What medium for Aerangis citrata?

[camille1585]

A few weeks back I needed some advice for this plant, but only got part of the answers that I was looking for (ie, not mounting it for now because of the fine roots and my not so high humidity).

It came potted in sphag, but I was wondering if this is the best medium for it. So what do these guys prefer? It's in bud now, so any medium changes will happen after it's done blooming.

[calvin_orchidL]

Camille, how's your setup for mounted plants? I don't grow this one, but I feel like mounting it is the best option. I could never get aerangis to grow properly potted, but that's just in my limited experience. Sorry I couldn't be more help! If you do mount, I would go with oak, or dense treefern.

[camille1585]

For now my mounts grow on a windsill under lights with everything else, and the usual humidity is between 50 and 80%. So keeping my mounted plants is a challenge, they dry out fast!

I plan on getting an orchidarium, but don't want to get it just yet since I plan on moving within a year. I'd rather get it afterwards to limit the amount of stuff to haul.

Someone recently suggested to me that I should mount it, and it should do ok in my conditions as long as I put a good pad of sphag under the roots. And since no one is answering my potting medium questions, I figure I'll take his advice and mount it after it blooms and hope for the best. I'm thinking that next week I'll buy what I need to set up a small cheap terrarium for my more troublesome mounts until I splurge on the terrarium of my dreams.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Mounted.

[camille1585]

Since the general consensus is to mount it now, I guess I will follow that advice once it's bloomed (got nice buds starting to show now )

Next weekend I'll get a 30L plastic fishtank, I'll put a layer of hydroton and water at the bottom for humidity, and a small fan for air circulation. For lighting I'll probably screw a 50W daylight CFL into my desklamp and put it over the tank. Should work ok as a temporary setup.

[SOS]

I personally grow my fine rooted Aerangis like a Neofinetia. Clay pot with NZS collared.

[roberthar]

I grow my angraecoids in an Orchidarium at about 80% humidity and good air movement; mostly on the lower or mid shelf. I pot them in clay pots and use Repot Me Dend. classic for 2" pots and under. For larger pots I go with a Cat. mix. I let them dry out completely before dewatering. I seem to have greater success with them than growing them mounted although I do have about 50 mounted orchids in my Orchidarium.
Bob