Time for a bigger mount? - Orchid Board

vlhart · #1 01-26-2015, 06:45 PM

I got this Tolumnia back in November and it's been doing pretty well--despite the cat attacking it once. There's lots of new root growth. But I'm wondering if I should remount it since so many roots are trailing in the air. I water it pretty extensively since my apartment can be pretty dry and the roots that are in contact with the cork seem to do well throughout the day while it seems like the trailing roots are slowly drying up.

Is it time for a bigger mount?

Pattywack · #2 01-26-2015, 07:02 PM

I have a Tolumnia that is a smaller one, Tolumnia sylvertris 'El Gato' and it is mounted on a wine cork. I've had it for 4 or 5 months and it has grown 5 new fans in that time. There are 12 fans now. I grow it in a table top greenhouse and mist it at leas 3 times daily. This greenhouse is open at the top most of the time and the Tolumnia hangs at the top. Some of the older roots dry at the ends and others hang in the air and grow. The humidity stays around 70% even with the top open. Maybe you just need to mist it more often. I believe these will absolutely cover their mounts.

DelawareJim · #3 02-09-2015, 04:22 PM

No need to remount yet. I see plenty of cork yet.

Most often, the deciding factor for remounting a plant is the mount has almost completely rotted away or it's falling apart.

Cheers.
Jim

vlhart · #4 02-09-2015, 04:27 PM

Thanks for your responses! It'd be great to see pics other people's mounted tolumnias/tolumnia set-ups--I so rarely see pics of them on the internet!

silken · #5 02-10-2015, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vlhart

Thanks for your responses! It'd be great to see pics other people's mounted tolumnias/tolumnia set-ups--I so rarely see pics of them on the internet!

I hope I'm not hijacking your thread. But here is how I have my two Tolumnias mounted-both on the same mount. As you can see one has two spikes. The other has bloomed on this mount but not at the moment. I always thought they would be cute to both be blooming together. It is a ceramic mount. I believe unglazed porcelain made in such a way as to be rather porous and then fired onto a glazed dish like base. The 'tree trunk' is hollow so it can be filled with water which slowly seeps thru. I find it seeps more quickly than I would like. Was hoping this method would mean less misting and watering on a daily basis. But I like the look, and contrary to what some people said about roots not liking the cool ceramic, they have done fairly well. You can see the roots attached and travelling down the trunk in the photo.

I had a 3rd small Tolumnia on the lower position but it never seemed to get established. It did bloom on there before I killed it

I think it got wet and soggy too much as moss would hang down into the tray and sop up water.

mtorchid · #6 02-23-2015, 09:07 AM

Silken, beautiful display! Do you recall where you got the "log"? My Tolumnia is climbing out of its teeny clay pot- maybe it's time to mount it.

silken · #7 02-23-2015, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtorchid

Silken, beautiful display! Do you recall where you got the "log"? My Tolumnia is climbing out of its teeny clay pot- maybe it's time to mount it.

Thanks. I bought the logs from a person in Portland Oregon (if I remember). She had sold them for years and won at least one AOS award with a mounted Cattleya. But shortly after some friends and I each bought a few to try, she closed out her business and we couldn't get anymore.

My Tolumnia has just begun blooming and in a few days will look so cute on it. I will likely post pics on a new thread if all goes well.

You could show the pics to a potter and see if they could make similar ones. I think it is made with unglazed porcelain except the bottom dish is glazed.

Pattywack · #8 02-09-2015, 10:52 PM

You can see a picture of my little guy in my gallery. The seller I bought this from told me her mother plant is also growing on a wine cork and completely covers it several times. She has had it mounted like that for 12 years. Would love to see mine bloom. So tiny.

vlhart · #9 02-09-2015, 11:45 PM

Pattywack: Wow--that is one tiny tolumnia! I can see by your gallery that you're into the little ones. Very neat.

For me I think it's hard to keep the roots from drying out in the apt despite diligent watering/humidifying. I might tuck the roots into more sphagnum to see if it helps...

Pattywack · #10 02-10-2015, 08:56 AM

It is a tiny one and even with misting often, the older root tips dry out but it's a great grower. As I understand Tolumnia like frequent wetting but they also need to dry quickly. Not sure if the moss would cause problems or not. I love the miniatures, I can have quite a few and not worry about space. Having them in my kitchen, I enjoy them a lot and it makes it way easier to care for them.