Wine bottle corks as substrate

The talk about using styrofoam as a substrate got me wondering if anyone has used wine bottle corks. My wife use to make wine and we have bags of this stuff left over. I am talking, of course, about unused, clean corks.

Has anyone tried it?

Chris D.

that would look cool if you could find enough!

I see one problem with the use of wine corks. If you don't drain the water that leaks down, your substrate will float up, since wine corks are very buoyant.

Wine corks should be fine to make a backround out of since it is made from the exact same tree and material as the cork bark and backrounds.
Usually a Red Oak tree.

I see one problem with the use of wine corks. If you don't drain the water that leaks down, your substrate will float up, since wine corks are very buoyant.

Yes, but how would that be any different than Leca or styrofoam? I would think the weight of the substrate would keep it down. Besides, if I use a false bottom, the water should stay beneath the cork line.

Chris D.

[melissa68]

Actually, cork is harvested from a specific type of oak in Portugual. The first harvest of the bark is the 'virgin' bark which is sold in the reptile industry and others. Each subsequent harvest, the surface of the bark is smoother, and contains less flaws. These are the ones where cork stoppers are cut from.

If anyone wants to read about it: http://www.jelinek.com/articles/virginbark-a1.htm

Originally Posted by milty6@aol.com

Wine corks should be fine to make a backround out of since it is made from the exact same tree and material as the cork bark and backrounds.
Usually a Red Oak tree.