| May i say something about these baskets...
I've bought some of these baskets (the octogonal ones, i think they are nicer looking) from a big box store, here in Panama. They seem to be the exact same ones i buy because of their shape and the way the wire hooks look. They are made in china, and even if they are made of hardwood, the wood used is not a very strong one. In my weather, that is, very humid, they seem to break down rather fast. Think about replacing them every two to three years tops. The wood gets somewhat soft and is very susceptible to mold. Oh, and by the way, roots in most of my plants, dont seem to like the wood too much, they stick to it and then basically just get dry.
Another thing is that i haven't seen any serious orchid grower here, using them directly on any of their plants. They sure look nice (better that plastic). What i have done now is to have a clear plastic pot or basket and just put it inside. Works perfectly and look great.
If you have the chance go teakwood, expensive but basically dont have to worry about it. Or plastic, roots won't stick to it, which is vital when repotting (no root damage). There was a lot of root damage when i was taking them out of this kind of wood basket (don't feel sorry when looking at it, just move fast, they'll grow back again).
Anyway, it's still cheaper (in time and money) to buy them than to go through the trouble of making them.
manuel
panama  |