is this mount to small for Den?

[orchids4me]

Hi everyone,
I'm getting ready to mount this Den hercoglossum. This was a single established seedling I had gotten a few months after I purchesed a compot of these (compot seedlings much smaller than this one). Which leads me to this question....is this mount going to be big enough for this Den? I'm new to this one and don't know how big this one actually gets.
Right now the largest cain is 17 inches long and the rest of the cains are around 16 inches long and have several new growths at the base as well. The mount is 19 inches long (grape vine) but curves out toward you at the top or bottom. Way shown in pics its the top area I'm refering to. Useable area on mount is 18 inches.
If I can use the mount. How far down should I attach it so the cains still receive some back support from it for the cains or is that even necessary?
Or should I just find a larger mount?
Does anyone know how big these get ?
Thanks in advance
Emmaye

[Brooke]

Emmaye your Den doesn't need a mount that big, save that gorgeous hunk for something big that grows upright.

This type of Den grows the newest pbulbs up until eventually they arch down. The roots will anchor them to the mount and are strong enough to hold them in place while they naturally swing in the breeze.

I have several of this type. My aphyllum is mounted on a tree fern mount and obtusepetalum(?) on a small piece of cork. The rest of them are in plastic vanda baskets filled with coco string fiber. Search the forum for pics I've posted of the aphyllum, primulinum, victoria-reginae, Mingles Sapphire. The vanda baskets are angled down, not hanging in the normal position like a vanda would be.

Brooke

[katrina]

I have mine in a net basket and it loves it. This pic is from last year.

It's blooming now and I think I got a pic...if so, I'll post it soon. It's more than doubled in size since this pic last year.

[syndywindy]

I don't have this particular den, but I do have 4 or 5 that are similar in that they have the long pendulous canes. One is in a basket though i intend to mount it, all the others are mounted. One is on a cedar type shingle and the others on cork. NOne of the mounts is bigger than 3x6 and my Den. vic-reg is pretty decent sized. Thats a huge mount you hve, maybe you can cut it in half and make to mounts with it.

[lmartiny]

Love that mount. Leaving the advice part to the experts.

[Olive Cook]

I can't help, but that is a beautiful piece of wood!

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Emmaye your Den doesn't need a mount that big, save that gorgeous hunk for something big that grows upright.

This type of Den grows the newest pbulbs up until eventually they arch down. The roots will anchor them to the mount and are strong enough to hold them in place while they naturally swing in the breeze.

I have several of this type. My aphyllum is mounted on a tree fern mount and obtusepetalum(?) on a small piece of cork. The rest of them are in plastic vanda baskets filled with coco string fiber. Search the forum for pics I've posted of the aphyllum, primulinum, victoria-reginae, Mingles Sapphire. The vanda baskets are angled down, not hanging in the normal position like a vanda would be.

Brooke

I will look for your posts, thank you . I don't have humidity like you do over there. It came in sphag in a tiny pot I re potted it a few months ago for all its new growths it has in the little clay pot with new sphag. So I should use the coir fiber stringy stuff? I use that to line my baskets to keep media in mostly. This one would be ok with lower humidity in the fiber here ? How big di these types of Dens get ? If I basket it I want to make sure it has room....
Thanks Brooke
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by katrina

I have mine in a net basket and it loves it. This pic is from last year.

It's blooming now and I think I got a pic...if so, I'll post it soon. It's more than doubled in size since this pic last year.

Looks great Katrina! How tall are your canes ? I can get net pots locally, how big is your pot? Don't know how your humidity there is, what type of media in the pot are you using?
Thanks Katrina
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by syndywindy

I don't have this particular den, but I do have 4 or 5 that are similar in that they have the long pendulous canes. One is in a basket though i intend to mount it, all the others are mounted. One is on a cedar type shingle and the others on cork. NOne of the mounts is bigger than 3x6 and my Den. vic-reg is pretty decent sized. Thats a huge mount you hve, maybe you can cut it in half and make to mounts with it.

Cut it ???? oh no ! Lol. Actually I have a couple more pieces much smaller but aren't flat like this one. Where I get them he just made some more frecently so I will be getting some new ones from him soon smaller and in between sizes
Thanks Synda
Emmaye

[Brooke]

Emmaye I can't tell you how to grow your plant but only give info on how I grow them. I use the string coir on the primulinum because it needs a long dry winter. I also use it for the vic-reg and Sapphire so they can be watered daily, even in the ugly gray of winter because they want to have moisture but not soggy.

It is now your job to translate all the information to your particular growing conditions

Brooke

[katrina]

Originally Posted by orchids4me

Looks great Katrina! How tall are your canes ? I can get net pots locally, how big is your pot? Don't know how your humidity there is, what type of media in the pot are you using?
Thanks Katrina
Emmaye

Sorry for the delay in response...been dealing w/some craziness lately.

Anyway...my longest cane is about 22-23" long. It's in a 6" net basket and it's been in there since late '08...I think. It's been in that basket so long that I can't be sure what it's potted in but it looks like a mix of fine bark, chc, charcoal and leca....kind of looks like my paph mix actually. Sorry...that's about as close as I can get.

This is my favorite of all the pendulous dens I have because the canes hold their leaves for 2yrs...at that time they begin to discolor and drop. It blooms on leafless and leaved canes but the cane must be 2yrs old before it'll bloom. If it's happy it'll grow like a weed. I bought this as a super small baby in '08 and you can see how big it was last Summer. And now...this pic was taken at the beginning of May....slightly less than one year after the other pic above. Once it gets going...it's a fast grower.


It's still in that 6" net basket...overdue for a repot...but I put the basket into a clay pot for stability. It has gotten so top heavy that it'll fall over w/out the clay pot.

My humidity varies greatly throughout the year...it can plummet into the single digits one day to super high the next. Some days we have so much humidity in the Summer that I don't even have to water the mounts...they'll still be wet from the day before....these days are not frequent though. During the Winter my house will typically hang around 40% humidity...the Winter is probably the most stable of any season. With all of that said...this one is not bothered by low humidity.

I water it every day during the late Spring - late Fall when it's in active growth (my mix doesn't stay soggy and in high heat it dries fast) and then in the Winter I do let it dry a bit between waterings but I never let it remain dry for long periods.

Easy, fast grower if it's happy.

[katrina]

For comparison, I just went out and took another pic sitting in the same position as last year (or close to the same position anyway). The inside pic was taken before the leaves really started dropping this year so it looks ultra full...this pic is today...leaves have begun to drop. It's still a lot bigger but you can get a better pic of how the leaves look in June (for me).

[orchids4me]

Thanks everyone. I will basket this one
Katrina thanks for all the examples and in put
Brooke thank you also for the info , and leading me to your threads
Synda thank you for your help also here I think I'm just in mount mode lol I like mounts. But I also have several baskets too as well.
And everyone else thanks for your comments/input also
Emmaye