Hello again-
I have a small growing
Dendrobium aggregatum which does really well mounted. It is a great, TOUGH little orchid which will take a lot of abuse. There are two varieties of this, Jenkinsii and Lindleyi. I prefer the Lindleyi variety, as the bloom spikes are longer and have a multitude of quarter sized, slightly fragrant golden blooms, whereas Jenkinsii has shorter spikes with few blooms of about the same size, color and scent. They like a bright spot in the summer with lots of water and fertilizer when in growth, a sunny, dry & cool rest period in the winter or non-growth period. Following, or at the end of the rest period they will send up spikes - Time to water well and enjoy the blooms.
When mounting you want to consider the growth rate as a quickly growing orc will need re-mounting quicker and re-mounting can be a really intensive procedure.
Many
Phalaenopsis species LOVE mounts -
Phalaenopsis violacea is one that pops to mind - and it presents really well in a mount. The hybrids are often too quick in growth for my mounting preferences, but many species grow slower and stay smaller.
Tolumnia species (often called mini -oncidiums) almost crave mounting as they need great drainage - and they are being bred in way cool colors now.
Your
Potinara and
many Sophrolaeliacattleya. hybrids are smaller and more compact but they grow quickly, often having two bloom cycles a year - this means two growth cycles a year and thus they often outgrow the mount in no time.
Brassavola nodosa, cucullata, ovalformis, etc. stay compact, have beautiful fragrant blooms, love to be mounted and present very well. I have several varieties of these, because they are an old favorite of mine. Many of the
BrassavolaLaelia crosses remain small and compact because of the influence of the Brassavola - BL. Yellow Bird is a great mount possibility due to the compact nature and the easy culture. You need to check the size of the plant before you buy as some BL.'s get tall due to the Laelia influence.
Many of the
Bulbophyllum species / hybrids are wonderful on mounts. They do have to be kept damp but they will stay on the same mount for many years and when they bloom, they often look like something from another planet - one of my fav's - Gosh, I have a LOT of fav's.
Some of the straight
Cattelya species will stay small and prefer mounts - C. schilleriana comes to mind. You just need to check the overall growth habit before you buy as some are HUGE.
Also - you may look into
Sedirea japonica varieties - they like moisture, so you would have to keep them damp (not wet). They are easy to grow and bloom and in Japan, where they are referred to as "Wind Orchids", are probably one of the most common home orchids as they love windowsill culture, are small (limited living space in Japan) and are fragrant.
The same for
Sophronitis coccinea, grandiflora, (love the red Cat. shaped blooms!)
Sophronitis etc. They stay small, bloom great but are a little picky as they have to have high humidity, but abhor high temps. The hybrids (4N) varieties are more tolerant of home temps and humidity, so I would suggest these if you are interested in a little challenge - can be pricey though.
These are the orchids I have in my collection that are small and would do well on mounts.
But remember, everyone seems to love the way orchids look on mounts, but you do not see that many mounted-ones in home collections. The reason for this is often the difficulty with watering. I can spray a mounted orchids off with a regular pump-pressure sprayer as I have plastic mounted to the wall behind my collection, or they are on a protected wire shelf. Otherwise I would have to take the orchid to the sink / bathtub and water it. Mounts can be a hassle for this reason. And if you miss a watering, there is little to no substrate (medium) to hold moisture and a moisture lover will resent this or may die. I have lost a LOT of mounted ones in the past due to one or two missed waterings.
I truly love the mounts, but because of the need for almost constant attention, I don't have but one or two mounted at this time. The Dendrobium variety that started this post, and perhaps the Tolumnia are the most tolerant and forgiving that I have. I pot the others in clay pots, as I occasionally want to go on vacation and don't trust others to come in and water them.
Hope this gives you some options - Google the names and look at the "Images" to see if you like any of them.
Best of luck - let us know your decision. You will also want to check the "Growing on Mounts" section to see what others are doing.
Steve
WOW - this turned out to be a much longer post than I thought it would - sorry! SR
with envy!!!
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