plant phal in banyan tree?

[DirtyCoconuts]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Oh man! Didn’t realize you’d put up an iguana barricade! Yes, grasshoppers seem to prefer Onc, Zygo, and the occasional snack of Cymb. Many preferable to chew on than Phal, Brass, etc.

Frankly Tedro, I’m surprised you would consider it, as you appear to be VERY protective of your orchid. How about get a grocery store phal, mount it to the tree, and let it be your guinea pig until you see what it’s like.

---------- Post added at 01:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 PM ----------

PS Pew pew pew doesn’t work well for grasshopper. I’m a good shot, but that’s kinda overkill.

My “barricade” is just a normal 4” chain link fence. I just have it patrolled by several hundred pounds of canine-lizard-snacking-“we just want to play with them”- furry-defenders

[WaterWitchin]

Ha! My boundary protectors usually just protect us from squirrels and moles. No iguana training here

[DirtyCoconuts]

Luella is the huntress. She gives definition to the expression ‘like a dog on a bone’ only it’s on anything that moves and she thinks she MIGHT be able to kill and eat. Her victims range from rats to toad( bufo, that was an expensive snack) to iguanas to frisbees to a plastic ball that a neighboring child threw over the fence to.....I could go on and on

My wife found her on the street in a really unfortunate part of Miami so we assume she is just hungry for life from fending for herself.

We’ve had her for nine years so she’s adequately recovered lol




Back on track! Ted, congrats on the finality of the suit. I hope the resolution was also positive
Go get yourself a celebratory phal from Home Depot off Tamiami trail ( I’ve been there a few times) and mount that bad girl

[tedro]

how would you water it? do you water the leaves directly (like in nature, i suppose; but not indoors(?))?

[DirtyCoconuts]

No. Almost as a rule, don’t water orchid leaves.

I would plant it in the cruck of the two biggest branches. Pointed north.

If it were me and my tree, I’d get a drill and a 5/8 bit and drill in from the top about 3” at a 45 angle and stick a stick in the hole. I would take bailing wire, Velcro, pantyhose, or thin monofilament and tie the orchid to the stick, hanging below the stick by wrapping at the juncture between the first leaf and the roots

I would position it so the roots were on the “y” of the first cruck. Add a small pile of moss over the roots and you should water it once a week until it is established or may/June when it starts raining daily

[Keysguy]

If you mount it on the tree don't forget to mount it "upside down" with roots pointing up. That's the way they are oriented in nature.
As for iguana's, be prepared to walk out someday and see it stripped of buds and flowers but at least it will be no mystery as to what happened to it.

[Dollythehun]

How tough is their hide?

[tedro]

Great stuff, orchid friends! Thank you!

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🥰