What Kind of Wood to use

[DeafOrchidLover]

I have this cypress bark. I wonder would it be okay to use for my orchids to mount. Yes I live in west coast Florida. Snakes, I see them all the time. . We do live near swamp. Are those cypress bark safe to use for mount? I have phals, brassavola and Dendroium.


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[cbuchman]

I would assume that is it OK since orchids grow on Cyprus in the wild. I would try to "disinfect" as much as possible. Also how long will it last? You don't want the mount breaking down quickly.

[DeafOrchidLover]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

I would assume that is it OK since orchids grow on Cyprus in the wild. I would try to "disinfect" as much as possible. Also how long will it last? You don't want the mount breaking down quickly.

Disinfect, What kind of disinfect that's safe to apply on cypress? Please. It's bark is very thick. It was big tree, and it's bark, I just peel it off.


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[cbuchman]

I'm not the expert here. I'm hoping someone with more experience can help you. Do you belong to an Orchid Society?

[DeafOrchidLover]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

I'm not the expert here. I'm hoping someone with more experience can help you. Do you belong to an Orchid Society?

Well, I'm new, though. I can ask around. Thank you kindly.. . I've been thinking about joining one.


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[voyager]

Originally Posted by catherinecarney

Well, it wasn't just 4 sheep--it was actually 4 sheep, 3 chickens, and two ducks.....Yes, this is a TRUE story, I am NOT making this up....

Catherine

I had to crack up reading this.
As a kid my folks bought us kids a couple of bum lambs for pets, plus we also kept ducks as pets.
Anyone that has ever lived with sheep that thought they were people cannot help but to laugh at any sheep story.
But, that's not why I'm here.

I have used the bark from very large cottonwood trees that had been knocked down by avalanches for mounting orchids.
If the tree is big enough the bark will have very deep fisures in it:


It can make some very interesting mounts.
The fisures allowed for moss to be added under the orchids.


I like to mount my orchids on rafts, like wood baskets without the sides.

I used 6" and 8" rafts for my orchids kept in the home in Alaska.
Now, here in Hawai'i I use 8" and 12" rafts.
I'm more ambitious now.
I make them myself, from cedar in Alaska and redwood here in Hawai'i

I am in the midst of making several more to mount my newest acquisitions on.

The 6" raft:

The reason for two hooks is that I would daisy-chain them in the windows, hanging 3 or 4 of them from each other.

My present iteration of rafts are made in these jigs and come out like the 8" one shown here:


I really like them mounted this way.
If I get it done right, the orchids are usually very happy.

[Maryanne]

You can use all sorts of wood to mount orchids. Oak is very good because it's hard and slow to decay. Look up the location and habitat your species is native to. Then try to use a similar wood if possible. Some people use grape vine ( I found I did not care for it) also black locust, maple, rhododendron or mouton laurel trunks. To sanitize (if you must!) put it in your oven at 250F or so for an hour or so. Don't put the temp too high or you may scorch it. I've put wood chunks on a metal roof in hot summer sun and that seems to do the trick.
Good luck!
Maryanne

[catherinecarney]

I'm finding that rough textured wood and bark works best for me--plenty of nooks and crannies help hold moisture and give the roots more places to anchor.

I did mount a bunch of orchids about a month ago when I started bringing them in off the porch and realized I was out of room on the shelves....Went with honey locust bark, some driftwood, and even some heavily textured pine bark (no idea of the species, but it's thick and heavy). Most of what I mounted were catts and dens that had done sort of OK in pots, but never really put on good root growth. Now they're pushing out new healthy roots like never before....I do mist pretty much every day, since my house humidity runs between 40 and 50% through the winter, but don't do anything else special.

Catherine

[Fairorchids]

Cypress wood lasts forever (basically can't rot, they are pulling up submerged logs that are 1-200 years old). I don't know whether the bark lasts as long.

[Harris E.]

Voyager what a great idea! I've heard redwood is typically too acidic to use with orchids - how has your experience been using redwood for your rafts? Can you share any pictures of raft mounted orchids?