Y'all are so experienced, growing the orchids you do. I just clumsily grow mine the best I can. I know that I am often simply lucky that my plants live at all. The one thing I have certainly learned the last four years, growing so many plants from flask, from compot, and from plug, is that the younger the plant, the more difficult it is to grow. I will lose some from my tiny seedling purchases, but for those that survive a year and particular the second year, they really seem to take off. This is the second year for lots of my varieties, and I am seeing growth and roots like never before. I just call this "Getting them over the hump".

@Ursula, when you say "full sun", are you referring to the sun that penetrates your glass roof or is that/those plants outside, truly in full sun?

Ken, experienced = killed more than my share in my case.....
I would say you are doing more than perfect! I did it once, buying a flask and trying my hand on raising the seedlings. I now know to leave that to the experts. Ken!!

Full sun in the case of C. schilleriana truly means full sun inside and outside, here in NJ. Same with Vandas and many of the Laelias and Cattleyas. The only protection in Summer in the middle of the cage is the grid of the cage, that's where I place those. Those which require more protection are placed towards the left (cherry tree) and the right of the cage. ( Japanese Maple)

No more flasks, or for that matter, compots for me either. Too much time involved and too much loss. If I had a dedicated greenhouse, perhaps, but not when I am growing such a mix of varieties, sizes and ages, mounted and un-mounted.

I took the old pantyhose off of the orchid in my first post. I also tried to scratch out what moss I could from between the roots. I could probably soak more off, but haven't had time to do that. (or the inclination, come to that............

I was quite pleased when I saw all the healthy roots twining around under all that moss. It seems happy, for sure, and it has lots of blooms.

Your Phal. looks great, Anna. Please tell me why you want to remove all the sphagnum moss.

Mostly nose trouble on my part............. I'm wanting to see just how BIG of a root system it has under there. But, I guess from what I've seen there's lots more healthy roots on that one than what I've seen on ones that I've pulled out of pots to mount ON the cork.

I just wondered, Anna. I back all my mounted orchids with sphagnum moss. It retains just a bit more moisture but rooting to the wood surface still occurs. Being mounted, the plants dry out quickly regardless, so overwatering is not a problem. Overwatering can certainly be a problem with sphagnum moss being used in a pot if you are not careful.

Looks great, Anna! nice, healthy roots and lots of beautiful blooms!

I think I'd leave the moss...and remember they were nicely 'tucked in" with the stocking covering them, might need a little more water now till they acclimate to being 'naked'. Great job, though.

I think my poor little phal died on me...I didn't get around to putting it into something else fast enough! Oh well, live and learn! I won't try mounting phals anymore here in Florida. It's not like I don't have a TON of other orchids I can mount!

It was suggested that I move this to a thread that I had already started re: mounts for phals.

I saw these at a garden center in Rockford the last time I was down there (2 months ago). I went back Friday when the SU went to the RV place that is beside it to see if they still had some..............they did. It's petrified saugaro cactus root. I'm going to mount a couple of phals on it. It looks like a horse, doesn't it? They had a smaller one that looked like a giraffe. LOL

This wasn't terribly expensive........$24.95.

That's going to make a gorgeous mount, Anna. That's a bit similar to my new cholla wood mounts. Cholla is another cactus and this base-wood/root-wood is hard as nails.

That is a great find, Anna. Thanks for sharing.

Jim

Love that, Anna! Yes that first one does indeed look like a horse! Can't wait to see your finished mount with the orchid! Great find, and not a bad price!

This one is pretty hard too, Ken. I think I can put 2 on there. Do orchids care if they "live" close together, or would 3 on there be too much family togetherness????

Two don't mind living together, Anna.

I think I will go out and mount some orchids and staghorns. It will soon be time to prepare another batch of mounts. It takes me two days to do what I do to produce two dozen finished products.

Anna, I do love the shape on those too. Your Orchids should really nicely adhere to them!

It will be lovely!

I went back and brought this back up........I see I need to update with how the roots did on the cork mounts. I perhaps posted this on another thread, so if you saw them there, sorry.

I was VERY surprised when I took these cork-mounted orchids into the g'house in early October. Most have 2 bloom spikes now, so I guess I left them out just long enough for them to sense the temp change. I never expected to see roots like these have grown around the back of the cork.

Those roots sure look happy!!

Good job there, Anna!

You would do GREAT with 8 feet of vanda roots....!!

You people are just plain NASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLOL