Caring for Mounted Plants? - Page 2 - Orchid Board

katrina · #11 07-08-2014, 07:09 AM

You're going to need a much bigger mount. [said a la Jaws and bigger boat]

B carunculatum gets to be quite large....I think my tallest growths were over 12" tall and the pbulbs got to be the size of medium-large eggs. BIG plant! And you'll have a few years before you see blooms.

Most bulbos need a good deal of water and this one is no different. I used to have mine in a net basket w/sphag and chc and leca on the bottom and the entire thing sat in a saucer of water much of the year. (sort of a take on s/h) Catt light.

If I were you...I'd pot it up and get it into a mix/medium that's going to provide more consistent moisture...you'll get much better growth that way.

BTW - If I remember correctly, it smelled of cat urine.

Brooke · #12 07-08-2014, 07:34 AM

I agree with Katrina - before I rehomed it, I grew it in Catt light, 10" net pot, sitting in water. The root system was massive and reached to the bottom of the pot.

I lined the pot with sphag, put p'nuts in the bottom and then used CHC as the media about the p'nuts. The blooms are gorgeous but don't get up close and personal when you sniff it.

Brooke

RandomGemini · #13 07-08-2014, 11:49 AM

Well, that explains a lot. I'm fine with the size, as long as it doesn't get as tall as my Oncidium hybrids I'll have room for it, but I was told Phal light, Phal culture. And I read it several places on the Internet as well. Which just goes to show that you cannot believe everything you read on the Internet. No wonder the darned thing isn't growing so well!

I can move it to my shelf with my oncidiums and cattleyas and pot it. It sounds like you were doing something similar to how I grow masdevallias. I grow them in clay pots in sphagnum moss and line the bottom with chunky bark or hydroton for drainage and set them in a saucer of water. I'll have to see if I can track down a pot for this guy. I might have a recycled jello pudding cup laying around. That should be close to the right size.

If it smells like cat pee, I'll just sit it next to my Oncidium rosy sunset, which smells like a mixture of cupcakes and cat pee to me. I keep it, because I love the blooms and the plant is the right size, so I can put up with the funky smell. It doesn't really carry on the breeze. Worst case, it can go live near the cat box and Porter will have a very clean litter box for a while. LOL!

katrina · #14 07-08-2014, 02:55 PM

I think it will be very happy w/the oncids and catts.

As for the pee smell...it wasn't one of those bulbos that stunk up the entire room. You could smell it when you got w/in a couple of feet but it didn't take over a room.

RandomGemini · #15 07-08-2014, 03:45 PM

Thanks!

The smell should be fine then. I won't give it up just because it smells bad... as long as my husband doesn't threaten to divorce me over it, that is. LOL!

katrina · #16 07-08-2014, 04:29 PM

The flower is so gorgeous that it more than makes up for the smell. Tell him to deal with it or you'll really stink up his world w/an echinolabium. EWWWWW...talk about a stink! Well, unless you like the smell of rotting fish in the hot sun. [blech]

RandomGemini · #17 08-13-2014, 11:20 AM

Just wanted to thank you for your advice, Katrina and Brooke! I'm seeing new root growth already! I'm gradually moving it closer to my T5s and I pretty much leave it in the saucer of water and refill the saucer when all of the water evaporates and that seems to do the job!

Very excited to see this guy finally growing some roots for me!

Brooke · #18 08-13-2014, 03:55 PM

You are certainly welcome. Most Bulbos are rampant growers as long as they receive enough light and moisture.

I look forward to the pictures of the blooms.

Brooke

RandomGemini · #19 08-14-2014, 01:10 AM

Do these bloom at a small size? If so, maybe next year?

This is a very young plant. i didn't know that I was getting a seedling when I purchased it, but now I'm quite sure that it was.

katrina · #20 08-14-2014, 07:16 AM

I believe you're going to have to wait at least a couple of years for blooms. Maybe longer? Mine was in a 4" basket before it bloomed.

They do grow faster and better w/plenty of moisture and warmth. The idea to put it in a basket is a good one. Like Brooke's...mine was in net basket and I had it sitting in a saucer of water.

My basket was lined w/sphag...the bottom 1/3 filled w/leca and the upper portion was a mix of chc/sphag/tree fern and probably a few other chunky bits thrown in for good measure. The roots loved the water...they grew down through the leca and out the bottom and into that saucer of water.