"Unmounting" orchids

[clusty]

Hey,

I got a shipment of plants yesterday and unknowingly ordered a Sedirea Japonica and a haraella retrocalla, that were grown on a small brick of some sort of net (not fern).

Is there a way I could unmount them without frying all the roots ?
Problem is, I am not sure I can keep them moist enough if left mounted.

[lornaheath]

I had a mounted Orchid I bought and as I am very new to all of this Orchid Growing, I didn't know any better.

I too became aware that I wasn't keeping it moist often enough as I wasn't used to it. This was the very first bark mounted Orchid I owned.

So I took the whole little package of roots, undid the strings holding it in place and buried them in a pot. Result . . . . It is thriving and growing and looking healthy.

I didn't know all the pitfalls and stuff. I wasn't in this Forum for advice when I did it, but it worked well.

Since I last posted this picture I got sooo much great advice about looking after it from King_of_orchid_growing and everyone else, I am sooo grateful. I now have much better knowledge and help.

Look at the thread called " Don't Know the Right Words? " for the info that helped me . .

Lorna
x x x

[RosieC]

"small brick of some sort of net (not fern)"

Sounds like ecoweb or epiweb (name depends on where in the world you are).
EpiWeb - A Better Xaxim!

If the roots are all running through it then it could be very difficult to remove. Much harder to remove them from than from bark or other materials.

If that's what it's on then I would try and cut the slab as small as possible around the roots, then try and pot it with the epiweb in the pot as well. I don't really know though

[lornaheath]

Oh Blinkin eck!!

Wowser Rosie.

You just opened my eyes yet again with that link I just accessed.

There's a whole world of Orchid paraphernalia I never even knew existed.

See how amazing this Forum and it's Ace Members and Moderators are?

Woa!!

Lorna
x x x

[RosieC]

It was others here introduced me to it... so the knowledge just goes round and round.

I use it for some of my mounts, although I'm thinking of combining it with their other product in the future. Some others here on OB have tried that, but it's not rigid enough to mount on it's own.

EpiWeb - A Better Xaxim!

[Brooke]

Soak the mount for a couple of hours, use a pair of scissors and a heap of patience and you can cut the roots out of the mount.

I have removed mounts from tree fern the same way and the plant never missed a beat.

Brooke

[Bud]

pictures can better help us help you....who would mount an orchid on small brick ? What did you mean 'not fern'? did you mean moss?

[clusty]

Here's the shot.


Soaking now, Will prepare to hack and slash later today.

[RosieC]

Does look like Epiweb/Ecoweb. I don't think I would want to remove it, but it will be like removing it from tree-fern which is what Bud has done. Good luck!

[clusty]

So I decided to just snip around the "wafer" and just bury the whole thing in medium.
...Safer that way.