Petsmart is selling cork bark pieces for $6.47 apiece. They will match the online price in the store if you ask them. I just stocked up! Also mopani wood pieces are on sale. They don’t rot and make great mounts. Very heavy though!
Hi Dave. You have a great orchid channel with proof of your success surrounding you in your videos. I have a hobby greenhouse in Virginia and share your passion for mounted orchids - the way nature intended. I am transitioning most of my orchids to cedar mounts that i make myself from dead cedar trees on my property. i mostly use logs but you inspired me to make some cookies. I have many extra mounts that i have listed on ebay where you can find my logs, slabs and cookies.
I truly appreciate your support and enthusiasm! It’s wonderful to connect with fellow orchid lovers, and I’m excited to hear about your projects in Virginia!
Hi Dave, I'm from Indonesia, and 90% of orchid nurseries or hobbyists here use tree fern fiber when hanging orchids (except for Dendrobium sect. Spatulata). The reason for using tree fern fiber is that it's easy to obtain and very affordable. If you use this material, you need to water it for an extended period so the water can fully seep in. Once the water seeps in, it encourages the orchid roots to grow longer and branch out to absorb the moisture. Oh, and in Indonesia, people often place their orchids (mostly Dendrobium sect. Spatulata) in large wooden pots with charcoal as the growing medium. These are often exposed to full sun and rain, mimicking natural conditions, and this does not burn the orchid leaves or cause root rot. Dendrobium sect. Spatulata cannot be hung because the plants can grow as tall as 4 meters, and their total weight can be comparable to that of an adult. (e.g. Dendrobium Violaceoflavens & Dendrobium Discolor)
Thanks for sharing such detailed insights about orchid care in Indonesia! It's fascinating to learn how different regions approach gardening techniques. The use of tree fern fiber sounds like a great method for promoting healthy growth!
Hi Dave😌🙌🇯🇵From Japan. We have tropical Summers like Florida and freezes in Winter with clear sunshine and low humidity and low rainfall in Winter. I have success with growing on cork bark sold at the store and just sticking my orchids bare-root into terracotta pots and hanging them. I think a great mounting material is brocken terracotta pots with a hole drilled to hang it. Orchids love to grow on terracotta. I also like using branches that have fallen from trees👍
I live in Bradenton, and I'm new to orchids. I say new because I've had orchids before, but life got in the way, and orchids took last place. When I was a kid, we lived in Venezuela, and my mother had as many orchids as you, and it was her passion. I learned nothing from her. I've been watching your videos and getting an education, finally. Right now, I have 5 vandas, 5 cattleyas, 2 oncydiums, 7 phals, and one cymbidium. We are building a pergola for them, and I will continue to look forward to your videos. Thanks.
It's wonderful to hear about your journey with orchids! It sounds like you've got a fantastic collection going. Building a pergola will be a perfect spot for them to thrive. I'm excited to share more tips and tricks with you!
Im sorry i have posted such long 15:02 comments. But since you asked for it ..haha I have afew mounted orchids... Omg!!! I just saw that cork was your last wood type and the best... Glad you agree!! ^.^ Anyway, i grow a few mounted orchids indoors and i water them almost daily but i soak the mount or leave a wicking strand to the mount when i go away for a few days. The mounts i made specifically have a "vein" going through the middle of the wood, and that consists of basically a crevace of cut out space sort of like a valley that i put moss (live moss or dead) along the crack and under the orchid where it is mounted. So because of this i can literally set it into a small dish of water and leave a tail of moss to hang into the water, and it waters the orchid roots perfectly... I kind of feel like it waters it better than i do -_-
I really appreciate your detailed comment! It’s always amazing to hear how fellow plant enthusiasts take such great care of their orchids. Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi Dave! Just wanted to mention that I've seen some orchid collectors that attach orchids to empty terracota pots, terracota saucers, bricks, etc with much success.
Hey Dave. I find that three fern blocks are falling lots too. You can find a lot of cider cookies in cider stores we have one in Port Orange and I see it in Deland. Thanks for video
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's interesting to hear about the fern blocks and the ceder cookies. I love learning about different finds in the game!
I have a Seidenfadenia mitrata alba. Much smaller than yours, mounted on cork and, last spring, it gave me 3 spikes, for the first time🤗. Very pretty. The problem with cider mounts is that it is very hard to make holes even with a drill😩. I got my “cookies” from Planteo la Orquidea. I also get cork from them.😍
Thank you for sharing your experience! I love hearing about your success with your Seidenfadenia. It’s great to connect with fellow orchid enthusiasts who appreciate these beautiful plants!
