I received my much anticipated order from drdawg's (Ken Ramsey) greenhouse, tropicalsandmore.com and I'm so happy! Here's photos of them all mounted on slabs of reclaimed pecky cypress boards,cedar driftwood, and one strange stick of driftwood I found. Everybody got a little "roommate" of live spanish moss. These plants came really well packaged, and he even put laminated tags with a photo of each orchid's bloom and the name for record-keeping. None of the plants were bound up in their pots or sad. Nice bright green and white roots. Very professional!

Kate, those are beautiful! Ken does have some superb plants, and more! If you haven't done so yet, you can click on the green pages, and give his business a review!

Great idea, Tara!

You did a great job mounting everything, Kate. I see you (apparently) left it/those growing in coconut shell(s). Did you remove the rest from their mesh-pots before mounting?

Kate and Tara.

I have now shipped out almost all of my (available) mounted orchids (five more today) so this afternoon and tomorrow will be "mounting-day". I have several "teen" orchids that seem to really grow well mounted, and three new varieties that were grown in small baskets that I want to mount (one-half). I will use cork, several cedar forms, cypress, cypress knee, and miscellaneous driftwoods. Since I neither list nor sell my mounted orchids until they have established themselves on their mounts, all these newly-mounted ones won't be available until the spring. I will also mount some of my staghorns while I'm in the mood. Winter months are great for taking care of these things.

Thanks, Ken I will head over to Greenpages and give you a good review :)

I did remove them from their pots; I was delighted to see they just fell right out, no fighting! So Nice! I laid them on a little mat of palm fibers I steal from the palms in the front yard (they really seem to love it) then I lightly lash them down with jute string and tuck more palm fibers in and around the string (to hide it, really) and then I just screw the board onto the fence and voila! I did leave the one in the coconut shell; it was happily wound up in there, even had some roots exploring out of the top and through the holes, and I really like the look of the shell and the board!

How many of you grow orchids in 1/2 coconut shells? There's a story why I do this (perhaps) after the Bama/Missouri game.

Obviously, I do! Did you get the shells I mailed out yet? There are fallen coconuts all over the place here. People love coconut palms around here...understandably so, they have such a graceful, tropical look but are prolific in their nut production.

I came up with the idea just because they're everywhere...and sometimes they wash up, busted open, as "driftwood" on the beach and have these great husky fibers poking out, perfect for roots to grab onto. I'm also a big fan of coir, so I thought it was a perfect addition to the collection and a way to "recycle" all these coconuts everywhere.

What's your story?

A day late, but as they say, better late than never!

While on a Panama Canal cruise several years ago, my wife and I visited a commercial orchid "farm" in Costa Rica. There were acres and acres of plants, all under huge, open greenhouses (only roof shading). This grower ONLY grew plants for their flowers and shipped those flowers all over the world. Every single plant was grown in coconut shells. At the perimeter of the property were piles of coconut shells, perhaps 50' wide and 10' high. I asked why they used shells and the "guide" said that their orchids grew well in these shells but the main reason was because the shells were free!

I have not gotten those shells yet, Kate. Perhaps they will come in on Monday.

Speaking of growing orchids, has anyone found a suitable substitute for Douglas fir bark? This has now become so terribly expensive, particularly when you add in shipping, that I need to find something that will replace it. Lowe's sells a good, clean grade of cypress bark (mulch), but it is not in chunks like the fir bark and there is really no way to truly grade it as fir bark is (fine, medium, large). I stocked up this summer on Douglas fir bark, but with so many plants, I am sure I will run out of this in the spring. I see that a couple of large orchid sellers, one is Carter and Holmes, no longer sells Douglas fir bark and has substituted cypress for that. I don't know if they have a source that does something special to make it more suitable for orchid growing.

Do you have cabbage palms or other similar palms growing around you? Ones that shed bark and fibers? I take the chunky bark/fibers, rinse it, cut them up into orchid style sized chunks...it's labor intensive but I like having control of my mix. Total control. Do I have control issues? Nah....just over my plants!

Nothing here I'm afraid. We just get too cold for the vast majority of palms. We had one fellow in the neighborhood that insisted on growing palms, none of those tall ones you have in south and central Fl., mind you, just squatty ones. He lost every single one of them last winter. I noticed he didn't replant any palms in the spring.

