John,

My experience is very limited - I got samples in early April, and have only
experimented with two plants so-far. One is a leafless chiloschista doing
OK on a slab, the other is the oncidium I believe I mentioned earlier, that
is in an EpiWeb basket of the granulated medium. - so some of my responses
will be based upon hearsay from European users.

Looks to me like the roots do both - grow into the medium as well as along
the surface. The finer the roots, the greater the tendency to penetrate,
but even vanda roots will likely penetrate the substrate.

Just like a solid pot of tree fern, I think it is doubtful that the
stanhopea spike would penetrate the sidewall of the pot, but I don't think
it would have a problem pushing aside the granulated medium. They're sort
of like little blocks of stiff sponge in texture, so there is some "give",
unlike tree fern.

There is some color variation. Most of the stuff I have is very dark brown,
bordering on black, while some of the earlier material was decidedly brown.
I think the "black" color is the norm now. I don't know if it would fade,
but I frankly doubt it, as it's likely carbon black in the recycled polymer.

Yes, pH is supposed to be neutral (I have not checked).

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"John Varigos" wrote in message
om...
Ray

I have just been looking at your Epiweb pots/baskets photos on your web
page.

I have a few questions:
1. From your experience, do the roots actually enter the medium or grow
along the surface?
2. If a Stanhopea established itself in your hanging baskets and grew
towards the sides of the pot, would the flower spike be able to work its
way through the Epiweb? As you know, the spikes don't always grow
straight down and often grow at an angle to the bulb therefore more than
likely to hit the side.
3. Is the colour depicted on your web page accurate and does it
fade/discolour with time.
4. Being made of recycled PET, I presume the pH is neutral (7). Is this
correct?

Epiweb certainly looks like a possible viable alternative to tree fern.

Cheers

John


"Ray" wrote in message
. ..
Tom,

It's a totally different animal from anything semi-hydroponics related.
Think a direct substitute for tree fern. About the only thing in common
is the inert nature.

It's available in slabs for rafts and mounting (they should have arrived
by now), pots, hanging baskets, pots with a mesh bottom for
bottom-spiking plants like stanhopeas, and as a granular chunk for use as
a medium ingredient or alone.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"tbell" wrote in message
.com...
On Wed, 7 Jun 2006 18:04:58 -0700, Ray wrote
(in article ):

Sue, et al.

I finally got in the EpiWeb from Europe, and the granulated material is
great for supporting newly potted plants in baskets or pots.

EpiWeb, if it's new to you, is a "synthetic tree fern" made from
recycled
PET bottles. It's springier than tree fern, so can be slightly
compressed
without damaging the plants, and it sort-of "locks into" itself,
holding
things in place without affecting free air flow.

How would you use it, Ray? For mounting? In a pot? Will this change your
fondness for S/H?
Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D70