I have finally made a WET mount

[DirtyCoconuts]

So i am always looking for ways to make mounts that will hold moisture longer than just the wood (or base material) and absorb it faster so i am not soaking mounts which defeats the whole purpose for me.

i have taken all of the parts of this idea from pics and posts of growers and others so i take no credit, just sharing a cool idea

the idea is i want to be able to mount Bulbos and even possibly catasetums and i don't want to water them 3 times a day nor do i want them to die.

what made the difference was Ray's sharing about the rockwool cubes and they were the key.

this can already be improved in a few ways but it is a solid proof of concept and it WORKS....three days after making it i squeezed it and water poured out


things i will adapt: add a rigid center pole like a piece of bamboo

perhaps use hygrolon instead of the coir, it is easier to work with and i really don't need the absorbency of the coir with the rock wool

add a terracotta or plastic sealed pot to the bottom so i can make a self watering element

use less stupid colored zip ties

lots of improvements....


What to do with this pot by J Solo, on Flickr



What to do with this pot by J Solo, on Flickr



What to do with this pot by J Solo, on Flickr



it is just gutter guard filled with coir filled with rockwool, then bound up.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I will report that it has rained a few times but I have not watered my north side and the mount still will run water when squeezed.

I think I am onto something with these cubes. The ones that are open to the air in my catasetum mounts dry out a LOT faster than this one. I am sure it is related to surface area which makes me think the hygrolon will be much better than coir since I can cut it slightly smaller than the exterior material, and still have better moisture retention than the coir

[Ray]

I suggest that you not squeeze the rockwool, but use it as a relatively loose fill.

When saturated, the cubes have almost no free air space within them, but in bulk it's on the order of 45% open. Squeezing the cubes together will reduce that.

[DirtyCoconuts]

good tip. i was just squeezing the mount to test the water holding. in the mount they are not really that compressed.

that is a really good thing to keep in mind when using hygrolon as i could see making that too tight if i am not careful

[Mr.Fakename]

That's a neat project, really looking forward to seeing it take shape!

[WaterWitchin]

Do ya need that wine cooler back now Judah? Too late... Imma steal your idea and make a wet mount. Bwwwaaaahhhaaaaahaaaaa

[Mr.Fakename]

Quick DC, copyright before it becomes the next big thing everyone on Instagram uses for their houseplants

[DirtyCoconuts]

it would be such a troll move to basically steal an idea and then try to copyright it lol
Are you sure you aren't an American FakeName LOL

And, WW, i am delighted to see what you do with that..it will be much prettier than anything i can make and i was thinking a MUCH smaller pot, like a 2-3" so i can seal the bottom easily

[katsucats]

Is the outer mesh metal or plastic? I think I'm going to build one of these with spacer mesh fabric or Matala pond filter in the middle.

[DirtyCoconuts]

It is plastic. A product called gutter guard. Semi rigid and good for UV applications