My first attempt at a mount- let me know what you think! - Orchid Board

astrid · #1 03-06-2015, 10:16 PM

Hey everyone!

This brassavola nodosa x grandiflora was purchased in a tiny 2" black pot that overheated too much in bright sun for my liking.

So I decided to toss all the old bark media and try something new and unusual. I just wrapped the roots ina ball of sphagnum moss and tied it all up in a mesh that I got from a bag of oranges. It's nothing fancy!

I plan to let the sphagnum go bone dry, then dip it in water, then repeat. I'm hanging it in a south-facing window with full sun, shaded by an old translucent shower curtain.

I have been having reasonably good results growing several different types of orchids in pure sphagnum lately, and I am someone who forgets to water rather than someone who overwaters. The sphagnum moss is somewhat tight around the roots, but the sphagnum at the base of the growths is pretty loose and just held down by a loosely criss-crossed thread.

I can't wait for it to settle in and bloom for me, I've heard the nighttime fragrance is citrusy and simply divine!

Let me know what you think!! Does this even really count as being mounted? I am not sure.

AnonYMouse · #2 03-06-2015, 10:36 PM

Don't know how that will do since I don't grow Brassies.

I wouldn't call that a mount, the roots don't have anything to grow onto. Not exactly kokedama either.

Not-Bob/Quay displayed some orchids like this a couple/more years ago.

---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

Not-Bob's display:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-sos-show.html

Daethen · #3 03-06-2015, 10:54 PM

It might work. I had a nodosa that had over 50 growths that I had on a big piece of wood. I didn't let it go bone dry very often, and it was very happy. It gave me 11 spikes last summer. I hope a small piece of it survived the recent greenhouse mishap.

Mandy2705 · #4 03-07-2015, 04:58 AM

I really like this Astrid. I would love to do something like this in a bathroom over the bathtub or sink

When I saw this, kokedama came to mind. I think it's wonderful I can't wait for update on this one.

astrid · #5 03-07-2015, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandy2705

I really like this Astrid. I would love to do something like this in a bathroom over the bathtub or sink

When I saw this, kokedama came to mind. I think it's wonderful I can't wait for update on this one.

I'm getting more and more excited now, too! I feel like this was a pretty good idea and a lot of people on my youtube channel like this as well.

I think I would love to do a few more orchids in a kokedama-esque style. Some compact growing paphs would look amazing on an upright-hanging kokedama!! I really want a paph bellatula and it would look wonderful and alien if grown this way... that said I've heard they are challenging plants and I don't want to try them just yet!

Thanks for your input and nice comments!

Stray59 · #6 03-07-2015, 10:03 PM

Astrid:
For a first try, you did really well. I have been mounting orchids for several years now and my first one was no where near as nice.
A wood plank would give it something to anchor to, but IMO there is nothing that says a Brassovola nodosa has to be anchored, as long as it's roots can stabilize and not be constantly jostled or moved around. Thus a mounting slab does help in that manner, but this looks like a fun experiment!
I have used the nylon mesh at times, depending on the mount, and have had no problems with it, but I haven't had to untangle the roots from one yet - that may turn my opinion if it is too much of an issue to remove when the time comes for re-mounting.
As for orientation, and again, this is just my opinion, as it is a B. nodosa you have it pointed correctly - ie. downward; when mounted, B. nodosa point downward, nut from what I have learned the "front" of the orchid, the side that has the new growth appearing, should be given as much room to grow onto new areas of moss as possible. I think I would have tried to get the oldest, back-side of the plant on the near the top of the moss ball, so the new growth can creep downward onto the unplanted surface. You can probably just roll the ball backwards a little to achieve this. You may need to take some nylon thread and "pull" the new growth tips flat to the surface until they anchor there, then they can be removed.
Just some thoughts - great first attempt and very inventive. Keep us posted!