After having success with potting mix containing coco chips (coarser than coco coir, replacing wood chips) for aroids, I want to try and get some pure coco chips for making my own moss poles.
The moss poles are made out of a cylindrical mesh structure filled with coco chips. The chips are too large to fall through the mesh, they drain well while hold enough water inside. The arrangement is better than that of a PVC pipe coated with a thin layer of coco fibers wrapped and held with a fishing wire. The mesh holding the chips inside provides extra depth for the roots, holds some water and is well aerated, eliminating all overwatering (or flooding) related issues.
Public gardens in my area have many palm trees. They are mostly Washingtonia or date palms (the dates with the red or yellow hard fruit). Municipal gardeners often trim the bottom fronds to pick up later, or private gardeners leave them on the sidewalk for sanitation workers to pick them up. I noticed the fronds have a fibrous structure which is similar to that of the coconut shell, which is also a type of palm. The fibers look somewhat the same and I presume they are made of the same biochemical constituents. However, there are questions about using them:
The appearance of the fibers is the same, but is the cellular structure different enough to give different physical properties?
There is an infestation of palm weevils and I don't want to help them spread. Are the fronds safe, unlike the trunk?
Is there a fast way to cut the fronds into uniformly sized chips?
