Question about mounting a bulbophyllum - Orchid Board

SaraJean · #1 10-14-2015, 12:03 PM

So I am becoming quiet obsessed with the bulbophyllum family, and I have a bulb. facinator semi alba and a medusae in shallow wooden baskets with sphagnum moss. I have three more on the way from Andy's (yay for their bare root sale!) and I would like to mount a couple of them. One is a Bulb masdevalliaceum, the other is a lobbii (Thai form). I have some left over cork slabs from when I mounted some phals that I was going to use for these two. When you mount a bulbo, do you put a pad of sphagnum moss between the roots and cork to help with moisture retention, then another layer of sphagnum on top of the roots? Or do you put the roots straight on the cork surface?

There is also a bulb. lasiochilum coming in this order. I was thinking about putting that in a small clay pot with a layer of rocks at the bottom to fill it up a bit, then a mixture of sphag on top. Any thoughts on this method? Or should I just mount all three?

Jade · #2 10-14-2015, 12:17 PM

Lasiochilum is a miniature size, so you can mount it.

Bulbos need a lot of humidity so you will need to place a pad of sphagnum moss under and over the roots, like a sandwich 😀

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SaraJean · #3 10-14-2015, 01:02 PM

Awesome, will do! I am so excited about this shipment, now I just need to get my hands on some stinky ones

cbuchman · #4 10-14-2015, 02:02 PM

I have 3 mounted on Kool-Logs and they seem to love it! The Kool log provides constant moisture and humidity around the roots. The Kool log ones are the only ones I've bloomed

Leafmite · #5 10-14-2015, 02:08 PM

So that is how a person gets the crazy things to bloom....

cbuchman · #6 10-14-2015, 02:23 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

So that is how a person gets the crazy things to bloom....

No one was more surprised than I!

I bloomed my Bulb. roxburghii (1 inflorescence) over the summer and my Bulb. hirundinis is spiked now (again 1)

So I moved my cummingii to a Kool-Log too just about a week ago. All of these are the "dutch shoe" types.

I've had no luck with blooming Bulb. echinolabium which is a large plant in a 12" wood basket lined with coir and filled with tree fern. I've also had no luck with Bulb. Karen Lewis which is in a 4" net basket. Both of these are the "star" shaped flowers.

I also have Bulb. mucronatum from Andy's (so mounted on a stick), which is really tiny. I may end up moving it to a Kool Log if it doesn't shape up soon..... I got it last April at the SEPOS show.

Leafmite · #7 10-14-2015, 03:09 PM

That is pretty interesting. The only one in my possession that has bloomed is the Cirrhopetalum tingabarinum but Andy sent that one in spike. In addition, I have ambrosia, baileyi, lasiochilum, biseriale, and auratum. The last two are new. The other three have not bloomed.
I wonder if it has something to do with humidity? I just started growing a few of the smaller ones in jars in hopes that this will prompt them to bloom. The cool-logs seem as though they would offer a good source of humidity.

Brooke · #8 10-14-2015, 03:58 PM

Sara Jean your lobbii type will get quite large. It will probably do better in a pot that will help you keep it as moist as it wants to be. It grows in Catt light.

Leafmite give your baileyi a lot of sun and a dry-er winter. If you grow it under the drying lights, it will need to be watered 2/3 times a week. I grow mine mounted because it is a "wanderer" and hard to contain in a pot.

Brooke

Optimist · #9 10-14-2015, 07:16 PM

I can't add much, but i just got Bulbo. Blumei, and Cirropetalum Lepidum from this same sale at Andys and they are so gorgeous. They just came today! I have the mounting wood and moss already, and will run down and get some fishing line tomorrow.

I had Bulbophyllum / catenulatum (red/yellow) previously. It is getting along happily in the covered fish tank environment. No flowers yet.

SaraJean · #10 10-15-2015, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbuchman

I have 3 mounted on Kool-Logs and they seem to love it! The Kool log provides constant moisture and humidity around the roots. The Kool log ones are the only ones I've bloomed

The kool log sound sounds, well, cool.

I haven't heard of those, but it definitely sounds like something to look up. Would you still sandwich the roots with moss? Do you have a picture or two you could share of your orchids on one of these? I am trying to picture what it looks like