Cork pieces as medium

[Ray]

Stephen,

Be VERY aware that a medium in a basket and the same medium in a pot will perform entirely differently. The fact that cork in a basket dries very quickly may extend its longevity. Your idea of large chunks will help, too.

As a caveat...

Several years ago (about 20 or so, I think) ground cork was the "new wave" in orchid potting medium. It was readily available, cheap, very well graded, size-wise, and held moisture well without being soppy. Unfortunately, it - in pot culture, anyway - it apparently harbored quite a microorganism population, and in what seems to be an "overnight" phenomenon, went from an open, airy medium to a root-suffocating, slimy sludge.

[littlefrog]

Can't be twenty years ago... or maybe it is. Sheesh, I'm getting old. I remember the ground cork thing vividly, it was a really good idea that didn't hold up to the real world.

I have grown using old wine corks in slat baskets before. This works pretty well if you drink a lot of wine (I've switched to wine in a box... *grin*).

Rob

[boytjie]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

I have grown using old wine corks in slat baskets before. This works pretty well if you drink a lot of wine (I've switched to wine in a box... *grin*).

Rob

Oh, I definitely drink enough wine. Time to start saving the corks.

[vmax3000]

I have had great success using wine corks as medium for growing some of my drier growing plants.

As an aside, one of the reasons a cork is presented to be smelled is not for the wine, but for "freshness" (as in not infected or fermentation to the point of vinegar)! I seem to recall the cork infection also affected the vintners, hence the move to synthetic corks.

Good growing to you in this experiment.