Stanhopea basket liner.

[estación seca]

Yes, these coco fiber disks / basket liners are soft enough for spikes to push through. I think this product is one many people use.

The fluffy white polyester batting material sold to people who make blankets and quilts can also be cut to line baskets. It looks different from what people are accustomed to. It is most definitely white. I'm experimenting with this stuff. It should never decompose, but it shows black dog hair exquisitely.

Quilt Batting

I bought a much smaller amount than this for experimenting. I am also trying it for mounting, to replace sphagnum. So far the orchids are happy but, again, it is very white.

[bil]

Originally Posted by WhiteRabbit

No, the paper is still holding together after several months. I also was skeptical about that

I have read of people using the coco fiber basket liners, but pulling them so that they become much thinner.

Ah, stretching them. Cute idea. I hadn't thought of that, thanks.

---------- Post added at 05:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 AM ----------

Originally Posted by estación seca

Yes, these coco fiber disks / basket liners are soft enough for spikes to push through. I think this product is one many people use.

The fluffy white polyester batting material sold to people who make blankets and quilts can also be cut to line baskets. It looks different from what people are accustomed to. It is most definitely white. I'm experimenting with this stuff. It should never decompose, but it shows black dog hair exquisitely.

Quilt Batting

I bought a much smaller amount than this for experimenting. I am also trying it for mounting, to replace sphagnum. So far the orchids are happy but, again, it is very white.

Hmmm. That would worry me for Stans as I think that would be the very devil to push thru. Or is it softer than I'm thinking? Also, it's a bit unnatural looking.

Your remarks re dog hairs reminds me of when we were looking to get our first Labrador. I read a book on the breed, and it said "You should choose the colour of the dog on the basis of whether you want to find black hairs in the butter, or yellow ones in the blackberry jam.

I always wondered how many dog hairs I had eaten.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Yes, these coco fiber disks / basket liners are soft enough for spikes to push through. I think this product is one many people use.

.

Found some today, but they all have a latex coating on the one side that you couldn't shove a finger thru, so those are a no no.

[Kseniya]

I used this site, about a year ago when one of my friends give me one of Stan., as present. Did not know anything about them, so needed to learn fast. So far so good, but as he said on his site, if Stan. did not like something when you re-potted or place you put it…… it will not bloom for year or more…. In one of his examples it was after 5 years….. Easy to grow they sad!!!
Good luck to you!

Stanhopea Culture: How do you know your Stanhopea is happy?

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by bil

Hmmm. That would worry me for Stans as I think that would be the very devil to push thru. Or is it softer than I'm thinking? Also, it's a bit unnatural looking.

Your remarks re dog hairs reminds me of when we were looking to get our first Labrador. I read a book on the breed, and it said "You should choose the colour of the dog on the basis of whether you want to find black hairs in the butter, or yellow ones in the blackberry jam.

I always wondered how many dog hairs I had eaten.

The white batting is very much softer than almost anything else. It's what is used to stuff quilts and comforters. I think the SI equivalent for the US word "comforter" is "duvet."

There are very few things I regret not buying. One was at a dog show. It was a T-shirt with a cartoon of a table with three shakers: Salt, Pepper and Dog Hair. At least they don't walk around on the counters after the litter box when they think you can't see them.

[DeaC]

Fortunately,I only have one friend who knows what I can grow with some success and gifts me appropriately.I've had plants not bloom for 6+ yrs but keep trying and if that fails,they go to the raffle table at our society mtgs.I never believe anyone that says they're "easy".Our conditions are all different.

[bil]

Originally Posted by estación seca

The white batting is very much softer than almost anything else. It's what is used to stuff quilts and comforters. I think the SI equivalent for the US word "comforter" is "duvet."

There are very few things I regret not buying. One was at a dog show. It was a T-shirt with a cartoon of a table with three shakers: Salt, Pepper and Dog Hair. At least they don't walk around on the counters after the litter box when they think you can't see them.

Ah Duvets, a wonderful idea from Europe. When I was at school, a LONG time ago, there was a school trip to Austria, and where we stayed they had duvets. When I got back home, I immediately talked my mother into getting me one, something I have never regretted doing.

There was a wonderful meme on facebook of a cat and a dog, and underneath each one, a list of their abilities. The dog's list was immense. Mountain rescue, drug sniffer, aid to the blind, etc etc etc the list went on and on. Underneath the cat's image it just said "Craps in a box."

(Retires, putting on hard hat to protect against insults hurled by cat people.)

[bil]

One interesting thought. I just stumbled across a Stanhopea enthusiast who uses teak orchid trays but instead of a solid bottom, he has a type of soft but tough mesh, possibly fibreglass, used instead of metal mesh in plastering.

The holes are big enough to allow the flower spikes thru, and the trays are shallow enough to use spaghnum moss, and for short stemmed Stans to push thru.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by bil

One interesting thought. I just stumbled across a Stanhopea enthusiast who uses teak orchid trays but instead of a solid bottom, he has a type of soft but tough mesh, possibly fibreglass, used instead of metal mesh in plastering.

The holes are big enough to allow the flower spikes thru, and the trays are shallow enough to use spaghnum moss, and for short stemmed Stans to push thru.

This would work. People growing succulents in pumice use that inside pots to cover drainage holes. It lasts much longer than coffee filters and is less expensive than shade cloth.