I started to grow Orchids in the early nineties and one of my favorites then were Vandas and then Cattleyas.
Once I had them in the greenhouse in 2001, my indoor watering practices were already then much geared to watering Vandas, which are grown essentially bare root. So as not to overwater the many other Orchids which followed, I always grew them in anyway possible mounted. Or - let Cattleyas on purpose grow over the edge of the pot where they flowered best. Or place the larger plants into fast draining baskets of any kind I could think of. Most of my smaller mixed species of orchids are mounted in many different ways, vertically, horizontally, any which way they like to grow and seem to do well for me.
I don't have a rule, but sometimes one needs to make correction - Cattleya schilleriana did lousy for me until I mounted it bare root horizontally and placed it into full blast sun. It is a happy camper now. Ditto for others like Mini Purple, Loveknot ( that one actually enclosed a bonsai dish) and similar.
As Jim says, a little research goes a long way and hopefully one learns from observation/killing some/experience....
