How do you grow your climbing Coelogynes?

[varda.elentari]

My Coelogyne 'Unchained Melody' has grown quite a bit since I got it but only on one side so it's climbing out of the pot rather than forming a clump. It's going to make the pot overbalance soon so I need suggestions on how to repot it to make the plant look best as it grows.

I can't provide very high humidity or frequent watering so mounting is out of the question. I thought perhaps a moss pole so it can continue climbing up? Or maybe split and repot together but with the new growths facing in opposite directions?

I'd love to see pictures of your large Coelogynes for ideas. Thanks in advance!

[Ray]

I think we all get caught like that now and again.

Some plants "clump", some "climb", and others prefer to spread laterally. We seem to miss that while we look at temperature, light, water, etc. when making buying decisions.

I think your idea of the moss pole might be worth a try. You might take a look at mossify.ca for premade ones.

I bought a couple of their coir poles, which are intended to be stuck into the medium as a climbing stake, but bent the bare wire into a hook and inverted them for hanging, for some tolumnias and a small vanda.

[varda.elentari]

Interesting! So you're growing them only on the poles, no media basket underneath?

[Lil Duck]

I use moss poles from OrchidBox.io for my climbing aroids, I like these better than the coco coir poles because coco coir doesn’t hold water. They’re a bit pricey but they look nice and are very sturdy, they have multiple sizes and colors available. Because Coelogynes are quite water intensive orchids I would use a sphagnum moss pole rather than a coco coir based one.

[varda.elentari]

Sphagnum is a good idea. I was thinking of making a pole using treefern but it'll probably dry too quickly.

[DeaC]

Maybe put a pot right next to your existing plant and let it "jump" into it to continue its expansion.

[ArronOB]

Thé stolon of ‘unchained melody’ is tough and flexible so I just grow them in baskets and wrangle the new growth around so they stay dense and compact within the basket. I guess the shape I force them into is a spiral within the basket.

[varda.elentari]

Oh that's a great idea! I might try that! Thank you.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by varda.elentari

Interesting! So you're growing them only on the poles, no media basket underneath?

Correct.

Originally Posted by Lil Duck

I use moss poles from OrchidBox.io for my climbing aroids, I like these better than the coco coir poles because coco coir doesn’t hold water. They’re a bit pricey but they look nice and are very sturdy, they have multiple sizes and colors available. Because Coelogynes are quite water intensive orchids I would use a sphagnum moss pole rather than a coco coir based one.

I agree, For stuff like tolumnias, I have always done better with a virgin bark slab or driftwood, so thought I'd give the coir pole a try. For other stuff, I'd definitely go for the moss-covered version.