Bulb Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' division - best way to pot up
 

Hi. I picked up a Bulb. Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' division at our Orchid Society picnic. I was wondering what is the best method to pot it up. At the time I only had a shallow 10in. clay saucer that I half filled with Styrofoam peanuts and then sphagnum moss around the psuedobulbs. I am keeping it very moist and in a medium light area. I have ordered a basket, but my wife likes it in the clay saucer on a plant pedestal. Most of the info I have read seems to recommend mounting, or placing in a basket. Any suggestion would be great.

The problem with potting a Bulbophyllum the size of Elizabeth Anne 'Buckleberry' is that when it starts rambling everywhere, it will be difficult to keep them inside the pot.

It might be easier to pot smaller Bulbos that don't have long rhizomes, but it's easier to rot them out too.

It is more convenient to just mount Bulbos in general.

Oh, and I don't recommend burying the rhizomes.

I suggest looking at photos of Bulbophyllums in the wild. I think you'll have a better understanding of how they behave.

Thanks, :D
I took your advice and looked at images of some bulbophyllum's in their native habitat. Wow they really ramble around. I see what you mean about mounting as the best option. I actually found that I have two separate divisions. I will mount one, and put the other in a basket. Any recommendations for the medium in the basket? Would lining it with coir work? I will take your advice and keep the rhizomes exposed.

If you're growing one in basket, I'd go with coconut husk chips instead of just lining it with coir (probably something like a small or medium grade). No moss. The CHC will provide enough moisture without the use of moss.

Bulbos like moisture, but they don't like being soggy.

For the mounted Bulbo, resist the urge to slather the mount with moss. Be sparing with the moss. It only has to be one strand thick and cover an area that is a little bit larger than the size of the plant. The roots should not be covered by the moss. Instead, the roots should be on top of the moss.

During the hot weather, it's best to water the mounted Bulbo at least once everyday, but no more than twice a day.

When the weather is cooler, it's important to decrease the frequency of watering (for some Bulbos, the amount of water reduction during the cooler months is pretty significant).

The one in the basket, you can afford to wait until the medium dries out completely (coconut husk retains quite a bit of water). Don't worry about the roots drying out if you allow the medium to dry out. I guarantee it's most likely not going to cause root damage. It's easier to rot the roots out due to over watering (since Bulbos don't usually grow too many roots per growth, a good amount of root rot can compromise its health very easily).

Bulbos have very short, shallow roots. I find that they prefer more moisture than has been suggested by others. I think Bill Thoms' new book and Tom Nasser's growing conditions both support a wetter environment than most other genera. I didn't say mud....but not even close to dry either.

A wire basket is a good choice for a long rhizome plant. It grows over the edge and back into the media on the outside. This basket is lined with coconut sheet and it is mostly filled with coconut chips. This is Bulb Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' FCC/AOS.

Bulb Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' FCC-AOS LUR_4604 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Thanks for the help
 

Here is what I did with the 2 divisions. One is in a 6in basket and the other is mounted on cork.