Best wood for mounting orchids?

[Gage]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm curious to know why grapevine in particular has to be regularily sprayed with insecticide?

Insects burrow in the wood and turn it to sawdust. I figure spraying every month or two is a small price to pay for such ornate wood for mounting.

[gnathaniel]

Grapevine works okay for drier-growing plants but in my experience when kept moist it quickly molds and rots. Pieces of it I've had outside next to crape myrtle, cedar, rhododendron, and maple branches for a year or more are by far the most decayed. This is local wild grapevine I've tried, there may be some differences in durability depending on the origin and processing.

--Nat

[Gage]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Grapevine works okay for drier-growing plants but in my experience when kept moist it quickly molds and rots. Pieces of it I've had outside next to crape myrtle, cedar, rhododendron, and maple branches for a year or more are by far the most decayed. This is local wild grapevine I've tried, there may be some differences in durability depending on the origin and processing.

--Nat

That's too bad. I may have to rethink some of mine.

[glengary54]

Cedar and cypress are my woods of choice. One wood about grapevine, the vine itself rots fairly quickly but most of what you find commericially is the old gnarled burled graft sections that seem to last forever. I shy away from pine and fir because of the sap which my plants don't seem to like.

[Gage]

Originally Posted by glengary54

Cedar and cypress are my woods of choice. One wood about grapevine, the vine itself rots fairly quickly but most of what you find commericially is the old gnarled burled graft sections that seem to last forever. I shy away from pine and fir because of the sap which my plants don't seem to like.

Thanks, Glen! Good to know.

[Paul Mc]

Yup, my experience with grape vine has been that they easily mold.

[WhiteRabbit]

I've mounted on grape wood, and have had some critters bore into it Other than that it's holding up pretty well after about 3 years.

I have read rose wood (canes) may be good, but haven't tried it

[WhiteRabbit]

Originally Posted by ronaldhanko

You might try contacting Andy's Orchids. He mounts nearly everything and on different kinds of wood from cedar to branches.

Good suggestion - I have one little mounted orchid from Andy's, and whatever the wood is, it's not only holding up extremely well, but had no issues with pests nor fungus - wish I knew what kind of wood it was

[Merlyn]

I use cedar I've collected with no problems after 6 years. Andy's does use manzanita among other woods.

[Paschendale]

Originally Posted by gnathaniel

Another vendor I know uses mostly crape myrtle (though I suspect that's not common where you are), red cedar, and sassafras. I've got some things that have been on cedar and crape myrtle for 5 or 6 years with no obvious degradation beyond some weathering/silvering and a little peeling of the bark (which the roots then get under). The mounts are still quite dense and hard, whereas some of the cork mounts I have at that age are starting to get a little spongy. Rhododendron, laurel, and blueberry (tends to be smaller diameter) are also supposed to be good choices.
--Nat

I, too, would like further information on mounting orchids, mainly a couple of Phals. I have access to both red cedar and sassafras in large amounts on my property. How do you go about selecting and preparing a particular piece of wood for a mount? And would you possibly have a picture of yours on mounts so I can get an idea of what to consider?