Hi Dave from Australia, I love watching your channel. My orchids are very happy on my cork mounts. I water them every second day. I love the idea of your cookies.
Oh yeah, it's a spiritual thing, I get it:) Live in NW FL, Panama City, and am concerned what I'm gonna do with all the orchids I've acquired this year when it gets cold. WTH? Suggestions? Awesome channel and thank you, Dave.
Mounting orchids certainly looks awesome, but if you travel, how would you keep the orchids hydrated? It’s fine if you never go anywhere. Also, if you’re in a climate that doesn’t allow them to stay outside all year long, what would you do?
Cholla - pronounced "choy-yuh". It's the dried skeleton from a cactus commonly found in far west Texas and New Mexico. 40 years ago, I used it for crafts. I hung strings of seashells from it to make seashell mobiles - I still have 2 large ones. I see small sections of cholla at Hobby Lobby but never see the long pieces like I used years ago. I've mounted orchids on the natural fiber loofahs - not the nylon loofahs you find in drug stores. They do okay but must be watered frequently. I live in Central Texas, where it is hot and dry in the summers. Just wasn't too practical in this climate.
@@DavesOrchidOasis cacti are awesome. But orchids are.. hmm.. they're just the tippy top to me. My first passion and I hope it never gets old because I don't see how it could. But cholla is and has been a thing for awhile when it comes to certain places or especially with reptiles, aquariums and just general talisman type trinkets. My mom gave me some of it from when she lived in Arizona and when I became passionate about orchids and saw someone who mounted orchids for the first time, I walked around and noticed how cool the cholla would be and ordered more. Then I noticed it was definitely not an original idea. But I thought it was haha.
Don’t give up on tree fern mounts just yet! There is a special way to drill the hanger so you don’t have that problem. We’ll have to show you next time we see you!
So Cal here. Mounted orchids hang out back under my japanese maple on ash tree. I water them 2-3 times per day. When prepping my ash wood (boiling water) the wood gave a very dark brown water. Guessing it has good nutrients, my dendrobium mounts flowered in 3 months!! Roots are crawling all over it.
I find that orchids love cork bark. I am currently looking for someone who has native cork tree bark. I can make you cookies of a lot of types of wood but not cork as I do not have any native here. Wanna trade!? Haha. I live in VA And I gotta say that my Brassavola types absolutely do better mounted than potted. And same with Aerangis. I have two Aerangis that nearly died until I mounted them and put them in higher humidity (aka put them in a mini terrarium inside of a cabinet in my home as it could not take the weather outside. I love your channel and am completely obsessed with your outdoor setup. I mean... Pools are so much stress and trouble... But put a ton of orchids around it and suddenly it has so much purpose!. Haha Just wanna give a kind of tip that I have learned the hard way. A. Lot of people suggest cedar as a mounting wood,.. but I work with wood and work in construction and I would not recommend such. Cedar is known to never have vegetation growing on it or below it or generally even around it.. because it literally has that smell/attributes that keep plants from doing so. Kind of like a dominating sort of mechanism to keep itself thriving. Cedar has the added benefit of keeping bugs away. Well it does the same for other plants. Cork however... Is perfect for orchids. Not saying cedar can't work but cork will last you much longer. Much much longer. I haven't had much luck with cedar but maybe because this is a tree (when alive is somewhat poison to plants and bugs) but maybe when dead and cut off, not as much of a threat.. BUT CORK OAK BARK IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN MY OPINION. GIVE IT A TRY! YOU WILL SEE THOSE ROOTS ATTACH TO IT AND THROUGH IT LIKE NOTHING ELSE. AND IS SEEMINGLY EVERLASTING ORCHIDS ARE DEFINITELY SPIRITUAL AND CONNECTING TO THE BEAUTY THAT IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND A GOOD WAY TO FEEL THAT CONNECTION WITH GOD. good point. -L. ^_^
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment and the valuable advice! It's always great to learn from fellow orchid enthusiasts. Your passion for these beautiful plants shines through, and it’s wonderful to have you as part of the community!
Cholla is a type of cactus. I personally am not disciplined to water every day, so will never mount mu orchids ! Can you try to wire the cedar wood sticke together to have a mount rather than the poor cedat cut into slices for making " cookies" ?
True, but not the new style corks that are really only like an artificial rubbery hybrid cork. But the real corks are awesome. I have a huge bag of them and have started breaking them up as media for some orchids, and also have hung a couple minis on the bigger more unique corks that I happened to own. Also. Cork mats make a good addition to the top of plain wood mounts to hold onto more moisture.
