Mounting Materials?

[uziyahu]

I'd like to explore mounting, but I'm not sure I can buy something to mount my orchid to.

What should I look for in a mounting medium?

Can I use something (safely) that I find rather than buy?

Thanks for the help.

[LouisW]

orchid mounts ideally should be a material that will not break down quickly, because it is harmful and difficult to remove an established plant from a mount. You can buy tree fern fiber slabs that are awesome for mounting at some specialized orchid stores or orchid club meetings. You can, however, use almost anything as long as its free of bugs, resin, or any other harmful things that might be absorbed by the roots(it should be sterilized and treated as needed) . If you have a look around the forum you can find all kind of creative mounts that members have used. perhaps some other members can suggest a good source of mounting materials online.

[FLaCo]

Louis summed it up for you. Your best bet would be to go to your local hardware/garden store and buy a 4 dollar pack of Spaq. Moss. The bag of moss will last you a very long time for many other mounts after. You can also buy some stretch tape for less than 2 bucks but you don't have to ...you can use trash bag ties and other things like that.

As for the actual setting of your mount...Louis mentioned nothing with resin, or harsh chemicals. Most pieces of wood my work, just make sure it isn't a treated. You can also find a nice branch near by and cut or break it off and use that. If you go with the branch...go with a tree that has a dense wood, like apple trees, guava trees, etc.

[Andrew]

To some extent mounts are limited by your own imagination. Currently my mounted orchids are on cork, paperbark branches or old fence palings. I used to use fruit tree branches which worked well until I started to get problems with borers. It may not be an issue for you. As Damien said if you want something that you don't need to pay for, wood works OK although it lacks the aesthetics of bark, treefern etc. As well as treated wood I'd be inclined to avoid composite wood products. Use old weathered wood as new wood can still contain resins and phytotoxins which the roots may not appreciate. Live hosts are always and option but that may not be feasible if you're an indoor grower. I'm currently trialling two reputedly difficult orchids on live hosts. They seem to be doing well but it's still very early days. Going beyond wood, I have a Liparis reflexa that seems happy mounted on rock and I've seen some great looking plants mounted on bone (presumably calcium deficiency isn't a problem).

Finally when choosing a mount know your plant. Treefern is great for some orchids but species preferring drier mounts often baulk at it. Similarly, it may be easier to meet a thirsty species's water requirements on treefern than cork.

[FLaCo]

Andrew, makes a valid point. You can always compensate cork's water repelling properties with a nice amount of spag. moss. What I usually do is soak some spag moss in water (sometimes with a light fert. solution) and grab a fist full and squeeze it inside the water making a ball. I then push the spag ball up against the roots and work some in and behind the root ball. While holding the ball in place I use coco palm fiber and wrap the ball and then tie some wide green stretch tape around the fiber. This makes a rustic looking pot...it holds spag in place and in turn that holds moisture as well as nutrients. Roots seem to love growing in it. I have used this in almost all of my mounts including the 'Log in a Pot'..those hybrids are doing great so far.

[uziyahu]

Thank you all for your help.
I guess that I just have to try something and see if it works.
But, I'll remember: No new wood. No treated wood.
Thanks

[PhalPal]

I love cork bark because it has so many craggy spaces for roots and water to hide. I like to mount Phal species (and a few hybrids) to it as well as Catts and it has worked well with both. The ONLY problem I don't like with mounts is the need to water them every day. I love it when I'm home, but going away for more than a few days is concerning.

[FLaCo]

Originally Posted by PhalPal

I love cork bark because it has so many craggy spaces for roots and water to hide. I like to mount Phal species (and a few hybrids) to it as well as Catts and it has worked well with both. The ONLY problem I don't like with mounts is the need to water them every day. I love it when I'm home, but going away for more than a few days is concerning.

PhalPal speaks the truth...the moisture in the spag. usually lasts all day but the next morning you can bet that it will crispy dry.

[davetheorchidaddict]

I have about 125 mounted orchids on old seasoned wood, cork, treefern, in wood baskets with out medium or a block of treefern or cork to raise so you can view it. I also use bottoms of clay pots, cypress (cut from mill and natural) bottom of wood baskets. I agree, let your imagination. One thing I have found is that it takes at least a year for them to get a real good set on the wood then watch out, they go