watering B little stars

[brit6v]

Thank you everyone.....Margo, Bruce, Randy, Ron, Smwboxer, and Michael.
I decided to start over and redo the mount entirely. I wanted to take your advice and remove some sphag, as well as mount the orchid roots-up as you suggested, Bruce. When I got to the "roots-up part", I tried and I tried...but just couldn't get the hang of it, for some reason. I even blamed my difficulty on the mount so I ordered some cork ones. They should arrive later this week, so I'm planning to give it another shot then. Actually, much of my confusion was in positioning the foliage. I'm unclear as to whether it should lay flat against the mount or not. If it is, I don't understand how it will bushout as it grows. I think I should readup on mounting instructions more. As for watering...I appreciate your advice. If I ever get my mounting project completed, I understand better now how I should water.
Thanks again,
Vicki

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thank you everyone.....Margo, Bruce, Randy, Ron, Smwboxer, and Michael.
I decided to start over and redo the mount entirely. I wanted to take your advice and remove some sphag, as well as mount the orchid roots-up as you suggested, Bruce. When I got to the "roots-up part", I tried and I tried...but just couldn't get the hang of it, for some reason. I even blamed my difficulty on the mount so I ordered some cork ones. They should arrive later this week, so I'm planning to give it another shot then. Actually, much of my confusion was in positioning the foliage. I'm unclear as to whether it should lay flat against the mount or not. If it is, I don't understand how it will bushout as it grows. I think I should readup on mounting instructions more. As for watering...I appreciate your advice. If I ever get my mounting project completed, I understand better now how I should water.
Thanks again,
Vicki

Hi Vicki,

I should have given you instruction to begin with. The foliage of the plant will go below the mount. I will attach a photo of a nodosa that I have mounted. I just divided this one about two months ago and sent the large half to a friend in Virginia.

Instructions:

1. wet mount.
2. wet a small bit of sphag and the little stars roots well.
3. sit the sphag on the mount and dress the plants roots over the sphag. They should lay mostly flat. Some of the leaves will stick up, but most will hang down (especially if this has been grown in a pot for some time).
4. use mono-filiment (fishing line) or even old panty-hose to secure the roots and sphag to the mount.
5. Hang the mount in your growing area.

Notice in the photo how the blooms hang down as they do when growing in the wild.
Also of note - we use live Spanish moss instead of sphag.



The one in the photo below has been growing for 20 years mounted onto a clay pot. This was a gift we got in September from Gin. Thought you would like to see how big these can get.



Cheers,
BD