What is the best mount for a spider orchid?

[twinkie]

Someone gifted me a white spider orchid, no idea the name of it. It has 3 fleshy plump leaves about 6-7" long and the owner said she had it growing on a tree in Florida. Well, I live in the cold Pacific Northwest and grow indoors, so I put it in a pot with Cattleya mix and sphagnum moss but feel it's not quite happy....no signs of wilt or odd leaf color, but I sense it's not quite right in that pot though getting plenty of light. Would wiring it to a tree fern slab with a large pocket of moss work? I don't know how big the root system gets so what would be the best size slab? I've searched online but haven't gotten any real sense of how spider orchids grow root wise, and on mounts. I was also thinking to use a fluffy knitting yarn instead of fish wire - advisable? I've never grown mounted, and plan to put this one hanging where it gets dappled Southern exposure.
Thank you for any suggestions!

[MrHappyRotter]

Can you confirm whether your plant is an Oncidium alliance intergeneric hybrid or are you talking about something entirely different?

Unfortunately I can't comment much on your situation as you live in a much different climate than me. If we are talking about an Oncidium intergeneric hybrid, many of them will potentially be more challenging when grown mounted and indoors. Lots of these hybrids involve species that prefer even moisture year round, and it's arguably easier to maintain consistent moisture levels if the plants are potted in an appropriate mix. I can't think of many things that one might call "Spider orchid" that need to be mounted (or which are significantly easier to maintain that way). If over watering is your concern, then I'd suggest 2 other options that might work better. Either semi-hydro or potting the plant in a wooden orchid basket are likely to work better for you in that regard.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by MrHappyRotter

Can you confirm whether your plant is an Oncidium alliance intergeneric hybrid or are you talking about something entirely different?

Unfortunately I can't comment much on your situation as you live in a much different climate than me. If we are talking about an Oncidium intergeneric hybrid, many of them will potentially be more challenging when grown mounted and indoors. Lots of these hybrids involve species that prefer even moisture year round, and it's arguably easier to maintain consistent moisture levels if the plants are potted in an appropriate mix. I can't think of many things that one might call "Spider orchid" that need to be mounted (or which are significantly easier to maintain that way). If over watering is your concern, then I'd suggest 2 other options that might work better. Either semi-hydro or potting the plant in a wooden orchid basket are likely to work better for you in that regard.

I honestly don't know but a Oncidium intergeneric hybrid web search brought up flowers that don't look anything like what the flower is supposed to look like. Unfortunately I don't have the photo she sent me, but the leaves look fleshy like the attached and the flower looked more like the colored orchid, but white. It has dangly thin white legs and she said it grows like crazy making stalks with many blooms on them; she has them mounted on her palm tree. I can't get a sense of what it needs besides what she told me for her conditions there. No idea if it hates wet roots, likes to be dry mostly etc. She said she'd just hit it with the garden hose every few days and regularly in summer (oh to have that climate!). I think what's throwing me off are the leaves. When it arrived they were flattish and I soaked it immediately and watched as they straightened out from being crammed in a package and became like plump fingers. It's not a 'grassy' leaf so am inclined to think it wants lots of water but roots being encased in a pot seems wrong somehow. What kind of potting mix would you use in a basket, and you're talking a basket liked used for Vandas, correct?

[orchidsarefun]

That looks like a crinum - Spider Lily.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

That looks like a crinum - Spider Lily.

I attached a new photo showing more how the flower looks, but it's white. The leaves look like the first pic. If I can dig through my other laptop the real pic might be on there. She grows orchids and said it was an orchid, but I still feel I'm doing something wrong having it in a pot with a Cattleya type medium. I'm just a paranoid orchid grower I guess heeheh.

[Dollythehun]

I agree with Orchidsarefun. That's not an orchid. In the crinum family perhaps. The stem is all wrong.

[Ray]

Correct...so it likely needs soil, not bark.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

I agree with Orchidsarefun. That's not an orchid. In the crinum family perhaps. The stem is all wrong.

Well those aren't photos of the plant I have, am just trying to convey the fleshy leaves and more or less the flower design. I'll fire up the other laptop and see if I still have the photo of the actual plant in bloom. Should have done that first lol.

[twinkie]

Found it!

[Dollythehun]

That's a Brasselova. Treat it like a catt. You can mount or pot in coarse mix. I have one both ways. If you love to water, mount it.