large dendrobium aggregatum

[jeem132]

i have purchased a pretty large dendrobium aggregatum var majus and i'm wondering how i should mount it. i have looked at fern bark and cork and have yet to find anything that is affordable and large enough to mount the specimen. i was wondering if any one has information on mounting in baskets. can i use no medium or would it be good if i add just a little bark or sphag. i've spent alot of money on this orchid so any information would be verry helpful. it has about 50-60 p'bulbs on it there is a link to a video of the orchid in question attached. i know about the rest requirements and everything for this plant. i've just never mounted an orchid in a basket before.

thank you verry much

[Shiffdaddy]

Idk but that is gonna look awesome in full bloom! Spectacular plant!

[bluestones]

YOWZA!!!!! this is an amazing orchid. where did you get it.
is it evergreen? what are the blooms like?

[gnathaniel]

It should do great in a basket, you could probably just pull it out of the pot and plop it right into a suitably-sized basket. If you don't want to water multiple times a day I'd put in some kind of medium, but what you use really depends on your watering habits, relative humidity, etc. I usually line baskets with coconut fiber, put in a few styrofoam peanuts, then fill in sphagnum around the roots; I'm kind of an underwaterer and I grow in my home where RH rarely tops 60%.

What do you consider 'affordable' for cork? You could probably get a big enough piece for this plant from www.firstrays.com for no more than $30 including shipping. Ray sells cork for $5.50/lb and estimates 1.25#/square foot. I believe he also charges cost for shipping, as opposed to most sellers who also tack on substantial handling fees.

Pictures I've seen of this species in situ indicate it often grows on top of horizontal branches. I've recently mounted a couple of them (much smaller than yours) raft-style rather than vertically and they seem to like it.

Hope this helps, and welcome to Orchidboard!

--Nat

[jeem132]

$30 is affordble. i bought the plant from orchids.com for $150 and yes it is evergreen with orange blooms. it does need a long rest in winter though with no water or fertilizer. i think i'll use just a little bark and some tree fern chunks i appreciate the welcomes and all the help. i think i will for sure mount it in a basket as you said it does like being mounted horizontaly any tips you may have on wattering or fertilizing would be welcome to. i'm always open to suggestion.

thank you verry much

[jeem132]

i was looking for cork on amazon and alot of the pieces were that were suitable size were 60-90 dollars

[gnathaniel]

Yeah, most sellers charge a pretty penny for cork, especially bigger pieces. Ray's is the cheapest I've seen except for bales at wholesale prices.

In terms of culture, I water mine sparingly in the winter (it's not necessary nor always advisable to totally eliminate water) with no fertilizer and much cooler temperatures. They'll tolerate slightly sub-freezing temps (I had one outside the last two nights with light frost in the morning), though mid- to upper 50s F temps seem adequate to initiate blooming. When the weather warms up and I see new growths, I start watering and fertilizing fairly frequently, usually every day or two.

Since we're now heading into the dormant period, you might want to leave your plant as-is until it's showing new growth in the spring. I've found these establish much better if they're repotted/mounted while they have active root growth. YMMV, of course.

--Nat

[jeem132]

well it's extremely cramped in the pot. there are alot of pbulbs that arent even visible above the rim of the pot. i would leave it as is but it really does look extremely cramped. i've also heard i should give it extra light in the winter. do you think a 250 watt cfl would be enough light ontop of being in the window?

thankd

[jeem132]

what is your wattering regimine in winter.

[Bayard]

I agree with Nat - Just pull the whole rootball out of the pot and drop it in a basket. Don't do this now, as I also think you should wait until it is actively growing (next summer).