Need help with Den Aggregatum

[Swamper]

I may change it's name to Den Aggrevatum. I bought this at the Redlands show this year and after all the blooms were gone I mounted it onto a big piece of fern tree that I also got at the show. I noticed now that it still hasn't even tried to attach itself or it seemed that way because when I removed it one single root was attached.
So what is the correct way to mount this one. I removed most but not all the old bark that waas in the middle of the pot and basically mounted it like that. Well maybe this is not as easy as other dens or vandas or catts or anything else I have mounted. The roots still look healthy I guess, I hope they are supposed to be white.
DO I need to remove it all so it lays flat as opposed to looking a little bit moundish if that's a word? Right now I'm soaking it in a bucket of rain water to get the roots softer or plyable.
Thanks for any help out there.

[Call_Me_Bob]

i cant help you much here, but i do know that the roots on my dens are white, and they are healthy

[Swamper]

Ok that's a start thanks.

[tcrane]

I've had the same issue with this plant - I bought on in a pot, small roots which didn't go deeply into the bark medium - in fact, the plant floated right out of the pot when I soaked it once. I tried mounting it for a month, after seeing a number of really amazing specimens on cork and grape wood. Mine didn't do a thing. No new roots, in fact, it seems pretty unhappy so I put it back into the bark medium so it would have better humidity. (It was misted daily and in a tank with 65-80 percent humidity while on the mount)

It's done nothing since. No new roots, but it hasn't died and the bulbs seem nice and fat. My roots range from white to green when just watered, I assume they are healthy, although they seem very small compared to other plants in my collection.

-Tristan

[Swamper]

Thanks Tristan. Well I may have killed it right now LOL. But it's all good. I took a wire and removed anything that was left inside it that didn't look like a root. I broke a bunch of or ummm surgically removed a lot of roots. I put a little sphagnum moss under it and tied it back up.Finally I gave it a little cinnamon shower. We'll see if the patient pulls out of it or not. He's in God's hands now, I did everything I could.

[tcrane]

Yer welcome, not that I can help, but I can at least offer a similar experience. ; )

Forgot to mention - I had to mount mine with some of the bark attached, as the roots didn't want to let go. Figured it was better that way than damaging them, as I've read elsewhere that this Den. doesn't like it's roots messed with. Sounds like you've done what you can.

Funny, though, I was watering today and considered re-mounting mine.

-Tristan

[Swamper]

Oh well, I certainly messed with it's roots. I'll give it a couple of months and if it doesn't shape up I'll tie it to a neighbors tree and wish it luck. Then I'll free up the mount for something else.

[got ants]

Swamp, don't fret man, it's only been a short while since you got it.

I have two that came in wooden baskets. One I mounted right onto my orchid tree (driftwood set in concrete) the other on a teak mount. Both threw roots out and stuck like glue.

I don't think the tree fern you are using is the right medium. Do you have any hardwood mounting material> I have buttonwood, and lychee that would work great if you need. Also some cypress but I don't think it's as good as buttonwood or lychee.

BTW, when I mounted mine onto their mounts, they had NO roots. Now they both have roots galore. Another trick is treating in the summer with fungicide and you can water them every day, just stop using it early fall, before winter rest.

[Swamper]

Man I asked the people selling all different type of mounts what would be best for this mount and they told me that it would love tree fern the best. I have always used driftwood or any other wood for that matter for my other orchids but this guy seemed so knowledgeable I just went with his advice.
Thanks for the help and the offer on the mount pieces I may take you up on that some time.
Oh the orchid tree??? Please let me see a picture of that LOL

[johnblagg]

I just bought a den aggreatum myself the 18 of june and whoot have two new leads.I have not decided to mount yet but want to see new roots before I decide .... I kind of want to see how it grows for a while before messing with it much