Mounting Dendrobium Aggregatum

[justatypn]

My Aggregatum has finished it's blooming cycle and in need of being repotted. I have tree fern in which will be it's new home.

I have repotted, mounting many orchids but am not pleased with the stress that's goin' on.

Normal regimen as follows:
Soak orchids new home ... bark/mount
Soak the pot of the chid to be repotted.
Remove all old roots
Soak in a root stimulator for 20 minutes
Repot/mount orchid
Water enough for drainage test
Place in medium light
Mist daily
Water every other day lightly (always water my orchids with slight fert flavor), heavy watering weekly
Follow watering regimen for 1 month
Move chid to light appropriated home
Raise it to bloom next blooming cycle.

With the above, is this to much or am I missing something. After I repot/mount the orchid looks limp and take many many weeks to recover. What am I doing wrong. I want to do everything correctly, smooth as possible for whats best for my newly potted orchids.

[Dorothy]

Thank you ! Cheryl
I will keep this in mind as I move my collection toward minis!

[thakshila smith]

thanks for the long advice.I replanted my chids too.
What I kept open is growing vigerously.I didn't cover the roots. kept bare open roots tied to a piece of moss.
What I covered with coconut husks are slow growing .
So I removed all the covering materials now .I learnt from Susanne she hasn't covered her plants roots too.
I think you have to keep the roots open to air.

[cb977]

Cheryl, I don't soak the plants in root stimulator. I do add a few drops of SuperThrive (to reduce the strees factor) to the misting water, though. Don't panic, you know what you're doing and your babies will be fine

Thakshila, I'm happy to see that I was able to help you with something
Happy, happy, happy

The only moss I use in mounting is enough to protect the plant from being injured with the fishing line.

[nancy]

Cheryl, I see you are in Florida...my opinion only, but I think you are over-kindnessing your plant! I'm in south Louisiana, and grow almost eveything on a mount (not tree fern, ever, I find it creepy).
My method: drill a few holes in the mount (wood usually, occasionally a slice of cork); attach the plant *firmly* to the mount with 8lb.-test monofilament fishing line. I sometimes cover the roots with a very small piece of green horticultural moss (never, ever sphagnum); I pick it off once roots are established. Attach a hook or loop of wire, and hang the plant outside in the best light for it (sun or shade, or in-between). That's it.
I can't remember the last time I lost a plant...if it rains, good; if not, I try to water with sprinkler hose every couple of days for vandaceous or mounted plants.
Our humidity runs over 80% - misting seems like overkill.
Unless you are in the arctic part of Florida, your climate is totally appropriate to really ignore your orchids and they'll love it.
Regards - Nancy

[Dorothy]

Has anyone ever tried using dental tape or floss for mounting?

[justatypn]

Dang lost this thread but Super Thrive is one product I really need to get, but use Rootone in the same respect. I did infact not mount but placed my dend agg in a wooden basket with sphag. It's going crazy with new growth and appears to be chillin' in happy mode.

I have definitely been accused of being overly cautious with my orchids...

[nancy]

Originally Posted by Dorothy

Has anyone ever tried using dental tape or floss for mounting?

Never tried floss (minty fresh orchids!); my real affection for monofilament is that it is so easy to remove once the plant has attached to the mount - it's slick enough to just clip and pull off.
I used to use jute twine or cotton knitting yarn - both are reasonably natural looking, and bio-degradable; but the roots often grew through them, and removal often seemed so brutal. I still like the twine or yarn for a pretty good camouflaged way to prop up blossoms or whatever for displaying the plant.
Regards - Nancy

[Tricho]

Originally Posted by justatypn

Mist daily
Water every other day lightly (always water my orchids with slight fert flavor)

As Nancy and taken in consideration the place where you live I would remove the above. At least if your humidity is high (above 70%).

Well, for mounted ones you can be more water generous!

And thinking that you are not talking about Pleuros, Dracula, Masd, etc, but even so