for Tindomul1of9: mounting info

[bodaciousbonsai]

Hamizao, Hello my friend. Keiki must be a american orchid thing.

[cb977]

Hami, I find that SO interesting! I had assumed (always a bad idea ) that Keiki was the universal word but I've learned something new!

Thanks

[hamizao]

Thanks, bodaciousbonsai & cb977. Perhaps it would then be ok if I use anak sometimes. Doing my bit to introduce our language lor. Incidentally our Filipino members will be familiar with it as they use the same word.

[Fei Miao]

Interesting thread...Hi all , this is my first post here, can anyone advise the speices of orchids that are suitable for mounting and in vivariums.
Cheers,
Ken

[Tindomul]

I would mount Haraella odorata, Masdievalias, Platystele, Pleurothalis, Bulbophylums for humid coolish areas of the vivarium/terrarium. If this spot is bright as well, I would try Cischwenfias(they can't live without their humidity!). Ok, so for dryer and brighter parts of the viv/terrarium, I would try miniature Cattleyas, Tolumnias, miniature oncidiums, Sophronitis, and Encyclias(though they like it humid too, so I've heard).
I have a Phalaenopsis Mini Mark in a spot mid way between the cooler, darker, more humid bottom area, and the top drier, brighter, and warmer area. So I would suggest miniature Phals for this type of area. Hope this helps.

[nancy]

Greetings -
The majority of my orchids are mounted - it suits my growing conditions (outdoors most of the time in South Louisiana), and I think the plants generally prefer it - most orchids are epiphytes/lithophytes anyway. And, I find that when we have 50 consecutive days of rain every day (it has happened), I don't find pots full of rotted medium and liquefied ex-plants.
Check your local pet stores for both large cork bark slabs (usually about $8-10 for one big enough for 2 large or 7-8 small plants) and also for Texas grapevine, which is actually a nice gnarly wood with a lot of texture. A big chunk of this runs $10-12, and can be cut into enough pieces for 4-8 orchids - and they love it.
I usually drill a few holes in any kind of material for mounting, so the roots can grow into them. I use 8 lb. test monifilament fishing line - $2-3 for a lifetime supply. I never, ever use sphagnum moss for anything; in our hot, humid, wet climate it turns into a disgusting toxic stringly slimesickle in about 6 months. I've used green moss, or nothing. When I use a bit of moss, I put it on after securing the plant, and take it off when the plant is well rooted.
IMO, the only drawback to having most plants mounted is figuring out how to display them in my home when they're blooming...for the miniatures, I got a few tabletop wire hangers (used to display little carvings, painted eggs, etc.) at the hobby store. The bigger ones can be a problem.
But, as a growing method, I'd recommend it, particularly for those who can grow outdoors most of the time.
Regards - Nancy

[nancy]

p.s. My personal criteria for mounting is just about anything with short internodes. This makes some of the really gigantic Cattleyas inappropriate, but almost everything else is pretty happy on a mount, particularly pleurothallids, species dendrobiums, phalaenopsis, etc.

[Tindomul]

What do you mean by internodes? I'm afraid thats a new term for me in terms of orchids.

[nancy]

Internode (I think it's the right term, but I'm wrong soooooo often) is the distance between growths. Two orchids I can think of that I have: Eria stellata and Liparis condylobulbon, both have thin, kind of spindle-shaped pseudobulbs. Both get a thin twig-like lateral, then a new pseudobulb grows from that. These laterals (internodes) can be 2-3" long in these particular plants. Okay if I were mounting to a tree, I guess, but not a chunk of wood.
Whereas something like Rhyncholaelia glauca has growths that are literally one on top of the other - a good candidate for mounting, even though it gets to be a big rascal.
Hope this helps. Nancy

[Tindomul]

Ok thanks!! I will have to look closely at my orchids to find the internodes. Thanks!!!!