Growing aerangis biloba

[Anisa]

It seems like this specie is small size. How big do they grow? I am thinking to mount mine on a cork bark, but not sure how large piece should i get. Also cork bark is water repellent. Is it a good idea to use it for an orchid mount, if orchids need all moisture they can get - at least in my house.
Please share your experiences. Thanks!

[mayres]

To get a good sense of what they might look like when mature/growing on mounts - click this link and scroll through the images and first few pages....
aerangis biloba - Google Search

[nightqueen049]

Originally Posted by Anisa

It seems like this specie is small size. How big do they grow? I am thinking to mount mine on a cork bark, but not sure how large piece should i get. Also cork bark is water repellent. Is it a good idea to use it for an orchid mount, if orchids need all moisture they can get - at least in my house.
Please share your experiences. Thanks!

I bought a 4"X6" slab of cork, which seems to be just the right size for a mature aerangis biloba (including room for it to grow). They slowly grow to about 6", according to the specialist that I bought mine from. Mine is mounted with sphagnum moss and sitting over a humidity tray, but I also water it at least four times a week, more if it's really dry in the house. Hope some of this helps.

[koshki]

I did not have any luck with my biloba on a cork mount, even though I watered it every day, and it sat on a pad of sphag. It literally just sat there and did nothing. Now it is sitting and doing nothing in a net basket of sphag. Next I'm going to try to get it to do nothing in a basket with bark. I've also got another one sitting on sphag in a clay saucer mount, also doing nothing.

As you can see, I have not had much success getting a biloba do anything but stare back at me. No new roots, no new leaves, and yet, not dead either. Go figure.

[lmartiny]

I am being totally lazy and not going back to look. But isn't this one of our project plants?

[syndywindy]

I have biloba's one is potted the other is mounted. I don't think they are real fast growers but both of mine are doing pretty good right now. My mounted one gets watered at least every other day and sometimes everyday depending on how dry it gets. It is mounted on a piece of cedar. I do have other orchids mounted on cork, I don't think what it's mounted on matters as much as your conditions. My cork mounted orchids get watered pretty much every day.

[nightqueen049]

Yes, this is one of our project plants. Everyone's seems to be "doing nothing," which I think is mainly due to the fact that it's a naturally slow grower and that it doesn't get much bigger--it only gets about 6" tall. As long as it's being provided with the conditions, though, it should bloom about twice a year, if it's of a mature size.

[rcb]

I have two of these. One is actively growing roots and new leaf right now. One is just sitting there. Both are mounted.

[LouisW]

Originally Posted by nightqueen049

. They slowly grow to about 6", according to the specialist that I bought mine from.

Be careful with advice like this. Many orchids will outlive any person by a long shot and they will continue to grow as long as they are cared for. Most have no definite final size. Even small orchids like the Aerangis will grow into a large specimen if you care for it for long enough (just look at some of the big ones in a google search.)

Im not saying that your slab wont be adequate or that the specialist doesn't know what he is saying but i just wanted to clarify for the sake of understanding.

[nightqueen049]

Originally Posted by LouisW

Be careful with advice like this. Many orchids will outlive any person by a long shot and they will continue to grow as long as they are cared for. Most have no definite final size. Even small orchids like the Aerangis will grow into a large specimen if you care for it for long enough (just look at some of the big ones in a google search.)

Im not saying that your slab wont be adequate or that the specialist doesn't know what he is saying but i just wanted to clarify for the sake of understanding.

I just wanted to give a rough estimate of what kind of growth one can expect from an aerangis biloba within this lifetime, since Anisa's question was how big one can be expected to grow and how big a mount might be used.

[LouisW]

I understand. I wasnt trying to be nitpicky.

[LutiiChell]

im still fiarly new to this. i started growing about 1 month ago and they looked good but now their dead. i have a grow light and a i have water to grow it. but it didnt work. i have a closet to grow them but im lost lol help me please