Long-time orchid growers may think back to the days when high quality osmunda fiber was available as a potting medium.  The roots of ferns - Osmunda cinnamomia or O. regalis - it was nearly ideal: soft, airy, held a lot of moisture without much chance of overwatering, it had the perfect pH, and as it decomposed, it actually fed your plants with a mild supply of nitrogen.  Unfortunately, the supplies of that fern root were overharvested, so we had to look for alternatives.

Next on the list was tree fern fiber.  The "trunk" of a variety of dicksonia species, it certainly provided the airiness an orchid likes, but it is coarse and brittle, and really does not hold water all that well.  Because of that, it is often used in media to "open up" the structure, or as vertical mounts or horizontal rafts.  It is also a classic material for the "totem poles" for climbing plants.  There has been extensive harvesting of this natural resource as well - it takes a fern 15 years or more to reach sufficient maturity for harvesting, so replacement is very slow - so international trade has been stifled in an effort to protect the plants.

Fortunately, a bit of creativity has provided an alternative that gives us the texture, airiness and water-holding properties of tree-fern, and the flexibility of osmunda without damaging natural resources.

Applications:

EcoWeb™ is a direct substitute for tree fern in a variety of applications.  It may be used as slabs or "rafts" for epiphytes, and is easily formed into pots and baskets, ensuring plenty of air flow to the root system.  Chopped-up, it is an excellent orchid potting medium.  It is an ideal substrate for vertical hydroponic panels and biowalls (please click here to learn more about this up and coming technology).

In terrariums and vivariums, EcoWeb™ will support the growth of epiphytes, climbing vines and mosses, making it ideal for backgrounds, caves, and other structures that will "naturalize" your enclosure.

EcoWeb™ may be safely used as backgrounds within aquariums, where it will support the growth of algae and aerobic bacteria to help purify the water.  Its high surface area makes it a preferred replacement for bristly plastic "balls" in external biological filters.

Wildlife Preservation:

Tree fern has been a preferred growing medium for epiphytes for over a hundred years, is used as "totem poles" for climbing vines, and has also become popular as a background substrate for terrariums and vivariums.  Unfortunately, that popularity has led to overharvesting of the tropical tree ferns in the wild, and efforts to "farm" them are slow, as the plants take 15 or more years to mature.

Recycling/Ecology:

Made from recycled plastic beverage bottles, EcoWeb™ both prevents the overharvesting of the tropical tree ferns and keeps those very slow degrading plastics out of landfills.  EcoWeb™ is the preferred choice of zoos and botanical gardens throughout North America.

Chemical Stability:

EcoWeb™ is nontoxic, pH neutral, UV stable, and unaffected by chemicals typically encountered when keeping fish, reptiles, amphibians, or in horticultural use.

Social Consciousness:

EcoWeb™ is labeled, packaged and distributed for First Rays through BARC Production Services, a non-profit organization focused on developing vocational skills and providing employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled.  For more information, please go to www.barcprograms.org.