Oh yes, a large plant might get very heavy that way, which would be another consideration to use a basket of sorts.
It really depends on the Orchid/size/what I have on hand/what else am I trying out.....I grow them in all sorts of containers and mounted.
I think I rarely use a fancy pot to show off the plant, most of the time it just isn't practical for me.

Although I do get "fancy" with the Chinese cymbidium pots. And BTW, I mix in coconut chunks from the bricks into my cym medium.

Oh, do you Kathy?! Isn't that the fine, almost powdery stuff? Or is this something else?

The bricks break down into coir chunks that don't break down. I also mix in lava rocks and sponge rock and a bit of sphagnum for constant dampness. Laurel has a very different mix with leaf mold that I've also tried. Miss her knowledge!!

Ursula, they sell the coir in every size from seedling mix to landscape chunks. The stuff I use for orchids is about 1/2" pieces. I'm finding some of the "orchid mixs" are now using it in place of fir bark. It does seem to break down slower than bark. The compressed bales or bricks are much lighter, and easier to store, than bark. Also cheaper to ship. It does seem to dry faster than the bark. My larger Dens are in baskets of straight coir, and loving it. The only down side is that it won't support the top heavy plants on it's own, so I'm experimenting with adding Aliflor for the weight.

Thanks for the info, Carol and Kathy. I didn't know that and now I will look for it. (I was given a block of it some years ago and that must have been the very fine stuff, it was almost powdery.)
Great!!

Some folks don't like it but I can't remember why. I have always used it for cyms only.

I have a question about this plant Miltassia Sheilob
this was the bloom when I purchased the plant
here's the new bloom from a new spike


the new flowers are much darker..is this just because they are new and who knows how long the first blooms had been
open prior to my purchase? Kathy you had said earlier that the first blooms were peloric...are the second set also pleoric?
If so, will it always bloom peloric or are the flowers always variable?

Lindsey, your blooms are peloric this time as well. The darker color is probably the result of more light when they were developing. I have found some of my Onc. Alliance develop a deeper color when exposed to more light. Where all of the blooms have opened peloric on the two bloomings you have seen it will probably remain peloric.

Here is a link that explains Peloria in orchids.
http://angrek.com/AAOS/Past/98...

My Mtssa. Shelob 'Tolkien' now in orchid heaven in dark and light color.

My experience with distortions is that growing in less than optimal conditions can cause it and it can be fine the next bloom period. But pelorics may be an exception. I'd say you wont know till the next bloom period for sure.
Here is an example. Laelia lundii x Epi. longipetalum. Last Feb. it grew lots of strange shaped flowers. And look at the blooms now. Actually, I'd like one of each thank you!

Ken, thank you for the excellent link!
Kathy, that's an interesting side by side of the Laelia , I'd like one of each also!

I just noticed a little plantlet is growing on the roots of Vanda Merv L Velthius x V. Princess Blue.
Is this normal?

Sounds like a keiki (sp?) is that Hawaiian for 'baby'?

You mean really growing on the roots? Not on the lower part of the main stem?

We need a pic!!

wow Vandas don't grow many babies and when they do there usually been damaged. Has yours janice?

Thanks, everyone!
Lindsey, keiki was my first thought, but uncertain cuz of where it is growing..
Bree, this came from Lowe's a few months ago, where they throw them in a pile and no water, so Damage? Probably.
Anything I buy there, I look at as a "rescue". LOL.

If it does not originate from the main stem, but seemingly from "no-where", perhaps you have a little bonus plant/a small seedling? In any case it would be nice to see what it is when it starts blooming.

Could be another sibling from the flask along for a ride in the roots....are the seedling roots attached or separate from the big plant?

They are attached.