Mounting Dendrobium orchids

[Miller]

So I am moved most of my collections from pots to mounts and I am happy to report all are enjoying the more natural way of growing. I have not mounted my Dends or Oncids. I would like to mount the dends next. I have not seen a lot on Dendrobiums mounted, is there a reason for this? I have some antelope types, "normals" and Spectable. Any of those not suitable?

Thanks!

[pavel]

Not really. Perhaps the biggest issue is how "top heavy" dens tend to get. Those long canes shift the center of gravity away from the base so unless you mount is REALLY heavy or is braced against a wall, etc, then a free hanging mount is going to tip so the plant is upside down.

[Miller]

I have a heavy log type piece of wood that I was thinking of mounting a den on. It should handle the weight without a problem. Glad to know it is not a cultural issue.

M.

[cakedaddy]

Depends on the dendrobium. It's such a huge genus with so many sections that it is almost impossible to make a blanket statement. I'm pretty sure most all of them would prefer being mounted, but as Pavel pointed out, the logistics of doing so can be problematic. The majority of mine are mounted, but they are all species that remain pretty small.
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[stateless]

I have 1 den mounted and it does fine, a small phal/den, however it is mounted on a heavy piece of wood. Spectabiles grow to a fairly good size but if you are using a log type mount should work. Here in florida they do great mounted on trees.good luck

[King Kjeldz]

those antelope canes grow veryyyy long u can mount them on a 4 to 6 inch in diameter mount and 18 inches long either with the mount vertical or horizontal....i have seen dendros shown for judging like this...the best is a pot for dendros if u wanna show them..they get larger!!! down here we mount on the top of vertical posta or concrete pillars in the garden.....they do very well

[Dorsetman]

The thing to remember about mounting or not, is that no one ever found an orchid growing wild in a pot ! So in theory - ( ah ... theory ! ) everything should do well mounted , unless it is naturally a terrestrial.
I have seen two species growing terrestrially - D.infundibulum ( or one of its very near sister species) , and D.delacourii ( and the latter was in the same location growing everywhere and every which way - it was colonising a patch of burnt out forest and every plant was D.delacourii , - well almost ) ; I have also seen one growing lithophytically - D.senile. But maybe, especially if I had been able to idenfify the ones I have seen which were not in flower at the time, I have seen twenty times that many growing "mounted" sometimes on the sides of straight trunked trees with no obvious place for the plant to hang on ( D.amabile growing on teak).

But its all a great adventure, this orchid growing lark. I would say, if a plant is growing really well in a pot, why shift it ? If it is a new acquisition, can you divide it, and try it two ways ? If it is not growing very well, what have you got to lose !

I have been told of a German trader who has an annual importation of Indian orchids - species - bare root ... I'm being extra specially nice to my dear wife, before I ask for a 48 hour leave pass , and intend to try and get 2 each of a number of my of my old favourites ( D.devoniaum, D wardianum, D.aphyllum etc ) which I used to grow when I first started, many years ago ; I used to organise an annual import from an Indian firm - they arrived filing a tea-chest ( plywood box, some 60cm sided cube)... WE can't get Indian imports in UK nowadays because of some spat between Kew and the Indian people I have been told ; Kew doesn't think they can be trusted with a phyto or something....

[zainal abidin]

Well for the small plants I can mounts to piece of log but those bigger cane from Indonesia I prefer huge clay pot thinking about the stability later and never rot in contrast wood drift after period of time it will decay and then difficult to handle the huge plant and ultimately need to put into big pots

[Miller]

those antelope canes grow veryyyy long u can mount them on a 4 to 6 inch in diameter mount and 18 inches long either with the mount vertical or horizontal....i have seen dendros shown for judging like this...the best is a pot for dendros if u wanna show them..they get larger!!! down here we mount on the top of vertical posta or concrete pillars in the garden.....they do very well

Funny thing is I thought antelope types were on the smaller end of Dends from what I have seen! Good thing I listed them.

The thing to remember about mounting or not, is that no one ever found an orchid growing wild in a pot ! So in theory - ( ah ... theory ! ) everything should do well mounted , unless it is naturally a terrestrial.
I have seen two species growing terrestrially - D.infundibulum ( or one of its very near sister species) , and D.delacourii ( and the latter was in the same location growing everywhere and every which way - it was colonising a patch of burnt out forest and every plant was D.delacourii , - well almost ) ; I have also seen one growing lithophytically - D.senile. But maybe, especially if I had been able to idenfify the ones I have seen which were not in flower at the time, I have seen twenty times that many growing "mounted" sometimes on the sides of straight trunked trees with no obvious place for the plant to hang on ( D.amabile growing on teak).

But its all a great adventure, this orchid growing lark. I would say, if a plant is growing really well in a pot, why shift it ? If it is a new acquisition, can you divide it, and try it two ways ? If it is not growing very well, what have you got to lose !

I have been told of a German trader who has an annual importation of Indian orchids - species - bare root ... I'm being extra specially nice to my dear wife, before I ask for a 48 hour leave pass , and intend to try and get 2 each of a number of my of my old favourites ( D.devoniaum, D wardianum, D.aphyllum etc ) which I used to grow when I first started, many years ago ; I used to organise an annual import from an Indian firm - they arrived filing a tea-chest ( plywood box, some 60cm sided cube)... WE can't get Indian imports in UK nowadays because of some spat between Kew and the Indian people I have been told ; Kew doesn't think they can be trusted with a phyto or something....

I was really wanting to put my spectabile on the the "log mount" it is a heave piece of would and the Speactabile is growing in a way they is already causing the pot to tilt and eventually to fall over. It has 5 spikes now so was planning on waiting until it bloomed (This is my first bloom for this plant and Spectabile). I read they like to be a bit more moist than other Dends so don't know if the mount is the best issue from that angel.

M.

[Miller]

I thought of the eventual rotting on the log but then I will just put it into a larger clay pot or basket. Those are some nice sized ones in the photo!

Well for the small plants I can mounts to piece of log but those bigger cane from Indonesia I prefer huge clay pot thinking about the stability later and never rot in contrast wood drift after period of time it will decay and then difficult to handle the huge plant and ultimately need to put into big pots