Mounting a Tomumnia - Orchid Board

voyager · #1 09-08-2014, 05:49 AM

I have acquired my first Tolumnias, a pair of NoIDs picked up at a local farmer's market for $5 apiece.
My personal favorite mounting method is on a cedar or redwood raft with the raft filled with NZ sphagnum moss.
I have used that method for almost all my mounted orchids that were grown in-home. It worked well in those low humidity conditions. Here, on the windward side of the Big Island, rainfall and humidity are higher than what I'm used to dealing with. A Dendrobium species mounted on an 8" x 8" raft filled with NZ sphagnum moss when hung under an eve out of the rain but still subject to morning dew and the naturally humid air, is taking about 3 days to dry out, so far.

When I bought them it was hinted that they would not do very well if just stuck out onto a tree, we're too wet here. So, l I looked into Tolumnia cultivation requirements. Sure enough, they do not like their roots staying wet very long. They need to dry out quickly and stay that way for a while.

Being still hung up on my sphagnum moss and raft system I've decided to try this:

It will not allow me to post a link to a photobucket pic. I cannot get my questions properly asked without showing 2 photos to illustrate my intent in order to ask for thoughts on its viability. How do I get allowed to post links to photos? If I can't, I withdraw my questions.

MattWoelfsen · #2 09-08-2014, 08:13 AM

Regarding posting photos, you have to have five posts before you can upload a photo from your photo album. If you are going to use Photobucket, you can grab the HTML/BB code and post here as text, it will link back to Photobucket. If you use this method, there are no photo restrictions.

Regarding Tolumnia in Hawaii. There is a member here, named Hawaiian Sunshine. He posts a lot of beautiful Hawaiian grown orchids and I think he also hybrids Tolumnia. Recently he made available several of his Tolumnia for sale. I was grateful I was able to purchase his plants, five of them. Here is a picture of my five Tolumnia hybrid.

Notice that these are growing in a net pot and an outside solid pot. They are grown bare root. Here in Indiana, I'm going to have to put some NZ Sphagnum moss in the pot to give the plant a small period of dampness. I might do what you are contemplating and mount them on a slab.

Rodrumnia by MattWoelfsen, on Flickr

I think using sphagnum moss would keep your Tolumnia too wet, too long. I have been growing my other Tolumnia hanging in pots with the same culture as other Oncidium.

cbuchman · #3 09-08-2014, 10:30 AM

I grow mine mounted (in New Jersey USA). I have 3 on a branched piece of hardwood; one on a piece of cork; and one on another piece of hardwood.. Each started with a small pad of moss underneath to help it get established. Over time, the moss disintegrates and disappears.

It takes about a year to get roots growing out of the moss and all over the wood or cork. I'd say that the cork has done the best growing roots. They are misted daily in the morning (OK - sometimes, I miss a day

) and in hot weather 2 or even 3 times a day.

I watch them carefully for any wrinkles in the leaves that might indicate insufficient watering. Yes - they can be under watered!

Now my hope is to get my three mounted together to bloom at the same time!

Oscarman · #4 09-08-2014, 12:16 PM

I would think in your environment a bare mount on cork, tree fern, or epiweb would be good without moss. If you Dendro is taking that long to dry out, you definitely want a mount that allows the Tolumnias to dry quickly.

In my grow room the Tolumnias are mounted on epiweb with a small amount of NZ moss underneath. They get sprayed daily in the am and are dry by lunch. 55-65% RH, constant oscillating air movement around the room.

lotis146 · #5 09-08-2014, 10:25 PM

My Tolumnia Buck Hollow x Sib came to me in a 2" clay pot bare root, its roots clinging to the inside of the pot. I ended up tossing in some pieces of coconut coir to help this environment stay a little more moist because I'm not good with regular misting. So far it's growing another growth albeit slowly. The plant itself sits down in the pot and has been outside all summer (in Michigan).

My micro mini Tolumnia lucayana Pink var. is in a one inch pot in moss but it's so small it's really just sitting on top of the moss. It's now in spike (first time!) almost in bud.

I probably don't water them enough (couple times a week maybe) and have seen some evidence of dehydration in the lucayana then once it got too much rain and the then newest growth rotted. It grew another one and that's the one in spike. They seem to tolerant drying out quite well but might grow faster with more watering.

I'm not experienced with mounting. Hope you can get your pics up, and good luck either way.

voyager · #6 09-09-2014, 06:02 AM

Thanks folks.
I was side tracked today.
Went over to Kona to go shopping at COSTCO.
We had run our food down trying to use it up before it all went bad after our week long power outage caused by Iselle. We're stocked back up again. Takes care of a lot of my anxieties.

I have decided what I'm going to do with the Equitants.
I wanted to show a photo of a piece of porous lava rock I had mounted on a 12" X 12" redwood raft and then filled the area between the edges of the rock and the frame of the raft with NZ moss. The idea being that they would have a relatively dry surface to grow on, but would be able to reach the moss if more water was wanted.

I'm not going to use the moss in this mounting. But, I could change my mind and add it later. By hanging the mount under the eves of the lanai, keeping it out of the rains, the natural humidity with occasional watering should give them enough moisture.
If not, I'll just have to increase my frequency of watering.

I'll have to admit, I am reluctant to get back into the high maintenance care of the orchids that I had to practice while trying to grow them under sub arctic conditions. I am looking to make it a lot less labor intensive around here. I think it can be done.

More orchids.
Less work.
That is my goal.

MattWoelfsen · #7 09-09-2014, 07:50 AM

Methinks you have achieved "less labor intensive" orchid growing by moving to Hawaii. While Indiana is not as cold as Alaska, Winter is the bane of my existence. Tonight the first of many cold fronts moves in dropping night time temperature to the mid-40F's, so all my outdoor orchids have to be moved inside.

voyager · #8 09-09-2014, 03:43 PM

I fully understand the dread of winter and its effect on trying to grow orchids. At least you're far enough south that you get more than 4 hours of daylight on the solstice. That should help a lot.
My sympathies go out to all orchid growers north of 45°N or south of 45°S. If you can bloom them after their first winter, you're doing something right.