schomburgkia undulata Mounting

[Miller]

Hello everyone!

Yesterday I came home from the Orchid snow with a schomburgkia undulata and a Den. Spectabile. I decided to mount the schomburgkia undulata on a piece of wood with spagh around the roots. I have never attempted to mount and orchid until now. How long should I wait before I place it into full sun light? Also, should i keep the spagh moist around the roots of let it dry out? thanks for any input.

Miller

[Halloamey]

Looks good, may be too much moss IMO. But as long as it dries out fast it should be ok, just remove the excess moss around the rhizome and let it breathe, the dormant buds at the base of the pseudobulbs should be exposed and dry.

[Miller]

Thanks for the insight. The picture is a bit misleading, there is not as much moss as it appears to be. The rhizome has a lot of rots on the bottom so it is raised off the wood because of that. I will poke holes around the moss to allow or more air movement below the Rhizome. As far as lighting, should I move it immediately to full sun or let it remain under the arbor and slowly move it to full sun. I am in Houston, Tx so the sun can get pretty hot.

Thanks again.

[Jose R. Nieves]

Thanks for the insight. The picture is a bit misleading, there is not as much moss as it appears to be. The rhizome has a lot of rots on the bottom so it is raised off the wood because of that. I will poke holes around the moss to allow or more air movement below the Rhizome. As far as lighting, should I move it immediately to full sun or let it remain under the arbor and slowly move it to full sun. I am in Houston, Tx so the sun can get pretty hot.

Thanks again.

Miller:

All re-potted plants should be placed on a shadier area until they adapt. My undulata takes full sunlight but only in the morning. As you can see in your plant it has a "stepladder" way of growing, they do better mounted vertical. Also expect a long spike, I add more wire to mine as the spike grows as really full sunlight might burn the buds. You have a nice plant.
Jose

[espranch]

Nice job! Betty

[Miller]

Thanks Jose for the information. I removed some of the moss as the Halloamey suggested. I have cork bark but decided on the log for a different look. I figured if I decided to pot it it would be horizontal so the log should not be a problem hopefully! I really wanted to be able to use it as a table center piece once it got established and thought the log mount would give it a heavy base and make it more suitable as a center piece at some point. Let me know if you think it will be detrimental to the plant to have it mounted the way I have it.

Thanks!

[Miller]

Thanks Betty!

[Jose R. Nieves]

Thanks Jose for the information. I removed some of the moss as the Halloamey suggested. I have cork bark but decided on the log for a different look. I figured if I decided to pot it it would be horizontal so the log should not be a problem hopefully! I really wanted to be able to use it as a table center piece once it got established and thought the log mount would give it a heavy base and make it more suitable as a center piece at some point. Let me know if you think it will be detrimental to the plant to have it mounted the way I have it.

Thanks!

I don't think it would make a difference to the plant once established. But it will outgrow the container in one or two seasons and they do not like being disturbed. That's the only problem I see but by then you should have a new plan. Observation is a key to growing orchids. When I have a new plant that I have never grown before I usually do a research in the internet specially for pictures of plants in situ. Your local orchid society is also a great place to get first hand info. Good Luck!
Jose

[Miller]

Thanks Joe, I actually did several searches and found one that was growing in the crevice/elbow of a branch. I guess it will at some point take an upward route. I am thinking of letting it grow from the log up the post of my arbor. I don't plan on moving for a very long time so could be interesting to see.

Thanks again for the info!

[opaline]

I ve never even thought about a sympodial orchid being trained up the post of an arbour like a climbing rose or clematis. How cool that would look and showing off its blooms without obstruction and they certainly deserve to show off. Would make quite an architectural focal point. Will need a couple more i think to make a headstart of your vision. Gotta birthday coming up soon? And Houston, Texas - buy more moss could be a struggle to keep up with its thirst. Over here orchid roots have a very ephemeral sad and tragic future when they have contact with moss or potted in bark but the concept is the same, we just have a different approach to compromise and balance.

Sympodial orchids (those with a creeping surface level rhizome) i.e some dendrobiums, cattleyas outgrow mounts before mounts even rot so your hollowed tree trunk will become redundant especially with one plant with a single grow lead. In theory without intervention any crevice, wood serves as a nursery for young and in x years time they will be some distance apart. Propagation by division i.e cutting rhizome to leave each division with ample storage back up such 3 bulbs or 3 canes could in time become useful to multiply number of plants in situ. As leads progress plants have tendency to abort the very old first part of growth. Cork bark can be obtained in hollowed tubes allowing you freedom to have a more portable interior exterior focal piece. The empty bottles of fine wines or century old whiiskey are used in interior design, filled with sand for balance and a wire hook length affixed to bottle joining the vertical mounted orchid as it hangs suspended adjacently to bottle.

Just a thought!!!!!!!! Nice touch with the tree stump though! I use those to farm our mushroom variety.