Interesting potential growing medium

[goods]

I've become fascinated with epiphytic Utrics in the short period of time I've been here. Coming from an orchid background, I find them to be quite similar: big flowers, epiphytic in nature, etc. I've been through many threads where they've been tried on TF, cork with moss, or net pots in LFS with fairly successful results.

I also very recently found a U.S.-based vendor for Hygrolon, a fabric-like material that wicks water while providing an airy environment. It doesn't break down over time like organic medias and is more sustainable than tree fern. I think I'm going to try a piece with some orchids and see the results. I'll post as I go, once I get it going.

 

[DragonsEye]

Interesting ... had not heard of this product before. I will be interested to hear of your results.

 

[Wire Man]

Very interesting. I might give this a try, too.

 

[goods]

Placed my order tonight! I'll follow up with pictures when it comes in, and I get some things mounted to it.

 

[RL7836]

Placed my order tonight! I'll follow up with pictures when it comes in, and I get some things mounted to it.

I'll be interested to hear what you think. I wonder how well it would do with several squares together to form a thicker plaque (imitate treefern)? Here's a product page. I need to order some potting media & plaques (of something) fairly soon ...

 

[goods]

I'll be interested to hear what you think. I wonder how well it would do with several squares together to form a thicker plaque (imitate treefern)? Here's a product page. I need to order some potting media & plaques (of something) fairly soon ...

My order came in today! I ordered two medium Hygrolon/Epiweb slabs. This material has been designed to imitate tree fern as a way to phase out that growing medium since it is usually harvested so unsustainably. I ran a quick wicking test on mine just to see how quickly this material would take on water. I placed one slab in a small glass with an inch or so of water. Within 10 minutes, the moisture had travelled all the way to the top of the 8" slab. The extreme hydrophilic nature of this material definitely impressed me. I disliked straight Epiweb because it was entirely too dry for my uses. Now that there is a combination, I'm liking the initial results (moisture loving material on the surface with airy Epiweb on the back).

I took one of my slabs and mounted some divisions of orchids that weren't growing well in their current media and on the other, a Phrag. besseae. I also added a few pinches of live moss to get it started growing. All of the growers in Europe, who have had access to this material for much longer than we have, report great root growth. These plants need some more roots, so I figured I'd give them a try as a good test.

I think that's all I can say about it for now. Here are some pictures of the material after unboxing and then after mounting. I'm going to add a couple more plants and then let it grow. I'll continue to update with pictures hopefully weekly or as things progress.

 

[RL7836]

Very cool - I didn't notice slabs on their product page (which I found odd), all I noticed was the fabric. How thick are the slabs? Can you PM me your source?

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

That's neat! Certainly beats the rock wool I've been eyeballing out back.

 

[amphirion]

phrag bessae!? let me know how that goes for you....if it does, im gonna have to grow a bessae for myself!

 

[goods]

Very cool - I didn't notice slabs on their product page (which I found odd), all I noticed was the fabric. How thick are the slabs? Can you PM me your source?

Ron, PM sent. The slabs are right around 1" thick.

That's neat! Certainly beats the rock wool I've been eyeballing out back.

I've never used rock wool, but doesn't that build up salts if you aren't careful? I think I read that somewhere a while back.

phrag bessae!? let me know how that goes for you....if it does, im gonna have to grow a bessae for myself!

Amp, the besseae has already bloomed for me in semi-hydro, so it's not necessarily a difficult plant to grow. The OZ crosses are much nicer and have been line bred to be easier. In their native habitat, they grow on vertical limestone cliffs near seepages. I'm trying to replicate that with these slabs along with better accommodating their stoloniferous growth habit.

Also, here is some good reading on various ways to use this material along with some pretty nice pictures.

 

[RL7836]

Thanks for the link on uses for Hygrolon - reading how the guy has set up his cabinet and also used Hygrolon in orchid pots - very interesting.

I just received 2 Hygrolon-covered slabs from the US supplier. One is Hygrolon over Epiweb (interesting since I've never handled either material) and the other is their half-round slab - which is Hygrolon over closed-cell foam pipe insulation.

After digging around a while, I was able to locate a small cluster of semi-loose U. campbelliana tubers. I mounted the cluster on the Hygrolon/Epiweb slab and also seeded the fabric with pieces of moss from the original slab (this seeding worked well on a tree fern slab). This is the 1st time I've tried to relocate tubers that didn't have active leaves growing - hope it works.

 

[goods]

UPDATE...

It's been about a month into my Hygrolon experiment, and I don't have much to report...at least nothing picture worthy. I removed one of the Lepanthes from that original slab and added a few species in its place. All of the minis mounted to the slab have at least one new growth except for one plant. It looks like moss is starting to slowly expand across the surface.

The Phrag. besseae is showing a nub of some sort. I'm hoping it's roots, but a new growth would be nice too. Either way, there is some growth on a plant that was pretty weak when I mounted it.

All of the plants on these slabs are watered only from the wicking action of the material and some incidental watering from misting the rest of the tank.

 

[dueoka]

It's been several months, any updates? Wondering if this would be a suitable medium for nepenthes?

 

[RL7836]

It's been several months, any updates? Wondering if this would be a suitable medium for nepenthes?

I've been playing around with ideas for an all inorganic potting media (vs the epiphytic slab approach). I'm leaning toward Hygrolon slices, chopped Ecoweb pieces & perlite (although this may change). When/if some of my Nep cuttings root - I may start to play or I'll just place some spare Orchidioides divisions in some & see how they grow...

As an epiphytic medium, the reviews are mixed. Goods just reported in the Orchidioides thread that the approach rotted an orchid (discussion ongoing). Otoh, my U. jamesoniana has gone to heaven & is growing like a weed on a slab.

 

[Wire Man]

I'm about to try a 50/50 mix of Turface MVP and perlite. It works with Nepenthes, so it should work with Utrics.

 

[East_to_west]

I'm growing utrics and orchids on both epiweb and hygrolon and have had fantastic results so far! I'll post up some photos tomorrow when I have time. I'd be really interested in using it as a medium for nepenthes, although since it's not as beneficial for the root structure (as far as actually growing through the foam) you might be able to just use something like aquarium filter sponges, given how expensive epiweb/hygrolon is. I think using hygrolon as a wicking material would be a great thing to play around with though. It's ability to wick water super consistently to provide the perfect moist surface is impressive to say the least.

 

[utricularia]

you might be able to just use something like aquarium filter sponges

Aren't aquarium filter sponges designed to both act as a mechanical filter mechanism and to house nitrogen fixing bacteria. In a wick system couldn't they then house the nasty kind of microbes?

 

[jimscott]

I think it would work well for Mexican butterworts.

 

[dueoka]

Thanks everyone! While I was wondering if it would work as a mount for nepenthes, it seems it is better suited for epiphytes? Like east to west said, dosent seem like a sheet of hygrolon over foam could support the root system of a medium to large nepenthes.

 

[Maiden]

Mhmm nice. I will try that! Thanks for sharing.