Moving orchids to a larger mount?

[tucker85]

I've only been growing mounted orchids for a couple of years. I now have two that have outgrown their mounts and I want to attach them to a larger mounts. The problem is that these two orchids have grown pseudobulbs on all four sides of the smaller mounts. Does anyone have any experience with this problem? How do I attach them to a larger mount?

[Gage]

Is there any open space on the mount? If so, you can attach something to that part of the mount to expand it. If there is little or no open space I think you are as they say back home "up a creek" [without a paddle]. Or depending on what it is, you may be able to divide it, mount and all, and then attach the division(s) to a larger mount. Can you post pictures or maybe describe the plant and type of mount? Sounds like a fun project.

[billc]

After destroying several phals I had mounted, I figured out it's better to just take the whole existing mount and mount that on to a bigger slab. The roots really take a beating when you try ever so gently to free them.

Bill

[Call_Me_Bob]

any reason you cant just leave it the way it is? and just end up as a ball o' orchid?

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by Call_Me_Bob

any reason you cant just leave it the way it is? and just end up as a ball o' orchid?

That's a possibility but one of the orchids looks too large for the mount it's on. It just looks like it should be on something bigger.

Both of these orchids were on mounts when I bought them and vendors don't waste their money using large mounts. I realize now that I should have tied them to a new mount when I first purchased them.

Thanks for the suggestion. I may just leave them alone.

[gnathaniel]

Haven't had that problem come up more than a couple of times, but my favorite of the suggestions I got is just to stick the whole mount in an empty or nearly-so wood basket, allowing all sides of it to continue receiving light, water, air, etc. Of course, depending on the size and shape you can't always get an ideal fit, but from what I saw at the greenhouse of the person who told me to do that it usually provides a workable solution.

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Haven't had that problem come up more than a couple of times, but my favorite of the suggestions I got is just to stick the whole mount in an empty or nearly-so wood basket, allowing all sides of it to continue receiving light, water, air, etc. Of course, depending on the size and shape you can't always get an ideal fit, but from what I saw at the greenhouse of the person who told me to do that it usually provides a workable solution.

That sounds like a good idea.

[james mickelso]

Can you carefully cut the mount or should I say whittle the mount out so that you can splay it out flat and then mount that? A dremel tool works well for that application. Or just let the whole thing grow into a spendid trophy. Can we see a couple of pictures? It would give us a better picture of what you are dealing with and we could come up with better suggestions. I'd love the challenge.

[RosieC]

I had to do this with my Milt spectabilis. It had grown p-bulbs everywhere and many were reaching backwards from the mount meaning I couldn't fit a bigger mount to the old one with them in the way.

Because mine was such a vigourous plant with so many bulbs I took the drastic action of removing some of the p-bulbs at the back. I still found most of the new mount was a distance away from the old mound, it was only able to touch in places based on the way there were still bulbs everywhere. However I tied it on and while initially it didn't seem secure as I picked it up to water each day, over the summer it's been in a fixed place outside and watered in-situ and roots have grown between the two mounds and so many new bulbs have grown you really can't tell I removed any.

So if you have a vigorous healthy plant that might be a solution. I hated removing some, but it really didn't suffer for it in the long run.

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by RosieC

I had to do this with my Milt spectabilis. It had grown p-bulbs everywhere and many were reaching backwards from the mount meaning I couldn't fit a bigger mount to the old one with them in the way.

Because mine was such a vigourous plant with so many bulbs I took the drastic action of removing some of the p-bulbs at the back. I still found most of the new mount was a distance away from the old mound, it was only able to touch in places based on the way there were still bulbs everywhere. However I tied it on and while initially it didn't seem secure as I picked it up to water each day, over the summer it's been in a fixed place outside and watered in-situ and roots have grown between the two mounds and so many new bulbs have grown you really can't tell I removed any.

So if you have a vigorous healthy plant that might be a solution. I hated removing some, but it really didn't suffer for it in the long run.

Thanks for sharing your experience. That sounds like a good idea.