Steve, Epiblastus are tough things (actually, very very tough ...it is almost impossible to snap the rhizome) and E. masarangicus has proved pretty easy to grow, although I don't know nuffink about deflasking it. You'll need a biggish-container 'cos they have long creeping rhizomes and spread quickly once they're established. Fill the container with any well-drained epiphyte mix ... the SBG have successfully used large lumps of broken brick, both with and without any filler (such as bark bits) in the gaps. A solid, stable surface seems to be important. Cover surface with live, rooted moss; this genus likes to grow on a living substrate.... in the wild, they're always growing through fairly thick moss, and when we've reproduced this in the greenhouse the plants have thrived. Then treat as per Eria or Dendrobium species in terms of light, humidity and moisture (they don't seem to be too fussy about these) and temperature as per the native conditions. As long as the moss is healthy you should expect the plant to grow.
They can be divided and/or transplanted quite easily as long as you don't cut the rhizome too short when dividing.... they need several backbulbs, which may mean divisions that are 20-30 cm long. Cheers, Peter O'Byrne _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
