Prepping all natural pots for permanent homes for some lucky orchid - Orchid Board

Matorchid · #1 07-14-2014, 04:18 PM

Hello all,
I have these three Treefern pots and one cork tube. I'm trying to get in the more natural way of potting my orchids. I was wondering on how to prep them to accept an orchid, and other live epiphytes. I will try to give a brief description of what I had in mind for each one. There are pictures on the bottom.
Ok on this one wanted to mount an orchid and maybe put one inside with a tilldansia or something.
Oh and don't be fooled this is a reptile tube, how would I prep it, it is not bleached.

My apologies for extra posts couldnt figure out how to resize them, was in a hurry then.

Matorchid · #2 07-14-2014, 04:23 PM

Ok now these I just plan on baby Phal or baby dendro but inside the mouth or above it with some epiphytes mounted around outside

Matorchid · #3 07-14-2014, 04:24 PM

And another

JMNYC · #4 07-14-2014, 04:42 PM

Well! I applaud the directions you are moved to re potting!

I am also knocked out by your show worthy presentations, OMG, I never do anything like that.

I think your instincts must be good and you will learn as you go, do and observe. Given the roots of whatever you pot in those containers will happily adhere to their interior walls, having to destroy the pots when repotting tho, I would think will be inherent.

I think what you are now moved to....ROCKS!

Matorchid · #5 07-15-2014, 03:06 AM

Thank you JMNYC,

I appreciate the props and I havent had this much fun with gardening in number of years. I cant wait till next year to see the full pay off. Im hoping anyway. I say that because its been very warm(downright HOT)where I am at(today 107 outside, news said102, it was 95 inside) and I dont think my collection is going to bloom again this year. I dont use a/c so it can get pretty toasty(kiddie pool here I come)in my house especially with the new bulbs I put into overhead lights. That will change when I get some money, but for now I totally enjoying the green and growth happening.

Do you have any recomendations on what to do about these pots.
I just want make sure there are no little buggies or bad bacteria embedded in these things.The cork tube is actually a Zoo med product, and is filthy inside and it seems to be a little fragile.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Also is there a specific forum to ask about mounting or do we ask our respective alliance questions.
Thank You very much.

Ray · #6 07-15-2014, 09:41 AM

As nice as the cork tube pots may look, I think you may be setting yourself up for issues if you do as planned.

I recommend only one plant per container or mount. Otherwise, if one gets a disease, it will be shared with them all, even though there may be no physical contact between the plants.

Next, any orchid you place in the tube will attach its roots to the inner wall, making repotting very difficult. If there are other plants on the outside, they may get damaged when repotting, and in all likelihood, you'll have to break up the tube to do so. It might be better to pot the plant in a standard plastic pot and insert it in the tube.

Matorchid · #7 07-15-2014, 01:53 PM

Hello Ray,
How are you, hope all is well in your day! Thank for joining the thread any input is greatly appreciated as this is my first time attempting a mounted orchid? I want to see for myself how hard it would be to do it and how much more maintenance it would be to care for it. I am not sure what it's going to be like, but I need to have at least one in my collection and just to see if I can actually do it.
With the ones I was going mount! Why would I have remount or repot? If it were in the wild what would it do?
My idea for this was to hang it either from ceiling or I was going to mount it on a old upright light fixture to kinda mimic a tree? As far as 2 plants on that I just though there maybe enough room with a couple sm tillidansias, you know, one inside of it, one outside. Your prolly right one will kill the other or push it off, right?
Thank You again, any others feel free to chime in? Without criticism one never learns.

JMNYC · #8 07-15-2014, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matorchid

Thank you JMNYC,

I appreciate the props and I havent had this much fun with gardening in number of years. I cant wait till next year to see the full pay off. Im hoping anyway. I say that because its been very warm(downright HOT)where I am at(today 107 outside, news said102, it was 95 inside) and I dont think my collection is going to bloom again this year. I dont use a/c so it can get pretty toasty(kiddie pool here I come)in my house especially with the new bulbs I put into overhead lights. That will change when I get some money, but for now I totally enjoying the green and growth happening.

Do you have any recomendations on what to do about these pots.
I just want make sure there are no little buggies or bad bacteria embedded in these things.The cork tube is actually a Zoo med product, and is filthy inside and it seems to be a little fragile.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Also is there a specific forum to ask about mounting or do we ask our respective alliance questions.
Thank You very much.

Please, from very early on, my goal was to try to emulate the evolved perfection of nature employing visualizations! But anyone heroic enough to get to the level you are now committed to....should win things!

I guess you could soak the natural containers in some fungicide, but never having tried anything like this, I am no kinda expert on it.

I just ADMIRE IT A LOT!

Ray · #9 07-16-2014, 08:22 AM

I get cork slabs and tubes from the primary importer to the US. They are first-cuttings from cork oaks in Portugal (the denser, more regular secondary growth being the source of wine corks), and I do absolutely nothing before mounting orchids on them.

You would not "mount" a plant on the inside of the tube. If you close the bottom, it can be used as a pot, but the plant will outgrow it and the medium will have to be changed periodically, hence my earlier comments about breaking it apart.

Mounting a plant on cork is relatively easy. I spread the roots out on the surface, cover them with a layer of sphagnum, and tie the whole thing on with several wraps of monofilament fishing line. Over time, the plant will attach itself to the mount, and much of the moss will fall away, and that's when I remove the fishing line.

A mounted plant requires a great deal more watering than does a potted one - at least daily; maybe more, depending upon your conditions.