MOUNTS: Growing Plants as Epiphytes

Culture Orchid Doctor

by Robert M. [Bert] Hamilton (Compiler)

Originally published in The Orchid Doctor in 1980 and 1988

Posted by Sys Admin almost 8 years ago.

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A collection of 40,000 plants moved from pots to cork mounts proved a great success; other successful mount materials were Mexi-fern slabs, olive branches; redwood planks also served well; bad ones were Hawaiian tree-fern and a local (Calif.) oak Quercus Engelmani. OD76-38+; ODA75(4)29+
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More The Orchid Doctor Articles under the Heading Mounts

Mounts Comments
MOUNTS: Advantages After much experimentation cork bark was preferred for a large collection in California for the following: small cattleyas, dendrobiums, oncidiums, coelogynes and barkerias; much cultural advice thrown in, refer to A86-374 0
MOUNTS: Advisability of Using Every one of your plants should be mounted if space allows; place the plant in an empty pot where it gets only humidity until its roots break out,then place it on cork bark, or locust bark, or sassafras bark and water it every day. A87-795 0
MOUNTS: As Substrates for More Than One Plant A communal log can be unsatisfactory or a failure where plants are indiscriminantly combined because toxins may arise from the roots of one to damage the others. OD65-301 0
MOUNTS: Made From Trees Branches of trees with rough bark make good mounts; such as, oak, elm, sassafras, sweet gum, cherry. A74-12In California, cork oak or live oak are excellent for epidendrums, oncldiums, laelias. A70-247 0
MOUNTS: Materials for Them Slabs of cork bark, sassafras wood, aged hardwood, western cedar; coconut husks, palm-frond stems, styrofoam sheets, (believe it); they should also have pads of osmunda, husky fiber, sheet moss, sphagnum moss, oasis products, neoprene foam rubber, etc. Hillerman -- Culture manual for Angraecoid orchid growers.(1982) 15 0
MOUNTS: Re-use To a tub or pail of water add 1 tablespoon of detergent and sink the mount in it for one week; then sink it for a week in clean water before re-using. A74-772 0
MOUNTS: Slab of Cork or Rough Lumber Where the humidity is usually high, mounts of cork bark or ordinary lumber of various woods can be used. OA82-6 0
MOUNTS: Tree Fern If this is used be sure to water well because it holds fertilizer salts as a potting mix does. A86-1033 0
MOUNTS: Use of Staples Different makes, such as fence staples or electrician's staples can be pressed down over small plants on a thin pad of moss or fiber into a cork slab or other. A83-729 0
MOUNTS: Watering Do it thoroughly; water runs off them easily and wets only superficially; evaporation is rapid and salt build-up is a good possibility. A74-772 0
MOUNTS: Wooden, for Mounting Orchids Prepare the piece by cleaning the branch; spray with Cygon 2E, Diazinon or Malathion; leave to dry before attaching plant. A77-449 0

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