Build thread is here:
Miniature living wall build thread! - Dendroboard
Essentially, it's a living wall made of a type of expanding foam frequently used in dart frog habitats. Over that is Hygrolon, a type of plastic foam designed to wick water. It functions something like an artificial moss. There's a reservoir of water underneath that the mesh dips into, keeping it constantly moist.
I also have a deer skull on which to place plants that like drier roots, but it used to be an aquarium decoration, so it's sealed with acrylic. May as well be a plastic skull for the purposes of the plants. Won't leach anything weird.
The whole setup is 12" across and about 14" high, so it needs very small plants.
The best light I can have over this is a reading lamp with a 100w equivalent LED bulb. It puts out 1680 lumens at 5000K, and I can put it very close to a portion of the wall.
I'm hoping there are a couple of types of small orchid that would grow well on here. Any thoughts?
Requirements:
Likes its roots to be constantly moist, or
Would grow on something inorganic (skull is sealed w/ acrylic) and do well with dry roots and daily
misting
Will grow well mounted or 'planted' with its roots wrapped in mesh
Low-light
Doesn't need high ambient humidity
Tolerant of typical household temperatures
Mini (entire plant 4" across or less, or, if clumping, individual pseudobulb+leaf units 3" long or less)
Not a heavy feeder
Cool but not required:
Strange-looking flowers
Mini-mini (entire plant less than 2" across, or individual units 1.5" or less)
Looks like a tiny version of a larger orchid, i.e. recognizable as an orchid by relative laypersons
Also, any suggestions on how to fertilize the plants on this? I'm hoping to find a way that would keep part of the Hygrolon completely fertilizer-free. I'm going to keep a Pinguicula on one part of the wall to eat any potential fungus gnats, and Pings can't stand fertilizers. Maybe liquid orchid fertilizer spritzed around various plants, then a rinse around the Ping to be sure the mesh around it doesn't have anything unpleasant?
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