Would this be suitable for mounting

[Tommy]

Hi, would this be suitable for mounting my Phal on i posted yesterday about it having root rot so often. don't remember the name of it. got a few years ago when i was ordering some plants it may not be big enough .Thanks Tommy

[Ray]

That material is known as "tree fern fiber", and is from the "trunks" of tropical tree ferns, as the name suggests. it is an excellent material for mounting plants upon, although I think you'll probably want to cover the phal's roots with a mat of sphagnum, or it will be entirely too dry.

Root rot in orchids occurs when there is insufficient air flow to the root system, and such a mounting technique will certainly remedy that, but let's hope you don't go too far in the other direction.

[katrina]

I have a couple of phals on tree fern mounts and they are doing great.

I use some sphag to hold more moisture. I water them every day. In the Summer if the temps go super high (nearing 100), I'll sometimes water them 2x/day. In the Winter, they get watered once a day and then soaked once a week (in fert water) for an hour or more.

Phals do really well on tree fern but they do require more attention.