Orchiata

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Ray

Roberta, I think your assessment is actually backwards.

Plants want mechanical stability. Placing them in a loose, easy to move medium, and it's anything but. Once the plant reaches the edge of the pot, its roots can solidly "grab" onto something that gives that stability, and boom!

I just know that L. anceps grows for me much better mounted, or in a basket with minimal media (essentially, a 3-dimensional mount) It certainly needs stability so that new root tips don't get damanged - tied to a mount, or to the sides of the basket. But is as a very strong epiphyte, and grows best as it escapes any media that may be around. When I have had these in pots, the part in the pot tends not to survive - becomes rootless, leafless backbulbs quickly. The "free" part thrives and prospers. And I live i a rather dry climate.