Live moss pole - Orchid Board

TylerK · #1 09-30-2009, 09:22 AM

I'm looking to put together a living moss pole for my Vanilla orchid to grow on. Problem is, it will be in an indoor environment...I get great light, but humidity can be a problem (especially in winter). Does anyone have any ideas on construction materials/methods that might help maximize my chances of success?

Ideally, I would like it to look like a natural branch, but I would prefer the main structure to be made of something that won't rot...at least for a very long time.

As a side question, will a Vanilla vine eventually branch, or will it just keep getting longer on one main lead?

Thanks,

Tyler

cb977 · #2 09-30-2009, 10:08 AM

The plant will definitely branch. Mine grows to the top of the room and then makes a downward swing and along the way it branches out

Maybe PVC pipe, wrapped in long sphag would work for you? We do have a few threads here on "orchid trees" which might give you some ideas. I'll try to find the threads and link them here sometime today...unless somebody beats me to it

:

Bird Song Farm · #3 09-30-2009, 10:48 AM

[quote=cb977;260335]The plant will definitely branch. Mine grows to the top of the room and then makes a downward swing and along the way it branches out

quote]

Good Heavens!! Now I have to have one of these! I've the perfect room for it and I love Kahlua!

Al

cb977 · #4 10-01-2009, 11:40 AM

[QUOTE=Bird Song Farm;260348]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb977

The plant will definitely branch. Mine grows to the top of the room and then makes a downward swing and along the way it branches out

quote]

Good Heavens!! Now I have to have one of these! I've the perfect room for it and I love Kahlua!

Al

Al, I would be happy to send you a piece of my Vanilla pompona vine. Email me your mailing address.

Ray · #5 10-01-2009, 10:33 AM

This will have commercial content, but bear with me as I explain what a customer of mine did:

Starting with EcoWeb panels (I sell it; end of commercial), he formed a tube about 9" in diameter by 48" tall. The bottom of the tube stood in a decorative container - I think it was a glazed ceramic vase - which became the reservoir.

He put a small submersible pump in the vase, running the hose to the top, where it connected to a loop of the same hose via a barbed TEE. That loop had a number of small holes melted in it, so that the water/nutrient solution would drip down the EcoWeb all the way around. The tube was aligned so the holes were in the middle of the 1" thick tube walls. If I'm not mistaken, the pump was on a timer to run for 10-15 minutes every few hours.

I don't know the exact "formula" he used, but he "seeded" moss on the pole with a mixture of milled sphagnum, buttermilk, and moss from the woods near him, all emulsified in a blender, then "painted" on the EcoWeb.

After a few weeks, the moss sprouted and started to coat the whole tube, so he started mounting his plants then.

cb977 · #6 10-01-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray

This will have commercial content, but bear with me as I explain what a customer of mine did:

Starting with EcoWeb panels (I sell it; end of commercial), he formed a tube about 9" in diameter by 48" tall. The bottom of the tube stood in a decorative container - I think it was a glazed ceramic vase - which became the reservoir.

He put a small submersible pump in the vase, running the hose to the top, where it connected to a loop of the same hose via a barbed TEE. That loop had a number of small holes melted in it, so that the water/nutrient solution would drip down the EcoWeb all the way around. The tube was aligned so the holes were in the middle of the 1" thick tube walls. If I'm not mistaken, the pump was on a timer to run for 10-15 minutes every few hours.

I don't know the exact "formula" he used, but he "seeded" moss on the pole with a mixture of milled sphagnum, buttermilk, and moss from the woods near him, all emulsified in a blender, then "painted" on the EcoWeb.

After a few weeks, the moss sprouted and started to coat the whole tube, so he started mounting his plants then.

What a wonderful idea! Who's gonna do one first?

Magnus A · #7 10-01-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb977

What a wonderful idea! Who's gonna do one first?

I have one! Made out of Epiweb. and The person who should have credit for this, is Mikael, the man behind Epiweb.....

My tube before I started it. New picture will be taken sometime.

Some of Mikaels systems:

For more picture and more information see:
EpiWeb - a set on Flickr
or
Epiweb

cb977 · #8 10-01-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magnus A

I have one! Made out of Epiweb. and The person who should have credit for this, is Mikael, the man behind Epiweb.....

My tube before I started it. New picture will be taken sometime.

Some of Mikaels systems:

For more picture and more information see:
EpiWeb - a set on Flickr
or
Epiweb

Way cool!!!

I really love what you've done with it

How did you craft the "vines" that I see?

Magnus A · #9 10-01-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb977

Way cool!!!

I really love what you've done with it

How did you craft the "vines" that I see?

Susanne, the picture of the system with "wines" are not mine but Mikaels. But I have a similar myself, but without the massive moss-growth. To form Epiweb into "wines" (never used the Ecoweb) you cut the material in stripes and trim the edges. Then you use a heating gun or a hair drier to heat the material wereafter you can form it. "Set it" by dipping it in cold water while you hold it in the shape you want.

TylerK · #10 10-01-2009, 02:44 PM

Wow....tonnes of responses. lol

I did the search for orchid trees. Some great ideas there...particularly from the person who attached pieces of cork around an aluminum frame. The end result looked great. I'm not sure how well moss would grow on the cork surface, but it gave me some great ideas.

Ray - The epiweb/pump is a great idea. I never even considered adding in an active watering system. I want to make this thing somewhere between 7' and 8' tall, so that might be necessary. Wicking won't work from that height, and spraying all that manually would be a pain. Epiweb would certainly make it last longer too. Is Magnus A.'s post pretty much what you were referring to?

Epiphile - I have not started work on it yet, but I'm going to have to soon. It was a two foot vine when I bought it earlier this summer. Currently sitting on a 6' shelf it's already touching the floor. Hopefully I can move forward with it this weekend. I'll try to take some photos of what I'm doing.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep them coming of you have more.

Tyler