what do you use to tie the plant?

[Maryanne]

Really, what one uses to secure plants is personal preference in most cases. So, you-do-you!

Maybe I've mentioned this before - I use a number of items:
If I'm just staking a newly potted plant and don;t care what shows, then bread bag twisty ties help with wood stakes, or chopsticks depending on plant size.

If re-potting and I want to tie down a wobbly plant that's too small for staking, I have used (but not too often) the green coated wire, snake through the holes in the pot and over the parts of the plant that are lying flat - use a spec of sphag to cushion if needed.

When mounting a plant I often use acrylic yarn (or wool or jute twine) out of the knitting stash. It's fairly inexpensive, it's soft so there is no cutting of plant parts, get it in many colors/ textures so you can match the plant or the substrate, it will often age well, and blend in. It's easy to tie and if you use a bow, you can re-tie when needed. It's porous and 'breathable' (or if you live in the North, knit a little snuggie for your plant ; -P ha ha ha It depends on whether you want the yarn or twine to decompose after your plant attaches itself to the mount.

I liked Roberta's suggestion of the small gauge elastic craft stuff...
I've ruled out monofilament because it cuts, it's too noticeable to me, it's a bear to tie and reposition.

Have fun experimenting, it's the only way to see what works for you (and the plants)
Maryanne

[nemesis]

I use cute little strands of Raffia. You can get it in a plethora of colors and can snip to a specific width so as not to damage the plant.

Kelly aka nemesis

[Rross]

I cut a length of kitchen twist tie. I was at my wits’ end with phalaenopsis and Oncidium orchids escaping from their pots. So far, it doesn’t seem to have harmed the plants.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Rross

I cut a length of kitchen twist tie. I was at my wits’ end with phalaenopsis and Oncidium orchids escaping from their pots. So far, it doesn’t seem to have harmed the plants.

I use exactly that same material. The one I have is this one (this link here).

The only issue with the white coloured plastic thing which the green tie material is wrapped around ----- gets degraded with age, or with sunlight etc ...... which becomes brittle and fall to bits after a while. And the little cutter piece will also fall away and detach from the packet after a while ----- but it will still do the cutting job if manipulated appropriately.

That sort of tie material is very versatile. It is really good.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by nemesis

I use cute little strands of Raffia. You can get it in a plethora of colors and can snip to a specific width so as not to damage the plant.

Kelly aka nemesis

I love the raffia idea! Pick a nice color and make a nice little bow, and then it becomes something almost pleasing to look at.

[WaterWitchin]

I usually use whatever I can come up with first in one of my junk drawers. Raffia, upholstery button tufting thread, old strips of panty hose, long pieces of self-sticking velcro, and for mounting an orchid I've many times used a hot glue gun.

[Eli Vizsla]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I usually use whatever I can come up with first in one of my junk drawers. Raffia, upholstery button tufting thread, old strips of panty hose, long pieces of self-sticking velcro, and for mounting an orchid I've many times used a hot glue gun.

So it's okay to glue the roots to cork bark? I plan to try my first mounting on cork bark this weekend and saw a youtube video of someone using glue.

[Roberta]

I just tie the plant with fishing line. I know that Tillandsias are often glued to mounts, but they don't have much in the way of roots. However you fasten the plant to the cork, make sure that you orient it with the newest growth pointed toward the mount - you want the roots to attach to the mount. (Aesthetically this is counter-intuitive... people want to put the new growth outward, it looks pretty that way. But then it will never attach) Also, you want to mount just as new roots are starting to emerge - existing roots will continue to hydrate the plant so they are important, but they won't attach to the mount. Only new ones with active root tips will do that. So it is very important that the plant be held firmly in place so that it can't wobble.

[Eli Vizsla]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I just tie the plant with fishing line. I know that Tillandsias are often glued to mounts, but they don't have much in the way of roots. However you fasten the plant to the cork, make sure that you orient it with the newest growth pointed toward the mount - you want the roots to attach to the mount. (Aesthetically this is counter-intuitive... people want to put the new growth outward, it looks pretty that way. But then it will never attach) Also, you want to mount just as new roots are starting to emerge - existing roots will continue to hydrate the plant so they are important, but they won't attach to the mount. Only new ones with active root tips will do that. So it is very important that the plant be held firmly in place so that it can't wobble.

I'm getting a 2 bulb division with new growth. The original plant is mounted on cork so I want to mount this division on cork as well. Picture from the seller. Hoping the plants get here by this weekend. So that new growth should be pointed toward the cork?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Eli Vizsla

I'm getting a 2 bulb division with new growth. The original plant is mounted on cork so I want to mount this division on cork as well. Picture from the seller. Hoping the plants get here by this weekend. So that new growth should be pointed toward the cork?

Precisely. It will have to be turned a little bit to the side, of course. You can just leave it unmounted until new roots start if you want, then you'll know which way they are growing. Or if you get it mounted and see that they aren't going toward the mount, you can remount it at that point. (That won't stress the plant... until it gets new roots, any mount will just be helping to hang it up.) Ideal time for mounting is when the new little root tips just start to peek out. It's all about roots...

In fact, you might consider just putting it in a small plastic bag (like sandwich bag), with top open, until rooting starts. That'll keep the humidity up, since you only have that one good root to keep the plant hydrated.