How to mount my phal. keiki

[lorisuarez]

I have a question on mounting my keiki on a piece of bark/wood. How do I attach it to the wood? Do I tie it on? How do I water it? And how often? It is getting quite big, it has 3 roots that are about 4" to 4-1/2 " long plus about 2 or 3 others not as long, it has 3 leaves and looks very healthy. I am afraid to take it off the spike. The main plant is also very healthy, it has 3 layers of leaves (6) and keeps sending out more roots. I'm sure I could pot it, but it would be neat if I could mount it and keep it alive. I would appreciate any help. If someone lives in So. Cal, Orange County area who could show me, that would be GREAT. Thanks

[ryan_d_cruz]

check out these links

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/o...815005219.html
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34367.asp

[jerrymeola]

first off if you are mounting the phal you should do it naturally with the roots up and the plant hanging down.





I have not had good luck mounting keikis, probably because I can not devote the time necessary to water them properly.

A keiki has always been bare root, and I feel that it can be mounted directly without the sphagnum I used in the photos. Phals like to be moist all the time. I have good results with keikis that can go a week or more without water. Bare root requires regular watering, which is more attention then my phal keikis have been getting. (By the way I have only one test keiki and it is living but not growing.)

The plants in the photo have sphag in order to give the plant a trandition period from a pot to a mount. I do not see why you could not mount your keiki with sphag but I have never done it yet.

To mount bare root keikis I normally use green plastic coated wire. This allows me to loosely tie the plant on. Using fishing line can cut into the plant when it is pulled tight (sphag protects the roots when using fishing line.) The wire can be tightened until it is just snug without cutting.

Watering can be done in many ways. You can hit it with a hose if it is outdoors, under a sink inside, or with a spray bottle if you only have 1 or 2 since a spray bottle gets difficult with a lot of plants. Dunking the whole plant works just fine since the leaves dry so fast after being taken out of the bucket.

Bare root it will need water at least ever 2-3 days even daily. With sphag I find 2-3 times a week to be good. Overwatering is not a problem with mounted orchids since there is no pot to hold excess water. Sphag will also turn hard white when overly dry and soft and brown when wet. It is much easier to judge water when mounted.

[lorisuarez]

Thanks for the advice. So, Jerry, I could dunk the whole thing in water? Do I leave it in there for a while? Until the wood is soaked? Also, I would like to put it on my front porch, it is not in direct sun and is a protected area, should I wait until I see that it is doing good? I have it in the kitchen on the window sill right now, which is the same area as the porch, but inside.

Thanks Lori

[jerrymeola]

Your phal will do very well on the front porch.

When mounted naturally the new top of the leaf is not light sensitive. The new bottom is extra sensitive since it recieves only bounced light.

These plants have been on the earth since before the dinosours and did very well without us.

The plant will also get better air circulation mounted.

soaking for a couple of minutes is sufficient. The air roots will change color fast and if you use sphagnum it will soak all the way through.

The good air circulation and inabillity to retain water in the crown makes wetting the leaves in soaking safe. It is no different than a wild orchid in the rain.

Keep in mind that it will dry much faster when mounted then in a pot. You will probably be watering every day or every other day, at least until the keiki gets established.