A little help before I start my mounts

[ChasWG]

So I have my big piece of Mopani wood all ready to recieve an orchid or two. So what is the right thing to start off doing to prepair the mount? Any good advice you all can give me. I'm a little nervous about doing this. My plants seem fairly happy where they are right now (in pots) but I want to mount them and I don't want to kill them.

So, any advice you all can give would be great!

[lepanthes89]

It depends on the plants.What kinds are they?
Some do better in pots,others better on mounts.
Excuse my ignorance, but what is mopani wood? Is it a hardwood?Does it have a rough texture?
Are you able to water and mist a lot more, because of the faster drying of media?
Consider these points before diving in.
Spiro

[ChasWG]

I have a Brassavola cordata that I want to mount, also a Neostylis lou sneary 'Bluebird' and maybe/or a Phal. stuartiana. Yes, I'll be able to spray them enough. And Mopani wood is a hardwood with a rough surface. You can usually find it sold at PetCo in the aquarium suplies section. It's a heavy, dense wood.

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by ChasWG

So I have my big piece of Mopani wood all ready to recieve an orchid or two. So what is the right thing to start off doing to prepair the mount? Any good advice you all can give me. I'm a little nervous about doing this. My plants seem fairly happy where they are right now (in pots) but I want to mount them and I don't want to kill them.

So, any advice you all can give would be great!

Don't be nervous Chas ...just mount the chid. The Brassavola cordata would be great and probably the phal too. I am not familiar with your Neo. I have Brassavolas mounted in treefirn pots and on cork. Here is a picture of one of my wood mounts. I mounted it last summer and used some fishline (monofilament) to hold it in place. The wood you got from the pet store should be fine. I got my piece there and another . The roots really can grab hold. Clean off the old potting medium. If you have some KLN soak the roots in it. I put a small amount of spagnum moss behind the plant roots and some cocoanut fibre in front just to be able to hold the plant in place. I've been removing all the moss from my mounts lately since the roots have grabbed tight and cut off the fishline. Just make sure the plant is secure. Depending on the shape of your wood you might be able to use the cable zip ties to secure your plant. I have a whole wall full of mounts that are attached in various manner.

Nothing ventured nothing gained. Mine get misted heavly each morning and when summer gets here will be 2x a day. Post your picture when it's done. It gets easier the more you do. I have a driftwood project I'm mounting on now. Check out the thread. I'll have pictures Monday or Tuesday with some chids on it.

[ChasWG]

I think I'll mount the Brassavola on my piece. It's a very large piece of wood and a fairly small plant. But if I'm lucky that will resolve itself with time and proper care.

[louis hurn]

Hi. All my plants are mounted. Catts, Vandas, Phals, Oncidium and more. Various mounts like driftwood, rootstock etc. I like to use Australian Bottlebrush, they seem to be a favourit for the plants. My driftwood i found in the Umgeni river (2 miles from my house) and just leave them in the swimming pool for a couple of days, sundry and Bob's your uncle. Some of my rootstock had a coat of varnish on, no problem. Greetings