New to site, questions on mounting orchids

[ctparkin]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and tips. I will be trying this when things slow down. Thanks again
Tammy

[razka3]

Ross,
I was admiring your pictures in your gallery, and noticed your mounted dendrobiums. Are they mounted on 6x6 cork slabs or some other kind of material? How do you water/feed them?

Not sure if you can answer this next question, but maybe someone can...

Can I mount Ascocenda, Bl., and Lc. type orchids? I'm pretty sure I've seen Ascocenda in baskets with a small slab of cork, or something to that extent. What about the other 2 types?

Thanks much!
Frank

[Ross]

Originally Posted by razka3

Ross,
I was admiring your pictures in your gallery, and noticed your mounted dendrobiums. Are they mounted on 6x6 cork slabs or some other kind of material? How do you water/feed them?

Not sure if you can answer this next question, but maybe someone can...

Can I mount Ascocenda, Bl., and Lc. type orchids? I'm pretty sure I've seen Ascocenda in baskets with a small slab of cork, or something to that extent. What about the other 2 types?

Thanks much!
Frank

Frank, thanks for the compliments. The Dendrobium anosmum (2 of them) are mounted one on cork and one on tree fern. The one on cork does better because it dries more completely - something they like. I also have a large Encyclia tampensis which is mounted on Southern Liveoak bark slab which, in turn, is tied to a piece of eggcrate material used in florescent light fixtures. This is to strengthen the bark. Most of the other mounts are on some form of hardwood like Manzanita or on cedar. I water the mounts by dunking (soaking) them in a 5-gallon pail of mixted fertilizer solution. It's not safe to use the same container for all the orchids as it is the best way to spread disease. Having said that, I do use the same container as I have no other choice with my growing conditions. I do quarantine new plants for a while and either water them last or seperately till I am positive they aren't carrying something. Occasionally I have spread scale, shore flies, fungus, etc. but have been able to catch it before the pathogen got away from me. If you can avoid using same container, that's best.

You can mount almost any epiphytic orchid including Cats, Encyclias, Tolumnias, Brassias, non-rupiculous Laelias, Angraecoids, Phalenopsis, Brassavola, many Dendrobiums (not all), etc. As far as I know, you cannot mount most Paphs or Phrags or Jewell Orchids.

Hope this helps.

[razka3]

That was precisely the answer I was looking for! Greatly appreciated Ross... I thank you.

[Lorraine]

Hi Tammy,

Glad to have you aboard. I have several mounted orchids. Check out my gallery. Some are on cork, grape wood vine, driftwood and cocoanut husk. That one was purchased like that but I'm trying to do some of my own. Tree firn works too. I have been using a piece of copper wire to hold in place. Once around then twist in the back Then I use fishing line to secure the moss with the roots. Some moss is behind the chids with the wire. I figure that once the roots get going and hold firmly the fishing line can get cut easily. I plan to leave the copper wire in place. Be careful not to make the wire so tight to cut into your chid. I can take some close ups if you need them. Let me know. I have a few rescued from my neighbor when I divided her desperate chids and kept 3 cuttings. I can already see new roots on 2 and that was about 3 weeks ago. Mine get watered everyday since they dry out faster. I also have 4 smaller type of Phals mounted on driftwood with 1 in spike. Whoohoo. Correction..I use brass 18 ga wire not copper. Its soft and flexible if you need to cut it. Brass gets patina but should not rust.
Lorraine

[razka3]

Lorraine,

Just checked out your pictures, and they look great. I wish I could grow my plants outdoors all year. Just curious, is that an amaryllis in the back of this picture? Also, how do you water the ones growing on the slabs?



Frank

[Lorraine]

Hi Frank, I have a half gallon sprayer that I wet everybody thats mounted with. You can adjust the nozzel to keep from getting it all over the place. RL Flowmaster, from Home depot I think. Has a hand pump on top easy to use.. I add liquid fert. so they get fed often.
Lorraine

[vmax3000]

Love this thread, Tammy! I, too, have been space limited and have tried drift wood (I only use the stuff that I find near fresh water sources). Like the comments I have read, use a good fishing line. I usually pack the roots in sphagnum, if the orchids are smaller and more delicate, and wrap the line around the plant securely, but try not to cut through roots and living bits. I have used common hanger wire to hang my plants, but it eventually succumbs to rust, so I have switched to a galvanized, heavier gauge wire. Floral foam wrapped in sphagnum makes a decent mount for minis. You just have to construct some sort of support to attach the hanging device to, as the floral foam will readily give to any weight or pressure and end up on the ground....damned gravity!! Good experimenting to you!

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by razka3

Lorraine,

Just checked out your pictures, and they look great. I wish I could grow my plants outdoors all year. Just curious, is that an amaryllis in the back of this picture? Also, how do you water the ones growing on the slabs?



Frank

Hi Frank, Glad you like the pictures. Forgot to add this above. It is an amaryllis. One of the few non-orchids I have growing.
Lorraine

[ctparkin]

Lots of great info. Now that I looked at my orchids, they all look too big to mount. Is there a rule of thumb on the size of the orchid? I quess that would determine the size of the slab you have to use. Right now I have 8 orchids in bloom with 3 more is spike. Love this...
Tammy