Jungle Log Resources

[farley101]

I'm hoping that they grow that well! I'll definitely keep an eye on them. If they do as well as they are supposed to I'll make new logs for them and hopefully transfer them while I still can!

[james j]

So I dug out my Kool logs and made myself 3 jungle logs. I bought some sheet moss but everything else I had already. I made each one slightly different. I took a lot of pictures, I apologize in advance for the long post.

First one I kept simple, wrapped sphagnum moss and attached 2 plants. Both were back bulbs from other plants so no big loss if they don’t make it. I used twist tie to hold the moss on because my chubby fingers has trouble tying knots in fishing line. Plants are a twinkle Oncidium and Promenaea ovatiloba. I did this one a week ago.

Second I put some work into. I didn’t really like the shape of the 2 baskets and I needed to fit the size of the Kool log so I made my own with plastic hardwire cloth. I cut it to size and used zip ties to hold it together. I filled the space between the Kool log and basket with sponge rock and chopped sphagnum and wrapped the outside with sheet moss.

Again I used twist ties to hold the moss on. Another thing I did was to cut a circle from one of those fabric planters as a screen. I don’t want to start a mosquito farm.

I put a wire hanger on it and hung it from a tree branch, which made it easier to work on. I also made a little “staple” with the cut off end of a zip tie. I used this to position the plants where I wanted them, then used fishing line to hold them permanently. This one I used 4 plants, Leptotes bicolor, Dendrochilum cobbianum, Gastrochilus rutilans, and Bulbophyllum medusae. Again all back bulb divisions except for the Gastrochilus which I had mounted but wasn’t doing well.

Third was another simple one. I had a Epigeneium cacuminis that was mounted on some Hygrolon. I wrapped the Kool log with sphagnum, then the plant with the hygrolon, then a layer of moss on the outside. I put some silicone corks in the Kool logs, again to keep out mosquitoes.

I’m planning 2 more for next weekend.

[estación seca]

Take a clean clay pot. Soak it in pure water for a few days, changing daily. Set the pot inverted in a dish of pure water. Set your plant right on the the pot. The clay wicks the water. If the top (bottom) of the pot dries out, the pot is too tall for your ambient humidity.

This seems to me a lot less work for the same thing.

[DrDawn]

Originally Posted by james j

I’m planning 2 more for next weekend.

Wow, cool! You're really testing out lots of different configurations!

I've had mine running for a bit over a week, but they just weren't working in my environment. I'm not sure whether the tiny scale I tried to make them at just didn't work for them or what. The inside stayed nice and moist, but none of that moisture made it to the outside of the preserved moss except for the very bottom of the jungle log. So, today I ripped them apart and tried mounting the two Masdies on the outside of the terracotta watering stakes (pic attached). I potted up the two Tolumnias in coarse bark. We'll see if that makes everyone happier!

I always love a little experimenting!

[DrDawn]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Take a clean clay pot. Soak it in pure water for a few days, changing daily. Set the pot inverted in a dish of pure water. Set your plant right on the the pot. The clay wicks the water. If the top (bottom) of the pot dries out, the pot is too tall for your ambient humidity.

This seems to me a lot less work for the same thing.

I'm quite space-crunched, so I'm interested in the hanging idea of the jungle logs. The pot-in-water was something I played with before but now I need to go vertical/hanging if I'm going to keep acquiring orchids.

[james j]

One thing I noticed when reading the package of my moss was that it said something about the moss being treated with a water repellent to make it last longer. When I saw that I soaked it for a few hours and wrung it out before using.

It still seems to dry fast so I plan to spray often and hopefully after a few rain storms it will hold water better.

I was also thinking that I would try hydroton pellets with the moss instead of sponge rock. I think it would be better at moving water from the core to the outside.

Since I’m using mostly divisions and back bulbs, if they die I still have a back up. I have a few more ideas I want to try out.

The reason I was drawn to this is because of the natural look of it. I think the reason I collect plants in the first place is because I love the textures, shapes and smells of nature. Since I spend most of my time in the city, I surround myself with reminders of places I’d rather be or at least hope to see at some point. So I guess growing a plant on the outside of a pot isn’t much different aesthetically than growing one on the inside.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by DrDawn

I'm quite space-crunched, so I'm interested in the hanging idea of the jungle logs. The pot-in-water was something I played with before but now I need to go vertical/hanging if I'm going to keep acquiring orchids.

I guess I was thinking about ES's suggestion from the standpoint of testing the pot for ability to wick high enough, not to leave the plant there.

Like the ones you made that didn't wick well? I'd experiment with whether the pot or log or whatever I wanted to use would actually wick, prior to wasting time getting it all prepped up and mounting something, then going Oh shoot! Some terracotta wicks well, some not so much.

I'd be interested to know how those terracotta plant waters work over a couple of weeks time. I've looked at them before.

[DrDawn]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I guess I was thinking about ES's suggestion from the standpoint of testing the pot for ability to wick high enough, not to leave the plant there.

Ah yes, I tested the terracotta stakes before I assembled the jungle logs. The terracotta works great by itself, but I think something about the thickness of the perlite/spag mixture and the moss together in the way I assembled the jungle logs didn't work. So that's why I went back to the terracotta which seemed to be fine before I put everything else around them. This morning the stakes/plants were definitely much better, slightly cool across the whole stake and just a bit damp at the very bottom pointy end. I'm curious to see how they work over time!

[WaterWitchin]

Shouldn’t it be moist along the whole spout? Otherwise how would it water? Just asking, no experience with them.

[DrDawn]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Shouldn’t it be moist along the whole spout? Otherwise how would it water? Just asking, no experience with them.

I think that it is slightly moist all the way along the whole spout (hence the cool feeling, sort of like checking water moisture levels with a bamboo skewer), but the very bottom pointy part has active water droplet formation. I don't think that I want the Masdies to be constantly dripping wet, so I mounted my plants about halfway up (not constantly experiencing water droplet formation).



I'll keep you all updated! And try to take better pictures in the daylight.