I'm working on making a ceramic mount that waters itself

[Rivka]

so i keep thinking how much i want mounted orchid, but all mine are inside and i don't live in a humid region so i worry about them getting enough water without ruining my house in the process.

so i was thinking what would be perfect is for them to get watered automatically regularly or all the time. then i thought about making a sculptural mount, like a hanging piece of art, and out of a really absorbent porous clay, like a terra-cotta type . that way it could get really wet and spend a day or two evaporating and making a little micro climate of raised humidity.

then i say some hanging set up that had a water reservoir in them and hmmmmmmmmm...

what if i make a semi porous hollow tube like sculpture that had a rough outer surface that roots could grab onto and a inner section that i could fill worth water and that would seep out and stay moist letting the orchids soak up the water at will.

do you think it would be enough water?
do you think it would be too much?
would the orchids be ok with being on a non organic surface or would they need some spag on it as well?

i really think this could be so beautiful option, i hope i can figure out the detail and logistics.

any input or thoughts would be great

[dtje2000]

worth a shot. why don't you take a small clay pot, plug the bottom, mount your plant on the outside and keep the inside full of water. i have a couple of experiments going that are terra cotta material, but mind are outside so reservoir not needed, mess not minded. and, in all actuallity, i have these small terra cotta things that I indeed planned to do what i've suggested...i'm going to mount an equitant on the outside and keep it full of water. i'll let you know if that works.

[Rivka]

Yeah I thoughifdoing a proof of concept with a store bought pot. But really iwant something that will look a whole lot better and probably something the roots will like to grow o to better. There is that guy that did a whole lychee tree log, somethngcraggy like that would be smart.

Another thing im wondering about is if it will beway more suseptable to miniral build up from the water since ther kinda is no way to flush it throug

will think more after I sleep, it's really late here

[katrina]

Rivka...you could just use distilled or RO water...that would eliminate any worry over the build up.

I'm trying to visualize in my mind what you're planning. I think I understand but I wonder...since the clay is porous...wouldn't the water just keep leaking/seeping out?

As for the "not enough water or too much water"...it's all going to depend upon what type of orchid you choose. Just remember...orchids can grow on or in just about anything...as long as their 3 requirements are met... and met in the right proportions...air, light and water.

[hera]

Have you see Swamp Sticks? It sounds like what you want and there has been some buzz that it works well. Jay posted it awhile back. SwampStick Ceramic Orchid Mount - Home

[Rivka]

yeah those swamp sticks are very similar to what i was thinking about. i wonder if anyone here has used them and can attest to if they work? thanks for showing me that.

i was thinking of making it a more creative art object like a sculpture. having a fake log in the house does not seem classy to me, when all i really need is a craggily surface.

i'm wondering if they say that you can just water it from the inside or if it still needs external soaking regularly, it was not clear on the site.

as for the water seeping out and dripping issue, it would be about how porous it is and how thick it is made, im guessing from my ceramics experience that there will be a sweet spot as it were with balancing the two. i could also glaze the bottom 3rd if the inside so that the water was forces to exit higher up and seep down the sides, giving the orchid more time to enjoy the moisture as it evaporated. or like the swamp stick folks did ,i could incorporate a drip pan acting structure in the design to catch and persistent dribbling

[PhalNewbie89]

hm, that swampstick seems kind of neat, I was wanting to try a mount for indoors as well so I might have to check them out. Not a bad price at all especially if I decide I don't care for it

[Rivka]

i have heard good and bad about them, more bad now that i read more than good. i have decided to go the S/H route and still thinking of other tweeks.

i'm not dropping the idea all together and still thinking of ways to make the watering more consistent and automatic, let m know if you use a swamp stick and how it works.

[PhalNewbie89]

Might be a while before I get to but I definately will let ya know.

[maria1971]

Ummm...I tried the swamsticks and they didn't work. The water didn't wick or seep through to the orchids like the product promised it would. And trust me, I tried religiously. I ended up losing the 3 phals that I mounted. Good concept, but the clay didn't stay wet enough for sufficiently long periods of time.

I now use teak mounts and they work beautifully.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Rivka

do you think it would be enough water?
do you think it would be too much?
would the orchids be ok with being on a non organic surface or would they need some spag on it as well?

The answer to all of these questions depends heavily on 1) what conditions you're growing in. Home? Greenhouse? Back yard? These conditions will determine how fast the water reservoir gets used up, and 2) what kind of orchid you intend to put on this mount - some will probably thrive while others will give up the ghost. How fast that reservoir empties and how fast the mount dries up will determine what kind of orchid you can pout on the mount.

[tansyflower]

Have you thought about modifying a ready made water feature- like those ones that are wall mounted and collect the water at the bottom and recirculate it, and then either attaching your mounts to it, or attempting (??) to attach your orchids straight to it.

Then maybe putting it on a timer, so you don't have to remember to turn it on every day.

Sorry, that's sort of what I'm imagining in my head, it may be way off the mark compared to what your are visualising.

[Ray]

Ken nailed it.

It is really difficult to the the clay body porosity "just right". It can seep too rapidly and weep right out, or not enough, as was Maria's experience under her conditions - and everything in-between.

If you want to try it without a lot of work or investment, silicone a clay flower pot upside-down into its tray. You can fill it through the drainage hole.

[Rivka]

i couple of responses:
(fyi- this thread started before i switched to S/H, so i'm not actively working on this anymore, but am still generally interested)

Have you thought about modifying a ready made water feature-
yes i have thought of that alot! specially since you could have it run pon "low all the time for humidity and on "high" on a timer every so often to water the orchids that would be mounted in the way.

If you want to try it without a lot of work or investment, silicone a clay flower pot upside-down into its tray.
i could do that, but i wont, since it does not tell me anything except if that particular set up works. and i think its ugly.
this was about the art of it all.


what i think the biggest issue that would come up in a porous container is one that has been talked about, that it would be really cold.

[Sugar Magnolia]

"Anyone who has never made a mistake is someone who has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

[jerrymeola]

Rivka

You idea of soaking and letting them dry is equivalent to a clay pot if the plant is on the inside. If it evaporates too fast you could spray the outside lightly with polyurethane so that it does NOT cover the entire mount.

If you are mounting on the outside the clay will be no different than sphag on any other type of mount.

If you use a water reservoir it is the same as s/h growing. Hydro pellets are only expanded clay.

All these variations will work. You may have to try several before you find what you like the best.

[Ben G]

Be careful not to use clay whith chemcals in it.

[Orchis]

I found this picture somewhere on the net and want to try it at some stage. There are various pleurothallis species mounted on these old terracotta pipes (sealed off at the bottom of course).

Hope it helps!

[Rivka]

those are cool looking!

lately i have been thinking of doing something with LECA and some sort of hot glue or epoxy to make a cool shape that would still allow a slow wetting of the LECA and a good grabby surface. but my orchid hours have lately bee taken up in almost the other side of the spectrum, putting things inside really neat clear glass and leca