Mounting plants with a rambling habit

[Mike O'C]

What is the best way to grow plants with a rambling creeping rhizome? I have tried fixing them to a piece of wood. I copied the idea I saw in a building where they had mad a "tube" out of galvanised welded mesh lined with coir and I also tried doing the same with plastic mesh. Both the galvanised tube and the plastic "sausage" are lined on the inside with coir and filled with chunks of pine bark. With the tube and the "sausage" the plants do not seem to root and when they do the roots refuse to penetrate through the coir and into the bark. When I fix them to a piece of wood (usually a big slab of pine bark) they tend to outgrow the slab quickly. Then too what is best once you have them fixed to a slab? Do you grow them horizontally ot do you suspend the slab vertically? In nature I only seem to find our epiphytes growing horizontally.

[cb977]

I have found that the best stuff to use for mounted "ramblers" is a slab of Epiweb. The plants love the stuff!

Category Listing - EpiWeb

[Orchidaholic]

I use various materials for mounting onto but for those plants with the "wild" rhizomes I place the leading growth facing downward and positioned high on the mount.

[Pippin]

Why ?

[isurus79]

I usually fix my mounts vertically, but thats because vertically hanging plants take up less space. You can direct the orchids where you want them to grow by changing the position of the plant compared with the sun because the plants will naturally try to grow towards the sun, usually. Shade loving plants will often grow away from the sun. Changing the position of the plant to direct its growth can help fill in areas of the mount (or pot for that matter) that are "orchid free." There is a fine line to walk, however, because changing the postition of the plant with comparison to the sun too often can disrupt its cycles, thus ruining growth or preventing flowers. I try to have my plants grow in one direct until they are about to grow over the pot/mount and then change the postition of the pot/mount so that the plant will grow into other regions of the pot/mount. I might change the position once a year or once every other year. Again, you dont want to do this too often or bad things can happen. Of course, if you have a plant that grows in all directions, then all bets are off! Just grow, divide, grow, divide, etc.

[Mike O'C]

Originally Posted by cb977

I have found that the best stuff to use for mounted "ramblers" is a slab of Epiweb. The plants love the stuff!

Category Listing - EpiWeb

Thanks for the much appreciated reply but what is "Epiweb"?

[Orchidaholic]

Pippin I take it the why was towards me. I plant ramblers like nodosa crosses "upside down" so they will fill the mount instead of rocketing in a straight line off the mount. I do the same when mounting a dendrobium too.

Mike, epiweb is a manmade material that is very similar to treefern fiber. I still use treefern but the epiweb will NEVER rot away.

[Pippin]

Thank you, it makes perfect sense now.

[cb977]

Originally Posted by Mike O'C

Thanks for the much appreciated reply but what is "Epiweb"?

Epiweb

[Mike O'C]

Originally Posted by Orchidaholic

Pippin I take it the why was towards me. I plant ramblers like nodosa crosses "upside down" so they will fill the mount instead of rocketing in a straight line off the mount. I do the same when mounting a dendrobium too.

Mike, epiweb is a manmade material that is very similar to treefern fiber. I still use treefern but the epiweb will NEVER rot away.

Thanks Orchidaholic. Don't think it is available here. Never seen it around. Will have to stick to bark