Why isn’t anyone growing Catasetum mounted?

[DirtyCoconuts]

All the in situ pics are on such dramatic angles and orientations that it begs the question of why aren’t these grown mounted? Is it just because it would be hard to give them sufficient water, humidity and nutes on a mount?

I have to try this and see but I am wondering why isn’t anyone else?

Steve, you are my guide on these, have you heard of anyone mounting them? Or why not?

[Afid]

I have seen a few mounted bulbos, but I think their need for moisture means they are a challenge to keep wet enough.

[estación seca]

Many people grow Catasetums standing in water. They use a lot. Mounted, unless it rained an inch a day through the growing season, and the roots never dried out, it would be hard to keep them alive.

[Subrosa]

It's so much easier to treat them like terrestrials, at least for me.

[Keysguy]

I agree with seca. Pretty sure it is the volume of water they require during their growing season. You might be able to do it if you rigged misters over them that ran 4-5 times a day but I'd be a skeptic that would even work as I'm not sure how fast they actually can absorb it.
I think we should have DC start some experiments for the rest of us!

[DirtyCoconuts]

on it!!!!

---------- Post added at 11:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 AM ----------

here is what i came up with from my long thinking about this and lots of 'in situ' pics....

Catasetum mount experiment by J Solo, on Flickr

the base and structure are 2x4 and a length of palm trunk i dried out. the plant ( a new growth from last season that i had to cut off bc the back bulb rotted) has her roots IN the palm tree ( i cut a small wedge shape out) and then has a small pad of sphag and coir right over the top and then tied on with hygrolon. ON that i took a handful of shredded mulch and more coir and wrapped that on the mass with the hygrolon tails.


next step is going to be making a cone of gutter guard to attach below the mount to make a catch tray for leaf litter and then place it under a coconut palm.

my thinking is that they grow in the crack of the dead branches AND i see the root nest thing on a lot of my pots like they are trying to catch debirs.

if, big IF, it works as i plan, there will be a lot of dead material and that should stay wet in my humidity (it will also get a sprat from the sprinkler in this area for 30 minutes just predawn)


more to follow

[Keysguy]

The sphag may make this set-up work!

[DirtyCoconuts]

It’s so funny bc it is like my orchid nemesis but it just might save the day here

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

All the in situ pics are on such dramatic angles and orientations that it begs the question of why aren’t these grown mounted? Is it just because it would be hard to give them sufficient water, humidity and nutes on a mount?

I have to try this and see but I am wondering why isn’t anyone else?

Steve, you are my guide on these, have you heard of anyone mounting them? Or why not?

You already addressed this in your photo of the mount, but the answer is that they don't necessarily grow mounted in the same way we think of other epiphytes, though there are plenty of pics where the Catasetum is growing on a telephone pole or the side of a tree. These guys love to grow in the pocket of the palm front attached to the tree where lots of debris and water collect. They want to be wet for months on end! Unless you have a timed watering device that goes off every hour or so, so you can really replicate those conditions!

---------- Post added at 12:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

It’s so funny bc it is like my orchid nemesis but it just might save the day here

Coco coir might be a better option than spag, especially since that's one of their preferred species in the wild.

[DirtyCoconuts]

cool...i am not going to be fool hardy and say this WILL work but i have a really strong idea now of what i want to replicate and, as my dear friend Chet would say, "nothing left to it but to do it!!"

i don't think this will be necessary but i can also drill down into the center of the trunk and pack if full of peat, coir, sphag, or all three....this will dramatically accelerate the decay of the trunk but the beauty of this idea is that you can just attach the top of this mount to a new palm piece indefinitely (or practically speaking, until it is too large and i divide it)

i get about five years to this palm for Phal mounts so i think it will make it at least two in this application.