Anyone have experience with metal baskets?

[Nancy]

I buy all my orchids from a green house that suggested my husband construct a metal basket to plant my Oncidium Sweet Sugar in. I was wondering if anyone had any advice of this pro or con. Thanks.

[articuno75]

Hi Nancy! Sorry, but I have no experience with metal baskets, although I have seen them. Wire Orchid Baskets

I think the person you spoke to at the GH where you bought the orchids was recommending something to this effect. I hope this helps.

[tom499]

They looks pretty good, maybe worth asking about rust? I'm sure they're resistant but if you ask they cant lie to you

For me, I still have a stronger pull to the wooden ones, just because they're abit more natural looking, but the metal ones look for thin carpets of moss which you can sit plants on, like bulbos and pleuros

[articuno75]

I've actually seen some too, and the ones that I've seen look like they're galvanized steel, so I don't know if they would rust or not. They look like they'd be great for orchids like Stanhopeas and Gongoras

[slippery_biscuit]

I put a Stanhopeas in a 10" plastic coated metal basket several months ago. Lined it with sphag to hold everything in. The orchid is doing great.

[Andrew]

I grow a few Stanhopea and cascading Cyms in wire baskets. The orchids do fine in them although they will dry out faster than pots as the entire surface area is available for evaporation. I find the galvanised baskets are pretty rust resistant. The powder coated baskets do start to rust after a few years, presumably when the coating wears off.

[Nancy]

Thanks for the replies. My basket is galvanized. It does dry out rather quicky. I was wondering why they are recommended for Oncidiums. So far the plant is doing well. Keep me updated on anything else you find out, please. thanks.

[mbasden]

Im wondering if the wire itself would get too hot in the summer. I'm soooo glad somebody asked this question. I thought of experimenting with some stainless steel wire but put that on the back burner for the simple reason I thought the wire may get too hot and burn the roots. If anybody has any stainless steel wire baskets let me know how they are working for you.

[slippery_biscuit]

I can't imagine a basket getting too hot. The basket is on the bottom, with potting mix and the plant above it. In other words, the basket is almost always in the shade. The only time the basket could see the sun would be early am or late pm, and then the sun is weakest.

They do dry out faster, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you are after.

happy holidays!

[mbasden]

You do have a point, SB. Most times the plants I have are hanigng in an oak tree during the summer. I think I will look into the stainless basket thing. May be the basket being stainless will make it last longer.