Is mounting stresfull?

[Aleksa]

I hve one Dend which is just a cutting which survived and is very small, but although have a lot of roots it is not stabile in the pot... I thought to mount it? But, if that is stress which he definitely do not need at this moment, I won't mount it...

[Ellen]

I find that many dens do well mounted. It might be less stressful for the plant if it is firmly fixed to a mount than if it is wobbling around in a pot.

[prisana]

I agree with Ellen. I have 2 dens in particular that were not doing good. Three months after I mounted them, they grew a buncha roots and new growths !! One of them grew 2 new growths at the same time, which I hadn't seen before in dens..

My phal, however was not as lucky.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

This is kind of late in the season to be changing the potting arrangement for a Den. Another 2 or 3 months and the growing season is over with. If you disturb the roots now, the Den may not get the full benifit of the remainder of the growing season. I would try mounting it in the spring when the new growth starts and the new roots get going. In the mean time, put something in the pot to tie the plant to, to keep it from moving which is also not good for it. I like to take a stiff wire like in a coat hanger, and bend the end into a paper clip shape and slip this over the edge of the pot. This is a better way than stabbing something into the pot and hurting the roots.

[Aleksa]

Thank you. I thought not to give rest period to this Dend, It is small and need to grow. What will happen if he don't get resting period? Will it die or just it won't bloom next season?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

It is not really up to you if the plant rests or not. Look for the growth to stop, no new leaves opening on the end of the most recently growing cane. If it has stopped growing, no obvious primordial leaf just showing at the top, it is resting, and your watering should be appropriate to what it is doing, or you could rot off its roots. For warm/Phal type Dens, you want the mix to get good and dry, but don't wait too long once dry for a seedling. If it does not stop growing, then keep watering often.

[jerrymeola]

Stabilize the den in the pot by taping a stake to the outside of the pot and use a twist tie to attach the Den (usually best if done in two places)

Keep the den high in the pot. With keikis I usually do not bury the roots but place them on the top and let them grow into the medium. Decide the extent of your den and treat it somewhere between keiki and full grown.