I only use coconut husk in Thailand for mulching trees, I would use more wood mulch but not available, but a chipper is on my wish list, for now I burn wood in pits and try to make boichar out of it, which I just mix with the husk. I also use composted grass clippings, or dried dead grass clippings if the weather permits for mulching. I do not use twigs, leaves, logs, half or quarter split coconut husks, or rocks, pita if you ask me. Costs me about $150 for a dump truck sized load. The coir has the outer harder shell sifted out during chopping, but it has consistency of saw dust and will break down much faster.
here are some thoughts on husk:
1. wood has many varieties, and most mulch mixes in leaves during chipping, occasionally seeds, many different grades. husk you just get coarse, medium, fine (coir) and a varying salt content.
2. the coconut will have to be applied thicker since it breaks down faster
3. the coconut husk more resistant to bacteria, and I've yet to find phosphorus in composting coir. Also seems to be less gnats than wood chips
4. coconut husk can be highly flammable, the fibers will catch from a slight spark if somebody is smoking nearby, and could smolder into a fire possibly if you are not careful, so watch out if 'fresh', keep it well watered at first
5. the coconut husk will hold water very well once slightly decomposed, when fresh it is actually very absorbent and will cause irrigation problems, so keep it away from the trunk of trees due it never letting the trunk dry out. You might want to run drip lines under the husk until it breaks down some. Another good reason to keep it well watered or apply in wet season.
6. You can cut the coconut husk with your wheedwhacker if the edges are showing grass, it just turns it into coir.
7. Since the coconut husk breaks down faster you can create topsoil faster with application of grass clippings and manure. wood chips always just seem to be wood chips, even after years of decomposing.
Anyways, I think for you where you are at, the cost of husk must be high, wood chips are practically free. Take the whole truckload, and compost it yourself professionally in a big pile somewhere, keeping it wet 24/7 in the shade, add coco husk, manure, clippings into it to make it better. Turn it over every few weeks. After two months you will have something very good to apply to your trees that will also prevent weeds.
