Anyone know where I can buy Epiweb or something similar in the UK - Orchid Board

RosieC · #1 12-02-2010, 01:30 PM

Anyone know where I can buy Epiweb or something similar in the UK?

I've been thinking about this for possible mounting of one of my orchids but I've no idea if/where I can get it in the UK. Never seen it on the websites of my usual suppliers.

camille1585 · #2 12-02-2010, 03:56 PM

The only place I know of is Rainforest frogs, in a town not far from me. rainforest-frogs.nl Don't know what shipping to UK would be, you would need to simulate a purchase. I think there's a pricing mistake on the first one, 1,95€ seems impossible! If the weather wasn't so terrible (and it was spring!) I would have gladly bike over there for you.

Jeff9 · #3 12-02-2010, 04:24 PM

i bought my epiweb branches and moss mix at dartfrog.co.uk

RosieC · #4 12-03-2010, 05:27 AM

Thanks Camille and Jeff. That dartfrog.co.uk seems my best bet as it's in the UK. They claim to be the sole UK distributer of it.

Thanks again guys.

camille1585 · #5 12-03-2010, 05:52 AM

I really like the stuff dartfrog.co.uk sells, I'll have to keep them in mind for my future terrarium/orchidarium. I like the idea of a moss covered background (the IIS system), and the epiweb branches look cool.

RosieC · #6 12-03-2010, 07:31 AM

Yeah, not sure whether to try the live moss or not. I know Ray sells something similar with live moss you can add and said it worked for him, I will have to think about that.

I've decided to mount my Den loddigesii on it. Sue said hers did well on Tree Fern and if I remember right someone else on the Den loddigesii project had it growing well on Epiweb. Just recently I think it was you who told someone Epiweb is a good substitute for Tree Fern, which made me think of trying to get some. The thing is not doing well so far (just kinda doing nothing...which is better they dying but what I want).

Duane McDowell · #7 12-03-2010, 11:28 AM

Rosie,
I'm using EcoWeb from First Ray's (same stuff, different name). I am absolutely committed to it. I have about 30 minis in it. It doesn't break down, it's made from recycled pop bottles, etc... For me, the biggest upside is that I don't need to worry about deterioration of the mount, in contrast to tree fern (1-5 years), sticks (2-10 years) or cork (2-10 years). It seems like mounts hold up well for a long time, and then go downhill very quickly, often taking the plants with them. In my own terrarium, I really keep stuff wet, so mounts fall apart rather more quickly than they might in a more "normal" environment.
Growing moss is really sort of its own art. The way I did it was to put some live moss from the forest into a blender with some dry sphagnum and some RO water. I blended it up, and then "swished" the mounts through the slurry. Bits would lodge in the crevices in the webbing. Within a month, I started to see signs of life. Within 3 months, I had good moss growth on all of the mounts.
Moss requires CONSTANT moisture to get going - high humidity and frequent watering. Fortunately, this is what EcoWeb (EpiWeb) requires, also. For me, I use the health of the moss as a partial indicator of how well I'm doing with watering.
I'm also using some small (1"?) cubes of EcoWeb in pots. So far, so good. I've got a Sophronitis, a couple of Masdevallias, and some Lepanthes in small clay pots with the web cubes. They can be compressed a little, so they hold the plants in place really well - just like Osmunda fiber in the olden days... I have moss growing on the tops of the pots, too.
All this aside - I would ONLY go to Epiweb (Ecoweb) if you are committed to daily watering. It's great because overwatering is practically impossible. The downside is that undewatering would be very easy!

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RosieC · #8 12-03-2010, 12:34 PM

Thanks for the advice Duane, good to know it's working well for you.

I'm planning to use it for mounts rather than potting and my mounts get daily watering anyway. The Den loddigesii I mentioned above, and which is the initial one I'll use it for, is currently potted but I always wanted it mounted... so I'm expecting to water it every day.

Duane McDowell · #9 12-03-2010, 02:23 PM

I think you'll be pleased. Plants seem to root into it very readily. I'll be interested to hear how you do with moss, too - for me it makes a world of difference in terms of the aesthetic of the plants.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

Thanks for the advice Duane, good to know it's working well for you.

I'm planning to use it for mounts rather than potting and my mounts get daily watering anyway. The Den loddigesii I mentioned above, and which is the initial one I'll use it for, is currently potted but I always wanted it mounted... so I'm expecting to water it every day.

gaza · #10 02-20-2020, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RosieC

Yeah, not sure whether to try the live moss or not. I know Ray sells something similar with live moss you can add and said it worked for him, I will have to think about that.

I've decided to mount my Den loddigesii on it. Sue said hers did well on Tree Fern and if I remember right someone else on the Den loddigesii project had it growing well on Epiweb. Just recently I think it was you who told someone Epiweb is a good substitute for Tree Fern, which made me think of trying to get some. The thing is not doing well so far (just kinda doing nothing...which is better they dying but what I want).

hi buzzard reptile & aquatics uk they sell tree fern substrate and epiweb i think dart frog items are expensive