What Kind of Wood to use

[Orchids4ever]

I know some of you grow a lot of mounted orchids
I like to try one
so i got a Question about the Wood
Is Oak okay to use?
Thank you for any advise.

[cbuchman]

Yes, you can use Oak. I think I would strip off the bark though, because it will come loose over time.

Also remember that hard woods won't hold much moisture, so add a little extra moss to the mount and a little extra misting to your routine. I've unmounted everything by Tolumnias from hardwood mounts. They do well in the summer when outdoors, but when inside, I just can't provide sufficient moisture.

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[Orchids4ever]

Originally Posted by cbuchman

Yes, you can use Oak. I think I would strip off the bark though, because it will come loose over time.

Also remember that hard woods won't hold much moisture, so add a little extra moss to the mount and a little extra misting to your routine. I've unmounted everything by Tolumnias from hardwood mounts. They do well in the summer when outdoors, but when inside, I just can't provide sufficient moisture.

Thank you
I have this nice oak moulding and it would be just the right fit
but i also got some Cedar-you think that would be better?

[cbuchman]

Oak vs. Cedar is something I can't say... Make sure that the wood is free of preservatives, finishes or anything that might be harmful to your orchids. Consider soaking it for several days with frequent changes of the water to make sure.

When I tried to grow on mounts - I was buying grape wood pieces from pet store. They have it in reptile section and sometimes you can find interesting pieces there. That wood is clean and safe for orchids.

[cbuchman]

Ochideya,

Me too! that's what I was using. I found it just didn't keep enough moisture for the orchid to thrive, except for my Tolumnias that seem to be very happy. I've found cork slabs work really well for me.

[AnonYMouse]

I cruise the reptile aisle, too!

Molding? As in crown molding? Its probably been treated with something or another. I don't know if it would be harmful, though.

Cedar (shingle? plank?), I think are not treated since they already possess preservative qualities.

[ronaldhanko]

Untreated cedar shingles are probably best. Oak can have tannins in it that may be harmful, though I've used live oak (not live wood, but wood from the oak trees known as live oaks) in the past. Leaving cedar shingles out to weather a bit is also helpful. If you ever gets plants from Andy's he mounts a lot of things on cedar shingles.

[peeweelovesbooks]

I mount on cedar planks and cypress mounts. I'm also going to experiment with manzanita and cherrywood.

[JC Espinosa]

I use oak, cedar, mango, avocado, citrus, palms, bamboo, firebush, plumeria, podocarpus, and just about anything without a toxic element in it. I like the look of Live Oah bark. I mount on it a lot knowing the mount will be short-lived and I will have to mount the mount on another mount. Say that three times real fast. I also grow on broken pots, ceramic jugs and am about to plant sacrificial phals in old wine corks. I posted some pictures of my mounts on OB. I also mount on the few trees in our small yard.