Hi,i have heaps of cocnut husk chips.I tried the 4 parts chips,one part peat moss,dolomite
and osomocote but my tree didnt like it= clementine.leaves went yellow and dropped from the bottom up.Twig die back.
Can i just grow in the chips and a slow release citrus fertliser?
i live in auckland new zealnd,it doesnt get over 27 c here in summer. cheers

Hi Laidback, I suppose you could grow in 100 percent CHC, especially if they are the 1/4 inch size (6 mm). In the last 5 years since coconut husk/peat moss has become a common growing medium for citrus, I have never heard of even one problem ever incountered by growing in CHC. I would ask three questions. First, how much dolomite and fertilizer did you use per cubic meter of CHC? Second, did you properly rinse the chips befor using? Lastly, when you transplanted the tree into the chips, I presume from a soil based medium, was there any root damage during transplanting? Here is a web site that explains the proper procedure for rinsing CHC. Although this article is written by a Orchid grower, the rinsing method is exactly the same. Start reading from the sixth paragraph down. http://www.ladyslipper.com/coco3.htm

Regards, Millet

I have encountered similar problems. My problem trees seem to show signs of nitrogen deficiency. I used Osmocote Plus at the rate suggested on the bag, with CHC:peat:composted manure at 3:1:1 ratio. I did not use dolomite. pH is good, drainage excellent, but leaves on two trees (and only two trees) yellowing and dropping like crazy. The involved trees are Meyer and Key Lime. Seemingly unaffected are Calamondin, Satsuma, Nagami Kumquat, Valencia and Washington Navel, knock wood.

I don't make a cubic meter of CHC at a time, more like a 5 gallon bucket. Can you recommend ratios for slow release fert and/or dolomite? Can you scratch in or top dress with the dolomite?

Thanks. SB

I have never experienced the probem that Laidback and Stressbaby's trees have. Here is what I do. After properly pre-soaking and then pre-treating the CHC's with CaNO3 and MgSo4 during the last rinse I then blend my growing medium mixture usualy one cubic foot at a time. I start with the basic mix of 4 parts CHC (1/4 or 1/2 inch chips or a mix of the two sizes) and to this basic mixture I add the following ingredients per 1-cubic foot:
.57-lbs. (258-gms) 23-4-8 one year slow release fertilizer.
.48-lbs. (218-gms) Dolomite
.08-lbs. ( 36-gms) Regular water soluble fertilizer w/o trace minerals.
.08-lbs. ( 36-gms) STEM (Souble Trace Element Mix)
Blend entire mixture well. I then begain my regular fertilizer applications one month after transplanting the tree into the above medium.
I aquired this recipe in a book that I believe was called "Citrus Handling Guide" which is published by the Australian Department of Agriculture. I purchased the book from Mr. Wilfred Wadowski, PhD owner of the Florida Science Source, Inc. The Florida Science Sourse, Inc. has more books and literature on the subject of Citrus then any other source I have ever located. You can reach Florida Science Source, Inc. at 941-383-4580 or at www.ultimatecitrus.com/fssource- I hope this helps. Millet

Thanks, Millet.

I am just wondering if this type of mix is ok for seedlings or even starting seeds in. Thank you for your help,
Sincerely,
James

Hi James, I really don't know, but my GUESS would be that it would be too coarse of a mixture. For starting seeds you could probably just stop by any garden center and purchase a bag of germinating mix. I sometimes get lazy and just mix a 50/50 peatmoss perlite mixture, but a good germinating mix (not the same as potting soil) would probably be better, and it would also be sterileized. - Millet

Thank you Millet,
It's a bit difficult getting used to coir but eventually I'll get a good mix, just don't like soggy roots,
Sincerely,
James

I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong with my mix. It seems to take so long for soil to dry - sometimes 14 days. Drainage is good, but those chc's sure do hold water. I checked the roots on one & it was on verge of root rot. I added more sand (just cuz I have it) & repotted down a size.

Holy cow! I'm "in the basement" with regard to all of the additives to the CHC. I was relying on the Osmocote PLUS to supply adequate amounts of minors, but looking at the amounts in STEM as compared to the amounts in the Osmocote PLUS, I'm not even getting close.

I drove all over central MO today and finally found dolomite and STEM (or something like it, Micromax).

