my first mount

[electric.chowder]

Went out to lowes yesterday to pick up a few things, and found a dendrobium on the sale rack I just couldn't pass up (D. Burana Pearl x D. Burana Stripe), so rather than just repotting as i usually do, I decided to try a mount (plus looking at all the ones you all have been doing has been making me jelous, so I had to try it myself ) This is my first mount, so any comments/suggestions are welcome (sorry for the big pictures, I was having difficulty resizing)

[Tobi]

Looks like you did a 1st class job on it. Healthy roots and
the Sphag is nicely distrubuted.

[charleyismydog]

I like how you hung it in a tree! Is that just for the picture or will it stay there? Great job!

[PhalPal]

Very cool chowder! HOW in the world is that log attached to the tree? It looks like it is suspended in midair. I'm assuming it will be taken down for winter?
I have tried one mount and dispite my best efforts I am losing both orchids attached to it. Just too hot and dry here, but I had to give it a go since they are so beautiful mounted. Best of luck with yours!

[electric.chowder]

Thanks!

Charley, that's where it's living at least for the season when I'll have to bring it in, then the problem is finding somewhere for it to live indoors

[charleyismydog]

Very cool! What a nice place to live for the summer.

[electric.chowder]

Phal, I actually used an old coat hanger, the kind with the cardboard tube at the bottom, pulled off the cardboard, shoved *the wire* through a small hole I made, then bent it back twards the wood, so it would hold in with out coming back out, then covered it up with some moss. You can kind of see the wire in the second pic at the top of the mount on the right in the leaves. I'm sure I'm going to be doing more, now that I've found out how easy it is, so next time I do it, I'll take a bunch of photos of the process

[arleneg]

electric chowder -- That's a nice mount you did! What type of wood did you use?

Phalpal -- How often do you water your mounted orchids?

It's hot and dry where I am, too. However, my mounted ones (all indoors) are doing fine. I mist everyday and soak them once a week for about 20-30 minutes. I also found that one of the mounted orchids with big, thick ball of sphag moss around the roots stays moist for almost two days. Anyway, I thought I'd share that with you.

[electric.chowder]

arl, I'm not exactly sure what kind of wood it is, my dad built a retaining wall with it before I was born (so at least 22 years ago), and in the past few years it's use has not really needed and the area became overgrown. It's had plenty of time outside thought and absorbs water really well, also it is not that dense, but that could just be from age. He say's he thinks it's either oak or pine, but could be just about anything.

[pikevi]

Nice mount, electric.chowder.

Like arleneg I was impressed with the hollowed out wood/log.. I think there is room for one more mount above the one you have already done

[PhalPal]

arlene - I have mine on my front porch in the shade where I grow lots of tropicals, ferns, staghorn ferns, bromeliads, easily. I soak it with a hose at least twice a week and mist daily if the moss is getting dry. The moss covers the roots really well but if I miss watering by even half a day it is bone dry. We are having record heat (as you are also I am sure) and I really don't have a good place to put it inside. It may be that they are very young (about four years from blooming) and they just aren't old enough to be flexible with MY schedule.

BTW - I have a mini catt and Den Aggravatum(?) Not my line of expertise!

[fred]

electric.chowder

you have done a fine job with your first mounting

thanks for sharing with us

congrats

[prisana]

Congrats, Chowder..it looks so happy on the mount and outside under the shaded tree. I love the log also..it gives the mount that " rustic " look...great job !

[Vivienne]

Great job EC! Watch out for mounting orchids... it's addicting! I just did another mount with my Onc Sweet Sugar. It's lots of fun!

[electric.chowder]

is there any limits on which orchids can be mounted? if so, which types are the best to mount, and which should I avoid? I can smell another addiction coming on

[tom499]

i wouldnt try a paph, or a cym? any orchids that prefer to keep their roots "firmly" on the ground would best be left in pots.

I guess finding images of orchids growing in their natural environment would let you see how they grow and which do best on mounts.

When i went to Aberwystyth University in Wales, where i would like to do my degree in Biology/Botany They have a small but lovely tropical greenhouse along with other houses, and they had some vandas in hanging pots, but one had another plant growing in it, i forget the name, but it was huge! and the vanda was sticking out the top with flowers and its roots were buried in this other plant, which due to how it grew collected water in its leaves, which the Vanda was able to use.

It would be great to see mounts with other plants, that can co exist. It is still a mystery to me how Vandas grow in the wild, their shape (the tall stem with dangling roots) makes me wonder how they grow to any size in the wild.
If anyone has any info i would be most greatful

[PhalPal]

Chowder I think you are well on your way and at the point of no return. Too much excitement in your posts. I can just feel the flurry of thoughts going on in your mind! Ahhhh! Now I can do THIS! (running out the door to find another log.....)

[prisana]

Tom , Maybe that was a bromeliad growing with the orchids ? They have a lot of orchids here growing in the same pot as the bromeliads and their leaves collect water and are swimming all the time..pretty cool. I have yet to try that myself..

[tom499]

It could be a bromelaid, I'm still learning plants proper names But i have just found a picture of it by chance by a growing it with his carnivorous plants and orchids (tropical greehouse)

'Platycerium bifurcatum' is the name, it looks like this:

http://www.enlight.ru:8005/camera/226/dec08_1613.jpg

its very weird in my view has these big leaves, then leaves grow out of it,and it collects water in the top (by accident or such) and in the middle sat the vanda. This beast litereally started growing in the vanda basket and was left to grow. It was similiar to that size, with a little vanda sticking out the top

[prisana]

Tom, that looks like staghorn fern, or elkhorn fern...( something of that nature ) there's a forum discussing that a couple of weeks ago. They are so alien -looking and so beautiful . I saw some on ebay for over $200 each , but not entirely sure they are identical.

[tom499]

I think we should experiment with mounting orchids with other plants maybe? i've always wondered what i could grow in my vanda basket, as surely as long as it likes similiar conditions, and you give them enough water and nutrients for both of them to grow it will be fine. If problems occur the non orchid can be chopped back

[jerrymeola]

I mount thousands of orchids and some things are necesary to keep in mind.

Remove the hanger and get a fairly heavy galvanized wire. I use about a 4 mm size. The hanger will rust and the orchid will be on the ground at the worst of times.

Avoid pine (deteriorates in 2-3 years) and stay with hard woods like grapevine, oak and cypress.
Bark will come off and try to get pieces with the bark removed (High power pressure washers work well)

Avoid the hollowed out pieces of wood that look like they will do so well as a replacement for a pot. Water can build in the cavity and rot will set in. The plant will prefer being outside the wood.

Use just enough sphag to cover the roots that were in the pot and leave any air roots outside the shpag. The sphag is not important after the first 6-8 months.

[sandra]

That looks beautiful EC. Your first mount? You've got talent that is just awakening in you then!

[kmarch]

I would think (to answer your question several posts ago) that any ephiphytic orchid could be good to mount on a wood or cork mount. Lithophytic orchids (rock growers) can be "mounted" too in a way. One of my orchid buddies has a beautiful Sarc. cecelia mounted on top of a round rock (initially tied with fish line until the roots go around the rock and anchor the plant). I've seen rock laelias grown in nothing but gravel so why not on a rock mount?

I'd avoid mounting anythign terrestrial or semi-terrestrial.