I have 32 different species of palms on my acre but them I am a collector.

Jim

There's a California fan palm on the golf course just across the street from my front yard...It's young and they haven't given it the "hurricane hair cut" yet, so he's VERY very messy...I can send you some of his messiness if you want--there are chunks near the bottom that are covered in insect droppings and compost, really nice!

I'm thinking about attaching some epiphytes to my Old Man Palm...that hairy beard is just asking for it!

I sure wish I had your climate, Kate. It just isn't fair that I have to bring in every single tropical plant I have before winter weather moves in.

I guess it all depends on shipping costs. Of course, you DON'T want to ship anything like this Priority Mail. Ship non-perishable items (that are weighty) via Parcel Select. But IF the shipping cost is reasonable, I would not mind trying some of that palm "residue" in my orchid mix. Keep in mind though, that I already use chunks of coconut fiber in my orchid mixes, and this stuff on average is around 1/2" in diameter. IF your palm chunks are similar to what I already use, there might not be much value to add it in.

If I have not already done so, Kate, I want to thank you for the nice comments in "The Green Pages".

What I use is a lot smaller...I don't really pot any of my epiphytes, so what I use is small and fluffy, in order to tuck it in around roots and on top (I'm trying to simulate what would happen in nature...debris falling from above and dusting roots) so it's very fibrous and fine. No chunks. I can twist it into little balls or threads and just tuck it in between or make little "nests". I'll try to find a good picture to demonstrate what I mean...it's enough to maintain some humidity and hold some nutrients but it would probably be annoying to use in pots...I'll try to get a photo later this afternoon!

OK, I think I understand. You use it like I use my long-fibered sphagnum moss and coconut fiber mat material on my mounts. Your material may be better than the combination I use.

I'll send you some. Im happy to share. The reason I like it is that it's everything that sphagnum moss isn't...it retains moisture and humidity but doesn't hold it, it stays fluffy without forming a mat when it's wet, and it seems to decompose into little tiny black granules instead of getting all goopy...I got the idea from seeing all kinds of volunteer epiphytes crowding inside trees that hadn't been hurricane-trimmed...I figured there must be some bio-mechanism there that epiphytes really like! I'm not sure what it is, but if nature deems it good, then it must be good!

Okey dokey, Kate. Please let me know what the shipping is so that I can make note of it. Daddy always told me to follow a good deed with one of my own, and though he has passed, he would want me to make it up to you.

That goes for the coconut shells too.

Kate, I am a bit of a palm collector and you caught my attention when you mentioned a California fan palm, which is also called the desert fan palm and is in fact a Washingtonia filifera. They are pretty rare in Florida as they don't like our humid climate. What is common here is the Mexican fan palm or the Washingtonia robusta. Seeing a W. filifera in Florida would be exciting for me.

Another thing you mentioned is the famous hurricane cut where they butcher the plant so badly that only a couple of fronds are left. This is one of the worst possible things you can do to a palm. Lower fronds store nutrients that are passed up to the newer leaves, especially potassium. Eliminating nutrients your tree needs will weaken it and cause it to be more susceptible to hurricane force winds, not less. Palm trimmers who do that have not taken the UF training classes and are most likely not state certified.

Now I'll take my Master Gardener hat off and leave you in peace.

Jim

Jim, you are probably right, I bet it's a Mexican fan palm! Probably my mistake! I'll go out later and take a picture and you can help me identify.

And I agree with you totally regarding the hurricane cut. I hate it so much; it's so ridiculous. I watched the neighbor's foxtail slowly die through the summer after being butchered into a paintbrush looking thing and I'm waiting for them to do the same to the trunks of the palms on the golf course. Stupid vanity...if they'd just leave the thing alone, they'd find how cool the old frond bases look...like dragon scales!

My hubby and I feel like our Old Man Palm out front is our statement in protest to this vain practice of smooth, tidy trunks. The old fellow's unshaven look is stunning!

And Ken, I agree but don't worry about repayment...I was taught "do good but don't do it with your hand out." It would be enough if you like/use the mix and it makes an orchid happy!

Make no mistake here, Kate, I will still owe you. I just won't know how much. That means you'll get something nice. Daddy is watching.

It sounds like we had the same teacher!