Question about maintaining mounted orchid

[Leafmite]

Good luck with your new orchid!

[gngrhill]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Good luck with your new orchid!

Thanks, Leafmite, mounted orchids are all new to me

[katrina]

I've never removed old sphag ...on any of mine. I have some that have been mounted since '08 and they are growing strong.

I look at it this way...in nature the plants' roots get surrounded by falling debris and no one removes that. W/our mounts there is no additional accumulated "debris"...just the original sphag/moss and over time some of that falls away anyway. The roots grow out and away from it so I can't see it ever becoming a problem. It's not like when the roots are confined to a pot w/rotting sphag.

Of course, if someone has put a really big pad of sphag both under and over the roots...so much so that the roots can't dry out relatively quickly...well, then that might be a problem. That's not how I mount so I can't speak to that situation.

[Ray]

OK, mark this date on your calendars.

Katrina and I have now agreed totally on two consecutive posts!!!

[katrina]

Originally Posted by Ray

OK, mark this date on your calendars.

Katrina and I have now agreed totally on two consecutive posts!!!

What?! Must be all the drugs from your surgery.

[tropterrarium]

I second/third Katrina's/Ray's points. I would not bother to mess with the roots unless the plant is unhappy. I also have plants that have been happy for years with same mount and moss. Additionally:

- 80% of orchids are epiphytes, but there are differences in how epiphytes live on top of other trees. Some can live with roots just in air, other have to to have them deeply embedded in water retaining medium at all times. What orchid are you talking about?
- In general, small plants need a bit of extra help with water/moisture, while older ones are tougher.
- There are different types of mosses. Sphagnum is good for some, bad for others. So "good" moss is not always good for the particular plant.
- As always, there is an interaction between culture and medium. In high humidity you can grow a bare roots plant, but in dry air, you may need to put it in lots of water retaining medium.