Transition to mounted - how?

[FranningtonBear]

Hi wise OB friends!

I am a windowsill grower with all my collection being happy potted. However, I have one, NOID supermarket Phal. though that is determined to climb out of their pot! It grows and blooms well but I am having to anchor it with stakes and hairpins to stop it growing out of the pot within a few months, it's growth habit is so horizonal!

I know it's only doing what comes naturally but it is hard to manage and has had a few unfortunate accidents where less careful members of my household have knocked it. I'm thinking of moving it to mounted but I have no idea where to start. Do I need a specific type of mount? How do I attach it? Does it matter when I move it?

Please idiot-proof me!

[Ray]

My preferred mounting is virgin cork bark slabs, as they looks most natural and have lost of crooks and crevices for the roots to “grab”, but cedar slabs seem to work well, also.

Wait for the plant to have new roots emerging from its base. Existing roots may never attach, so it is important to have the plant be prepared to do so with new ones.

My mounting technique is to spread the root system over the mount (be gentle and don’t break them), cover them with about a 1-2 cm think layer of sphagnum, then use fishing line to secure the moss and roots securely to the slab so the plant won’t wiggle.

Be aware that a mounted plant will need to be watered pretty much daily, so maybe a traditional cork bark slab or cedar board isn’t the best option.

For big, floppy-leaved phalaenopsis, I have gone with moss-filled vanda baskets, hung on their side. The moss holds moisture far more than will the “pad” on a mount, which will disintegrate and disappear anyway.

I’ll see if I can find a photo later.

[Roberta]

Phal roots (and Vanda roots for that matter) don't tend to limit themselves to mounts, roots grow all around the plant not on one side. So I use baskets (similar to what Ray suggests), either on the side, or just "normal" position", hanging. they do need pretty much daily watering, and "airspace" for those wild roots. Think of the basket as a 3-dimensional mount.

[Ray]

Phal. Sogo Redfox. Those leaves are about 18" long.

[FranningtonBear]

Thanks both, I think a basket will suit my location and conditions better than a slab-mount.

I'll see how I get on...

Originally Posted by Ray

Phal. Sogo Redfox. Those leaves are about 18" long.

What a beautiful plant, thanks for sharing Ray.