Now my questions: 1) Can I top-dress Micromax and dolomite or am I better off repotting? 2) Do you reapply STEM periodically? (The Micromax is supposed to last 16-18 months.) Thanks, everyone.

And, am I in trouble if I dont calcium and potassium wash my rinsed CHCs? where would I get these? Im on my second bucket washing out CHCs but ive planted in some already....eeks!

Garnet, maybe Millet can come back and clarify this point...the reference that I found some time back (and the one he links above) suggest using CaNO3 and MgSO4 in the final soak, whereas Millet mentions KNO3 instead of the Epsom salt...I don't know.

I think I've narrowed down my problem. I didn't pretreat the CHC in the last soak with anything, I left out the dolomite, I underadded the fert + minors, and then to top it off, I switched to treated water. The Ca++ and the Mg++ they were getting in the hard well water went away. Oh, yeah, and there's the matter of too little N in the Osmocote. (Darn it, Millet said citrus were heavy feeders...)

I repotted the sick trees, we'll see...I betting that they don't recover...on the plus side, the Satsuma, Nagami Kumquat, Washington Navel, and Valencia have healthy new root growth... I'm optimistic that they'll do OK.

A side note: it is possible to overwater the CHC when combined in the 3:1:1 CHC:peat:composted manure ratio I used. It's a learning process.

I'd still like to know if I can top dress the dolomite and Micromax. SB

Stressbaby, first I must apologize, I made an error in my thread above. Thank you very much for pointing out that I wrote KNO3, instead of MgSO4. In the final rinse I use Calcium Nitrate and Magnesium Sulfate and NOT Potassium Nitrate (KNO3). I will have to double check my posts before I submit them. Patty, I THINK that killing citrus by over watering MAY be a false conclusion. In reality, I'm thinking what the root structure actually dies from is not to much water, but the roots suffer or die from a LACK OF AIR. When a tight slow draining growing medium, or one that has become compacted over time, is over watered all or most of the air in the "soil" is displaced by the water, and the medium becomes anaerobic, the roots don't drown but actually suffocate. If the medium keeps a high level of aerition, I think citrus roots would not be affected by a CHC medium staying wet. At this time of year my CHC containers stay moist for quite a while. Starting tomorrow, I am going to run a new test. I am going to water one of my citrus trees that is growing in a 4:1 CHC peat mixture every single day for 60 days. I would be willing to bet that the tree will be fine. I will post weekly results. Stressbaby, I would add the Micromix, and dolomite in a watering. - Millet

Not sure if this counts but for my new seedlings i got some pellets and a brick of coco nut shavings really not a tight soil but seems to have some bulk to it 1 brick made a 5 gallon bucket full and that was tight so i went threw and put 1/2 in another 5 g and devided the rest of the water its supposed to take makes 3 cubic feet of Nice breathable soil plus it drains easy so i may or may not add peat to it ..Tammy

PS shavings are the size of a shaving of a pensil in those hand heald sharpeners and seem to be really cool .. will let ya know when i find out im gonna use the rest of the mix to replant my new Orange tree in .. Millet i dont have a local store hear that caries either of those chemicals you mentoned so if there an online site you could Post for me ?

Thanks for all your replies. I mixed exactly to millets instructions and
washed the chips thoroughly but i did not do the "cation exchange" which
has been mentioned.In hindsight,i put the tangello(dwarf) in a big pot of the
above mix.The chc chips were wet when added with the peat etc.
I noticed millet is trying with the coir instead of the peat,how is that going?
I have been soaking my chips for the past two days in a bucket
and rinsing out.I have read the idea is to replace the sodium and pottasium
with calcium nitrate and magnesium sulphate(epsom salts).
I plan to do 4 parts chc and 1 part coir.
Could i use some dolomite lime on the final rinse as they both contain calcium and magnesium.I have epsom salts here but dont know where i
would find calcium nitrate in Auckland new zealand.I will use a 25 cm
terracotta pot for a young tangello and a drop of superthrive.
Could i add some citrus ferilser(soluble) into the final rinse,so
the chips absorb it?I was also thinking of just using the chips with a slow
release citrus fertilser especially for potted citrus. I read this is good for floridas temp but it doesnt get wickedly hot here.I have always managed
to over water in the past. Any ideas ? cheers