Which materials you prefer for mounting your orchids?

[theflowerbread]

Personally I like cork bark pieces and nice driftwood for artistic mounts. But I found great also clay pot mounts and I'm looking forward to try it soon!

[Chris in Hamilton]

Only one is on your list and it depends on the plant but my preferences in order - weathered cedar root (driftwood sort of), hardwood slab, cedar slab and cork bark, especially cork tubes. I've been thinking about trying clay saucers.

[Azizan]

I have never try mounting my orchids on my own before but I have bought several orchids mounted. Can someone explain cork bark, pine bark, driftwood etc?

[Chris in Hamilton]

Cork bark comes from a tree, Quercus suber, that for the most part is grown and harvested in Spain. Same thing as natural wine corks. Lasts a really long time when used as a mount. Pine bark usually refers to a slab of pine wood with the bark left on or bark from a conifer that has very thick bark. Fir or redwood are examples. Driftwood is wood that has floated around in large bodies of water for a very long time. After all the wear and tear it becomes quite attractive.

[Cjcorner]

I love pine bark or pine in about any form for my plants that are normally mounted. I live in sunny Florida and I buy bags of pine bark mulch to line baskets with, to fill pots for things that need x large bark and anything that isn't growing well in other mediums. There is something about pine that my orchids seem to love...even cheap pine boards from boxstore work.

[WanderingBob]

But, can't add anything and I think the majority of orchid growers do as I do:

I grow in fir bark (with sphagnum, perlite, charcoal and peat where warranted), in a plastic pot.

[gjanick1]

Here in Thailand, it really depends on the type of orchid which medium to choose. My vandas just grow so great in hanging baskets with no medium (because of the extreme humidity in the air). Most of my dendrobiums and catts grow in baskets inside coconut husks. Most grower/sellers also do it this way.