pieces by putting it into a trash can and putting a weed wacker into it. The CHC might be a bit harder, but I've got a steel blade attachement that I bet would cut through it. The downside is that you can't get uniform CHC pieces, but it sounds like having a non-uniform admixture might be best anyway.

Also, two weeks ago I cut down a palm tree in my back yard. I noticed the palm wood is somewhat fiberous like the CHC. Any thoughts on using chopped up palm chips as a bedding material?

Phillip

dauben · Posted: Wed 02 Jan, 2008 2:16 am

Millet wrote:

I just received a CHC order from The Crystal Company of Saint Louis.

Does the Crystal Company wash and package their CHC themselves or is it imported that way? I was wondering if there was a brand name associated with the bales you receive.

I emailed Crystal Company last week about placing an order, but didn't hear back from them. I decided to look for a vendor closer to me here in San Diego that had an online order form. I found US Orchid Supplies (http://www.usorchidsupplies.com/prod2.htm). I'm not sure I saved anything on shipping, but I was also able to buy some other items for use in the garden. Their brand of CHC "SaiCoir" who says that they "Whole coconut husk is cut into different sizes, graded, washed to remove salts and excess tannin, dried and packed." I don't know if they wash the CHC as well as Crystal Company, but I'll see

Anyway, my plan is to experiment a little. Instead of using CHC mixed with peat, I also got a bale of coir that I was going to use. I also have Perlite, but I don't know if there is any benefit in using that in lieu of coarse sand (which I also have). Any suggestions? It seams sand would migrate to the bottom of the container (perlite to the top?)

Phillip