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How often to remount plants

Discussion in 'Orchid Culture' started by Sand, Jun 3, 2019.

  1. Jun 3, 2019 #1
    Sand

    Sand New Member

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    Hello all,
    I was chatting with a grower who remounts plants twice a year. He grows pleurothallids and other (mostly) cool growing miniatures on cedar shingles w/ sphagnum.
    I do understand the importance of air around roots, but I wonder how a plant can establish if it's being remounted that often. To his credit, his plants look really healthy and given these are ones which need constant moisture, I suspect the moss breaks down rather fast.
    Does anyone have thoughts on this? Personal experience?
    Thanks.
     
  2. Jun 3, 2019 #2
    carl

    carl Active Member

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    Seems he is using the mount simply to hold a ball of sphagnum, much like a pot would, not as something for roots to grab hold of.

    I only remount my plants when the mounts rot. That could be years, if you are using a durable wood. However, I mount them with a minimum of anything at the roots, usually just a light covering over the roots at the base of the rhizome, no more. And that includes pleurothallids.
     
  3. Jun 4, 2019 #3
    DPfarr

    DPfarr Well-Known Member

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    If anything most just need to strip the moss that grows on them. Hopefully most people have decent for their mounted plants. That could be a reason to remount because of salt build up, or if you’re using like balsa wood to mount your plants to?
     
  4. Jun 4, 2019 #4
    pcolman

    pcolman Well-Known Member Supporting Member

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    Twice a year is way too often for me. If it's a plant mounted bare without moss that's a in a quick drying spot, it'll be on that mount indefinitely. I've had some plants on the same mount for over a decade. For moister growing plants, it's probably closer to 1-2 years. Often because the mount gets overgrown or the plant is wandering off the mount rather than because the mount is going bad.
     
  5. Jun 4, 2019 #5
    Sand

    Sand New Member

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    This is all good info. Thanks everyone. I'm not sure of his motivation for the frequent remounts and as Carl says, he may just use the " moss pot' idea. I will say his plants look fantastic so he is doing something right. I had just not heard of such frequent remounts.
     
  6. Jun 5, 2019 #6
    Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    I suppose the closest thing I do to remounting a plant is attaching the old mount to a new one.