Self-Contained Living Air Purifier / Orchid Mount

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Hang on a second...

Fungi are not oxygen producers...

They're heterotrophic - meaning they don't produce their own food, they depend on other organisms for food. As in they feed on decaying matter. How would they be oxygen producers? Am I missing something?

Don't get me wrong...

Fungi are great bioremediators as well, but I don't see the connection between fungi and air, unless it's an indirect association.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by cb977

This thread might be of interest here:
MOUNTED PAPH. & VENDORS"

I didn't get to see the pictures of one of the member's posts.

However...

I did take that it was a success. Unfortunately that member did not post what species it was. Or if it was a hybrid, what the name was or what the parentage of the hybrid was.

Mahon's post did not mention what the mount was when he tried growing Paph concolor, (which was a failed attempt).

Paph concolor is not an epiphyte. Paph concolor is a lithophyte of limestone cliff faces with patches of moss or grass (moss and grass being present means consistent moisture). The area they come from is tropical and intermediate in conditions with moderate to high humidity. Rain is seasonal.

Paph villosum is the only Paph species I know for sure that's epiphytical on living trees.

It is definitely an interesting thread. But I'm still not sure.

[slipperfreak]

It's a shame that the pictures are no longer there... I would've liked to see them.

As I mentioned before, if anyone on the forum has had success mounting slippers, I'd love it if they'd share their experiences.

You are right King - Paph villosum is a humus epiphyte, and the only Paph (I believe) that commonly grows on trees. If done right it could be grown in the crotch of a tree in a warm climate, but still a difficult plant to mount on a bark slab.

And indeed, Paph concolor is a lithophyte, like half of the other Paph species. It is from subgenus Brachypetalum and although it prefers drier conditions than many other Paphs, it still needs the more stable environment of a pot to grow well, in my opinion.

[s.kallima]

Originally Posted by slipperfreak

As I mentioned before, if anyone on the forum has had success mounting slippers, I'd love it if they'd share their experiences.

I am following a french orchid forum, and the subject is well know : it is what we call 'living wall' (mur vegetal in French). There are lots of examples on this forum for those who read french language... (like this post : Encore Un Mur - Forums Orchidees.fr )

There is at least one member who is growing Paph. and Phrag. on his living wall. You can see some pictures here: Picasa Albums Web - nicpasquet - Mur végétal

picture of one of their walls (photo from Marvic)

[slipperfreak]

WOW! Is that ever cool! He's got quite a few on there!

Apparantly, with the right technique and set-up, one can certainly accomplish mounting slippers. But it doesn't look easy!

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Wow, doesn't even cut if for me. How about...

HOLY ******' ****, WOW!!!

I didn't know this idea has a whole life of its own in Europe.

It makes the US look so behind the times.

Thank you, s.kallima! You rock!

[Country Gramma]

Ray, this looks like an excellent idea. I bet with a reasonable price you could provide a wonderful service. People are really into going green and what a wonderful way to do it...with orchids and other plants.

I does look like we're a little behind on biowalls and this could be a great way to introduce them into homes at a manageable size.

Karen

[DelawareJim]

Great idea Ray. I've been looking at living walls/biowalls for about a year since I first heard about them. Interestingly, YouTube has a bunch of videos if you search by biowall, green wall, or living wall.

Something to consider down the road is some sort of modular construction so buyers could select "kits" and make one any size they want.

Originally Posted by Country Gramma

I does look like we're a little behind on biowalls and this could be a great way to introduce them into homes at a manageable size.

Karen

Unfortunately, we're a little behind in a lot of things; cell phones, trains, home automation,...I could go on and on.
We have a lot of clunky, proprietary systems because it makes companies money and they can get away with it.

Cheers.
Jim

[Ray]

Thanks for the feedback, all.

Jim, modular is an issue, as the structure has to be sized for the panel employed, and I guarantee you that I don't have the capital to have a variety of sizes fabricated.

The prototype, with pump, heater, fan, panel, and wood cabinet came to about $850, with the vast majority being the plexiglas sheet and labor for cutting to the pieces I needed for assembly.

Working with a local company, I can get the structural parts made for around $200 per unit, but that requires me buying 10-20 at a time.

[s.kallima]

From what I read in the french forum, 2 of the major problems to keep running nicely these bio-walls are the light and the water.
Artificial light is necessary unless the wall is located in front of a very bright window or in a veranda. Otherwise, you need a light strong enough to light up the height of the wall (MH or HPS lights) and you need to organize the plants on the wall according to light preferences, considering that the light source will be above the wall.
Evaporation along the wall, depending on its surface (and if the is or not an artificial light) can be a problem (several liters per day) if the tank at the bottom of the structure is not big enough. But the walls I know about are made of hydroponic felt (capillary mats), not Ecoweb. I don't know if Ecoweb material hold moisture more the felt sheets.