Advice on "potting" Renanthera

[The3birds]

I bought this Renanthera at The Redland orchid festival this last Sunday and thought I would get suggestions from the board on how to pot it. Next to the orchid is a 6 inch basket I was going to put it in, but I am not sure how to keep it upright. Any suggestions would be grateful.

[dounoharm]

lovely plant!! place it in the center of the basket, then pile chunks of lava rock around it to secure it...i would put a twist tie to one of the hangers of the basket to hold it upright....gl and enjoy!

[Bud]

line the base of the basket with coconutfibers...anchor the base of the plant at the bottom of the basket with a piece of soft wire...curl the roots inside the basket and sprinkle around it any large coarse mix...
put the wire on the basket and fasten the middle part of the plant to one of the wires...then water it and hang it

that plant is a large specimen...it will spike this summer

[The3birds]

Do you think the 6" basket will be big enough, or should I go for a bigger one. I know they don't like their roots to be messed with. The soft wire is coated wire?

[Bud]

6' basket is just fine...do not force the roots ...wet it to get it maleable and fit it inside the basket...soft wire coated with plastic if you have the ones they give out at the supermarket to tie plastic bags...
maybe you already have thismix: bark, charcoal, lava rock, sponge rock, coco chips, red clay chips= any of this can be sprinkled around the roots
hang it a foot away from the window so not to burn the leaves

*I noticed that the plant had already bloomed twice before in the past by looking close at the part where the leaf have fallen off theres a one inch dried spike cutting...and one near the bottom of the plant

[The3birds]

Actually there are three previous bloom stalks two up top. I was planning to hang it outside along with my other orchids since I live in south Florida.

Thank you for your advice I was thinking along the same lines, but thought it would be nice to get a second opinion.

I hope mine will look as good as the one the vender had for display. I tried to upload a picture of it but the file was too big. Will post a picture of mine when it blooms.

[Bud]

very good. the outdoors will make it very happy. you have humidity in your atmosphere for vandacious to thrive

[nlm2951]

Hi, I also live in So.Fl (Miami) I went to the show. I would like to give you an advice.When I use the boxes, I make from chicken wire, the small square holes, Home Depot, and I cut the shape of the bottom and I slide it in that way I don't loose any potting mix, you need a scissors to cut metal.

[The3birds]

Thanks for your suggestion, but after thinking it over I decided to mount the Renanthera. Mostly because I was concerned high winds would beat the orchid around with it being so tall. I had troubles finding suitable mounting material, so I topped a small palm in my yard I had planned to take out and used that to mount the orchid on. I will take a picture of it to post. Which begs the question...is it OK to mount an orchid on a non dead but soon to be palm?

[nlm2951]

I never done it, but there is a place on 122 ave sw close to miller she sells those hard tree-fern or OFE sells them too