What to do with young coconut shells?

[green goddess]

I lo-o-o-o-ve young coconuts, I could drink them everyday if my wallet and fridge accomodated me! But the shells are rather large and fill up my compost quite quickly - I wonder, does anyone have any ideas for what can they could be used for? Has anyone turned them into plant pots, or scrubbed them out and turned them into containers, or anything like that?

I imagine a line of plants potted in coconuts along my window sill would look pretty awesome!

[DebB]

I stopped composting them because we generate so many, they were taking over our compost piles and not breaking down like the other compost.

So, then I started setting them on our back deck which gets blasted by the desert sun to dry them and use them for fires when we go camping. They work well for that, but what a mess if it rains while they're sunning on the deck - and they were problematic as far as storing them until camping.

So - now they get pitched in the garbage. (I tried...) *Ü*

[Aleesha Sattva]

ours go into the trash. sad... but true :(

[Mrs. Papaya]

I also am sad to say that I trash mine. I have thought, however, that they would make neat candle holders. I haven't tried it out, though.

If only I were a more artsy person (with building stuff/sculpture, anyway) I feel like there be no limit to the cool stuff you could do with young coconut shells!

[green goddess]

Ooh! Candle holders! That would be really neat! How would you suppose it would work - scrub the shells really well, and add... well, wax stuff.... Well, I guess I don't really know much about making candles!

In order to make the shells usable, I'd think the inside would need a real good scrubbin', but what about the fibrous outside? Should it be scraped off (now there's a job and a half!), because I imagine it would go moldy eventually?

I had a used shell sitting on my counter from when I had a coconut smoothie yesterday, and I was starting my seed planting today and noticed it, and thought, wow, it would look great with a plant growing out of it! Maybe I'll scrub it out and give it a try!

[Eva]

You'd end up with a LOT of candle holders if you don't watch it!

lol!

I don't know how, but here in Brazil, there is a small company (just a local guy really) who makes t-shirts out of coconut shells!!! I'm sure that isn't helpful to you without the how-to info, but I thought it was just AWESOME!

[bsqmurphy]

We have a HUGE compost pile, so they go in the compost (& take forever to break down).

Our closest city has a "clean green" station where you can take clean yard waste for composting on a citywide scale. They would accept them along with grass clippings, tree prunings, etc. You might look for something similar.

Our closest city also as a "food plus" recycling program where all food scraps and food soiled paper (this would include coconut shells) are composted by the city. You might look for something similar in your area (on a city scale or perhaps a local composting / gardening association).

Bri.