Start of a journey (miniature Pleurothallid quaratine/prop box)

[BWG139]

Phase two. This is a larger Sterilite bin (66 qt). The fan is an 80 mm one identical to that in my original bin. I also have a 120 mm and was unsure which to use, but since they are adjustable speed I decided to start smaller. The lighting is cheap Hygger LED aquarium lights, same as original bin. This time I used two lights running front to back, instead of along the length. According to my cheap light meter this is more optimum, but it requires an additional outlet.

Plants are:

Dryadella: cristata and simula
Masdevallia: brachyura, discoidea, geminiflora, lychniphora, popowiana and xanthina ssp. pallida
Platystele: jesupiorum
Pleurothallis: barbulata
Porroglossum: amethystinum, dalstroemii and tripollex
Restrepia: dodsonii
Scaphosepalum: andreettae
Trisetella: klingeri

Some minor leaf loss, which I'm sure might continue, but most plants so far look good, other than perhaps the Dryadella simula.

After four hours spent mounting, I'm still just as terrible at it. I'm not sure if it's the ideal method, but I take random cork piece, tie a small amount of spaghnum to it and then mount the orchid growing upright with roots uncovered. The Porroglossum tripollex already needs fixed since it's leaning forward. Oddly enough, despite ordering from Ecuagenera the three smallest plants (Dryadella simula, Pleurothallis barbulata and Platystele jesupiorum) came mounted.

My plan is just to treat them as normal unless there's something I should be doing to extra baby them. It appears (I'll admit that other than the Restrepia they are placed haphazardly) room for more, but I'd be nervous adding unquarantined plants. Fingers crossed that I picked well and keep them alive and thriving.

[Roberta]

When mounting plants, a little tricky, if you had 3 hands it would be easier. What I do is to prepare a length of my 12 lb monofilament fishing line with a loop on one end. Then, holding the plant plus mount (with sphag if you're using it) you can put the loose end of the line though the loop, tighten it up, then wind it around the plant and mount, when you use up the length, tie it off with a half hitch knot. If an "extra hand" for the end of the fish line is needed, I grab in my teeth and pull. Recently, I have gotten some elastic cord from Tarzane Group where I have ordered quite a few nice miniature plants, and that's even easier to work with than the fishing line. So if you get an opportunity to get that, even better. But fishing line is easy to obtain... 12 lb test is the "sweet spot" - 10 lb tends to break too easily, 14 lb is too stiff especially for small plants. (Not my idea... that's what Andy's Orchids uses, I figure if I'm going to be a copy-cat, emulate the experts who do a LOT)

[BWG139]

Thank you for the tips! A third hand would be great. I had help for attaching the mounts to the eggcrate, but that was it. My biggest issue was tying the roots to the mount, worrying about the leaves... and plant flopping over. Seeing the line was also an issue. Bad lighting and "invisible" nylon are a tough combo. Not enough to make me never wish to expand the collection at some point.

[Roberta]

Don't be too concerned about tying roots to the mount. Only the new roots will attach to the mount, so the old ones (which of course are still actively contributing to the plant) can go wherever. That's why it is so important to orient the plant with the new growth (where the new roots will emerge) next to the mount (even if it might look better for the moment going the other way, don't be tempted, when mounting you're working toward the future) Potting, as well as mounting, is best done just as new roots are emerging, since the old ones are "habituated" to the old medium, it's the new ones that will quickly establish in their new "home". But for mounting, it's especially critical, so that the new roots attach to the mount.

[BWG139]

I should be careful reading random sites on the internet, because that is not how I mounted either time. Both times I've had plants mounted upwards. Some of those have attached at least. I also don't have a covering of spaghnum over the roots, which hasn't caused any issues the first time.

Since my goal is an eventuality terrarium, would I be wise to remount now? I'm unsure whether to use cuttings or entire plants in that future project, as both ideas make me nervous.

[Roberta]

Don't divide a plant until you can get 3 or more pseudobulbs per division. If the roots have attached, that's great. As far as direction, upwards is fine for most. (There are a few that tend to grow downward). The mistake people tend to make s to mount for aesthetics with new growth outward. If yours are attaching, you did it right. Don't change it... As far as sphagnum is concerned, you can cover roots with it if the the particular plant needs extra moisture (like Pleurothallids). But for most, it is unnecessary, for those that like to dry out like Catts and Vandaceous, even counter-productive. Except for Pleurothallids and such, I definitely don't put sphag under the plant... if I do it at all to fill in a gap in the mount, only a little, since I want the roots to attach to the mount not the sphag. (I have remounted essentially all of my Andy plants that have a lump of sphaghum, it serves a purpose for a commercial nursery where plants have to survive shipping and display in dry exhibit areas (and need to be easy to remove from the mount when they get big) but for long-term growing, not so much.

[Roberta]

Here's a Laelia dayana (Cattleya bicalhoi) that I mounted 2 years ago. Note that the old part, including some leafless backbulbs, just sort of sticks out... there clearly was some new root growth that had started when I mounted it (under the tie) that grew into the mount. The newest roots climbed upward. The new growth direction will tend to go around the mount, eventually probably will spiral upward.

[Roberta]

Here's a Restrepia that I mounted about 5 years ago. Note the pad of moss on top of the roots. (There's none underneath) The fishing line is getting lose and brittle, deplasticizing, the plant no longer needs it but I don't bother to remove it until it gets in the way, There's one new root going into the moss pad, most of the new roots are escaping out the bottom of the pad. A new growth is just starting. I haven't changed the moss, and wouldn't want to, that would disturb roots.

[BWG139]

Thank you for the information, and especially the pictures. Certainly helps me to see what I should have done. I placed a thin pad of spaghnum (only a few threads) between the wood and roots with no covering. I also could have done much better orienting the roots.

[Roberta]

The plants will tell you about orientation... time to sit back and observe. I have plenty where I guessed wrong, ended up remounting, But any orientation where the roots attach is a good one. In nature, wherever the seedlings germinate, they figure out how to grow.