David, I grow my orchids in coconut husk chips and charcoal. Coconut chips have a great water absorption capacity but they are not wet to the touch. Once orchid roots establish themselves on the chips they will be able to draw water out of the chips like a sponge. It's a great material to have especially if you're worried about watering the plants that might probably make a mess indoors. Plastic pots or clay pots, that will depend on how frequent you need to water your plant. My two cents...hope it helps
