First attempt at mounting - Orchid Board

Jeff214 · #1 07-30-2020, 08:15 PM

I came across a beautiful photo of a mounted Howeara and decided to try it myself. Thankfully, I found a nicely sized Howeara Lava Burst for 7 USD - great price for an orchid experiment...

When I received the plant, the roots had already started to push out, perhaps an inch already. I wasn't sure if it was too late to mount without irreversibly damaging the maturing roots. Tried anyway. After two months, it flowered! Unfortunately, the new roots died and I haven't seen any new root growth...

Roberta · #2 07-30-2020, 08:22 PM

One thing about this hybrid... it needs stay on the damp side. I can't tell from the photos is there... Mount is a bit small for the plant. But in general, for a plant like this that likes to stay on the damp side, I put most of the moss over the top of the roots. If there are new roots starting I'll put just a little against the mount to cushion the new roots so that the tips aren't damaged (new roots need to go against the mount for sure) If you put much moss between the mount and the roots, they tend to grow into the moss instead of grabbing the mount. (They're lazy...)

estación seca · #3 07-30-2020, 08:32 PM

You have your work cut out for you watering it adequately. That's probably why the roots died. I would pick something else to practice mounting, like a Brassavola nodosa.

Jeff214 · #4 07-30-2020, 08:36 PM

Right, I asked the seller about mounting and she mentioned that this hybrid likes being on the moist side. I put a small amount of sphag under the roots, and the majority over the roots. I've been watering every other day and the moss keeps moist. The new roots died in the first few weeks but the plant has been okay otherwise. Hoping the older roots will keep this thing afloat until another flush of roots start.

Is the mount too small? I thought this was a mini species and it would stay on the mount for a good 5 years at least.

Roberta · #5 07-30-2020, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff214

Right, I asked the seller about mounting and she mentioned that this hybrid likes being on the moist side. I put a small amount of sphag under the roots, and the majority over the roots. I've been watering every other day and the moss keeps moist. The new roots died in the first few weeks but the plant has been okay otherwise. Hoping the older roots will keep this thing afloat until another flush of roots start.

Is the mount too small? I thought this was a mini species and it would stay on the mount for a good 5 years at least.

It looks like the plant pretty much covers the mount already. Since once a plant establishes on a mount it is going to stay there, I like to include some growing room. I agree with ES, that one is likely to be difficult to maintain on a mount, given its moisture needs. Ideal plants for mounting are those that are strong epiphytes - plants that do like to dry out. Within the Oncidium group, Tolumnias can work well. Also twig epiphytes like Comparettia. But the Cattleya tribe has some of the easiest, and there are plenty of miniature species and their hybrids (Lc Mini Purple would be a really good one, or L. pumila, L. sincorana, L. praestans... all Cattleya now but I'm not changing my tags. In this group you get flowers as big as the plants). Also Leptotes - in fact, those almost HAVE to be mounted to grow well.

Jeff214 · #6 07-31-2020, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

It looks like the plant pretty much covers the mount already. Since once a plant establishes on a mount it is going to stay there, I like to include some growing room. I agree with ES, that one is likely to be difficult to maintain on a mount, given its moisture needs. Ideal plants for mounting are those that are strong epiphytes - plants that do like to dry out. Within the Oncidium group, Tolumnias can work well. Also twig epiphytes like Comparettia. But the Cattleya tribe has some of the easiest, and there are plenty of miniature species and their hybrids (Lc Mini Purple would be a really good one, or L. pumila, L. sincorana, L. praestans... all Cattleya now but I'm not changing my tags. In this group you get flowers as big as the plants). Also Leptotes - in fact, those almost HAVE to be mounted to grow well.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I'd really like to try tolumnias again... but I've never killed anything so quickly in my life. It was potted in lava rock but I could not keep it watered and dried quickly enough. Perhaps mounts help.

I'm not familiar with Comparettias - the AOS website notes that these should never dry out? Is that still suitable for mount? Looks like a vibrantly colored ionopsis.

I've been hesitant to try with Cattleyas. I lean towards standard catts and species, and they're too large to mount in my space. I'd think C. lueddemanniana would probably be good for mounting, though. They are ramblers... I've never been a fan of small Catts (they look so "unnatural" to me, even species), maybe L. praestans alba.

Actually, I have two Wakerianas (or suspected hybrids). One in a vanda pot is doing fine but the one in fine bark... could be better. Potential mount candidate.

Leptotes bicolor! I've been eyeing the one at Gold Country Orchids... I may try to mount that one.

---------- Post added at 11:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 PM ----------

In addition to the Howeara, I've mounted my L. Finckeniana. I finally had enough of that thing crawling out of the pot at a >45o angle... I chopped it up and mounted it. That one's growing well, with a flurry of new roots.

Roberta · #7 07-31-2020, 12:30 AM

The only way I have ever managed to grow Leptotes bicolor is mounted. No moss. They like to dry out. Actually it is a genus that is easy to get hooked on... small flowers but lots of them. And totally easy to care for - temperature tolerant both hot and cold.

Fairorchids · #8 08-09-2020, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roberta

The only way I have ever managed to grow Leptotes bicolor is mounted. No moss. They like to dry out. Actually it is a genus that is easy to get hooked on... small flowers but lots of them. And totally easy to care for - temperature tolerant both hot and cold.

When I buy Leptotes (bicolor, bohnkiana or pohlitinocoi) from HI, they almost always come in small pots (with a couple of bark nuggets). I quickly proved, that this approach does not work under my conditions (traditionally I water once a week in winter, and twice a week spring/fall, and three times a week during the hottest part of summer).

With this watering schedule, I have to add some spaghnum to the mounts, as young plants do not like to dry out for extended periods. By the time plants are mature, the spaghnum has pretty much disintegrated, and they do fine on bare mounts (either cork or treefern).

Leareu · #9 11-26-2021, 10:48 PM

That looks awesome, any chance of an update?

Jeff214 · #10 11-27-2021, 12:50 PM

It was doing well in a shady balcony in a (humid) coastal climate. Once I moved further inland (dry)... the Howeara did not like it mounted. It was going downhill pretty quickly so I potted it back up. It's still recovering and not in a state to photograph haha...

Since then, I have mounted a couple of orchids and they are doing well, for the most part. I have a Laelia Finckeniana that I mounted and spiking. The new growths were coming out at 45o angles and I really did not enjoy this plant. It was becoming quite large and unruly.... So, I chopped it up and gave it away. I kept one fragment and thought I'd try mounting. Now... this plant is starting to grow on me! (and on the mount!)