EcoWeb Cubes

[Ray]

I don't recall specifically who, but several folks have asked me to alert them when I had EcoWeb available in cube or chunk form, for use as a potting medium. Apparently it has proven quite good for masdevallias, draculas, and pleurothallids in general. I grow vandaceous plants and a few cattleya-types in it as well.

Well...I just got in abut 4500 liters of the stuff, so it is now available - AND with an introductory offer - $3 off a 5-liter bag with coupon code "cubes5" or $12 off of 20L with code "cubes20".

[Anglo]

This product is a great idea that is worth commenting on. I’ve been using the similar EpiWeb cubes for a long time as an additive to fir bark. Placing some pieces in the bark at a rate of maybe one per two cubic inches (or more in the middle) ensures better aeration throughout the medium. This is especially effective when growing in wooden baskets. Aside from benefiting the roots, the improved aeration also makes the fir bark last longer and the Epiweb or Ecoweb cubes keep the medium from compacting as it ages.

At least in my environmental conditions, the combination of coarse fir bark and Epiweb or Ecoweb in most perfect medium for Cattleyas. With higher relative humidity at a more constant rate, using this stuff all by itself in a basket would probably be a good alternative to mounting.

[TylerK]

Can the stuff than comes in sheets be cut and layered in pots to support plants that would normally like to grow bare rooted? I don't have the humidity to grow Vandas bare rooted, and this sounds like an interesting alternative.

I have about 20 square feet of it hanging around that I would like to use. I was going to use it as a large cylindrical mount for my vanilla cutting this spring, but it didn't make it through the winter.

Tyler

[Ray]

I don't see why not, Tyler.

I submerged a stack of small sheets, then weighed them, and found that - uncompressed - the EcoWeb remains approximately 90% "open" porosity, so waterlogging is not likely to be an issue.

[TylerK]

Thanks Ray. That's what I wanted to hear. Now I just need to find a plant to experiment with

Tyler