The Orchid Source - Orchid Forum

Good suggestion Jim. Thanx for the pics

A friend of mine has a cow skull in his greenhouse with a brassavola nodosa growing all over it. To me it looked kind of cool. I thought of trying something similar but not as big, perhaps a deer skull.

Good idea! I think I'll mount something on a raccoon skull!

Hey jim, what kinda wood are those tolumnias on? I gotta put mine on some other kinda wood I think.

Posey, I use rough cut cypress siding from the hardware store. The rough cut allows the roots to adhere better, and holds moisture better than the smooth cut. I like cypress since doesn't rot easily, but cedar is easier to find and also doesn't rot much.

The only Tolumnia I have came from Andy's and is on a small piece of grape wood. It survives but isn't thriving. Grape wood in my climate attracts black sooty mold like no other. I'll move it to a cedar shingle come spring. Thanks!

Thanks Jim. I'll try that.

Has anyone tried mounting on drift wood? Over here, we get loads of them in various sizes from the nurseries as well as the aquariums. I have several Brassavola Little Stars and Rodriguezia secundas as well as a Holcoglossum kimballianum mounted on them and they seem to be happy. We also use lots of fernroot slabs here to mount too especially for those who are staying in high-rise apartments.

Cheers
Sean

Fresh water driftwood only here.
Saltwater driftwood needs to be leached extensively.

Hi Rich

I normally soak my driftwood for at least 5 days before using them. I just got a slightly smaller piece with a groove for $5 and mounted a Sophronitis cernua on it.

Cheers
Sean

One of our orchid club members showed us how he mounts his orchids, and it works very well! First take the mount, place a little damp sphagnum under where you're going to put the base of the plant/roots (unless it's a species/hybrid that will resent the extra moisture against the plant), place the plant over the desired spot on the moss. Place some more moss mostly just over the roots but not against the plant itself (to try and avoid rot). Now take some black plastic gutter guard material purchased from lowes or home depot (usually comes in a roll and is cheap), cut off a piece that is the size/shape of the mount where the roots/moss are, cut a hole for where the plant base is and cut a line to that spot from the side. Lay the material over the roots, take wire or other material to tie cut spots back together and tie the guard material around the back of the mount. Is very fast, black doesn't stand out and usually easy to remove from the mount later. If roots grow through the guard material just cut away the mesh.

Should any preparation be made to an orchid one wants to mount? Is it unwise to try mounting a specimen while it's in bloom?

Best to wait until it is putting out new roots.

Pook's advice is really important. Also, before you try to bend old roots and attach them to the mount, thoroughly water the plant. The water will make the roots MUCH more pliable and less likely to be brittle and break while you work.

Yes, it is unwise to mount a specimen while it's in bloom, unless that is also the time in it's growth cycle when it's producing a flush of new root growth. The most important thing is to do the job when there is a flush of new root growth just starting; but, you've got to be SUPER careful to not bump the new root tips. They bruise VERY easily and will stop growing if damaged.

BTW: Welcome to the OSF!

Thanks much - still learning lots, and very interested in mounted specimens.

Ordered my first two non-box store orchids the other day:
Phalaenopsis equestris var cyanochilus (2n)
Phal. Princess Kaiulani

Goal is to work up to a mounted B. David Sanders, as that's my favorite orchid so far.

an important question for you Jon;
Do you have enough ambient humidity, (+65% rH), all year to be able to grow Phals mounted?
The B. David Sanders will be more forgiving in 1st attempts at mounting.

Good Luck.

PS: another useful aide is to soak the mount itself for 24-48 hrs prior to mounting. I use a 1/8 strength fertilizer (Dyna-Grow) and some Superthrive at 1 drop per cup ratio

I would be mounting these down the road, as right now I just want to learn proper husbandry and soak up all the info I can. To address your question, though, that amount of humidity shouldn't be an issue for me, as these would be in a small bathroom, and my aquariums help keep humidity up in the house.

Are there recommendable species for starting out with mounting?

Instead of switching a plant you have, why not buy one that's already established on a mount?

I just came across this topic and wanted to add a few approaches I have tried. I know the thoughts about having more than one plant per mount but I like the look. Anyway, here are a few of my mounts.

That is a really interesting way of mounting orchids. I recently purchased a large Phal pantherina which is growing in a small clay pot that was placed in a much larger clay pot. Its roots are growing everywhere and have already established themselves on/in both pots. I would like to know, how do I tackle to mount it with as little stress to the plant as possible? Thanks!

Cheers
Sean

Hi Catt-lover....I would soak the whole thing, yep, plunge it all in a pail till the roots can be gently pried out the the clay pots. Once the phal is depotted, tie it on a tree with dappled light. It will be very happy.

If the roots are growing everywhere and they are happy and healthy I would leave it where it is. Growing out of a clay pot ( or pots ) is almost as being mounted. Put the clay pot inside a plastic Vanda basket and hang it.

Hi Shari and Irma

Thank you for your advise. I'll see which one would suit my growing conditions and try it. For the moment, this is how the roots are in the clay pots. Thanks once again.

Cheers
Sean

HI

I'm new here and this is an awesome forum. I actually mount my chids onto teak free form pieces. I don't use fishing wire( I find it's too difficult to manipulate) I instead use acrylic yarn that is brown in color to tie the plants. It works incredibly well and you can make awesomely tight knots without ruining the plants.

Welcome, Maria!
What I am using now to mount some of my orchids is the net bags in which onions and garlic are sold at the Supermarket.
I cut it in strips and tie it around, several times, around the mount. It is very gentle on the roots.