Have you tried OFE Orchid supplies over in Miami -Dade County they have one of every thing. I don't live in the state, so I'm not sure time wise how far away that is ,butttt I think they ship
Iliterally cant eait until you start spreading out into other genus. Like the Madagascar orchids and the more obscure ones. And dont get me wrong. I am never bored with any orchid. Even phals. So dont think im the type to only care about the "rare" I could care less. But you do have some nice shady spots under cover. You could do all types of bulbophyllums and such
Thanks for your enthusiasm! Exploring different orchid genera, especially the Madagascar ones, sounds like an exciting journey. I appreciate your suggestions!
Tree fern slabs, not much of a fan. The roots penetrate the fibers and once the root tip reaches a hard part, the growth stops there. Probably it will do with orchids with thin roots but not for vandas or orchids with thick roots. 🤷🏻♂️
Petsmart is selling cork bark pieces for $6.47 apiece. They will match the online price in the store if you ask them. I just stocked up! Also mopani wood pieces are on sale. They don’t rot and make great mounts. Very heavy though!
Hi Dave. You have a great orchid channel with proof of your success surrounding you in your videos. I have a hobby greenhouse in Virginia and share your passion for mounted orchids - the way nature intended. I am transitioning most of my orchids to cedar mounts that i make myself from dead cedar trees on my property. i mostly use logs but you inspired me to make some cookies. I have many extra mounts that i have listed on ebay where you can find my logs, slabs and cookies.
I truly appreciate your support and enthusiasm! It’s wonderful to connect with fellow orchid lovers, and I’m excited to hear about your projects in Virginia!
Hi Dave, I'm from Indonesia, and 90% of orchid nurseries or hobbyists here use tree fern fiber when hanging orchids (except for Dendrobium sect. Spatulata). The reason for using tree fern fiber is that it's easy to obtain and very affordable. If you use this material, you need to water it for an extended period so the water can fully seep in. Once the water seeps in, it encourages the orchid roots to grow longer and branch out to absorb the moisture.
Oh, and in Indonesia, people often place their orchids (mostly Dendrobium sect. Spatulata) in large wooden pots with charcoal as the growing medium. These are often exposed to full sun and rain, mimicking natural conditions, and this does not burn the orchid leaves or cause root rot. Dendrobium sect. Spatulata cannot be hung because the plants can grow as tall as 4 meters, and their total weight can be comparable to that of an adult. (e.g. Dendrobium Violaceoflavens & Dendrobium Discolor)
Thanks for sharing such detailed insights about orchid care in Indonesia! It's fascinating to learn how different regions approach gardening techniques. The use of tree fern fiber sounds like a great method for promoting healthy growth!
Hi Dave😌🙌🇯🇵From Japan. We have tropical Summers like Florida and freezes in Winter with clear sunshine and low humidity and low rainfall in Winter. I have success with growing on cork bark sold at the store and just sticking my orchids bare-root into terracotta pots and hanging them. I think a great mounting material is brocken terracotta pots with a hole drilled to hang it. Orchids love to grow on terracotta. I also like using branches that have fallen from trees👍
I live in Bradenton, and I'm new to orchids. I say new because I've had orchids before, but life got in the way, and orchids took last place. When I was a kid, we lived in Venezuela, and my mother had as many orchids as you, and it was her passion. I learned nothing from her. I've been watching your videos and getting an education, finally. Right now, I have 5 vandas, 5 cattleyas, 2 oncydiums, 7 phals, and one cymbidium. We are building a pergola for them, and I will continue to look forward to your videos. Thanks.
It's wonderful to hear about your journey with orchids! It sounds like you've got a fantastic collection going. Building a pergola will be a perfect spot for them to thrive. I'm excited to share more tips and tricks with you!
@@DavesOrchidOasis Thanks. I'm looking forward to this adventure.
Im sorry i have posted such long 15:02 comments. But since you asked for it
..haha
I have afew mounted orchids... Omg!!! I just saw that cork was your last wood type and the best... Glad you agree!! ^.^
Anyway, i grow a few mounted orchids indoors and i water them almost daily but i soak the mount or leave a wicking strand to the mount when i go away for a few days.
The mounts i made specifically have a "vein" going through the middle of the wood, and that consists of basically a crevace of cut out space sort of like a valley that i put moss (live moss or dead) along the crack and under the orchid where it is mounted. So because of this i can literally set it into a small dish of water and leave a tail of moss to hang into the water, and it waters the orchid roots perfectly...
I kind of feel like it waters it better than i do -_-
I really appreciate your detailed comment! It’s always amazing to hear how fellow plant enthusiasts take such great care of their orchids. Keep up the fantastic work!
You have become the guy we should all listen to. I love your videos and I am a beginner not losing hope yet because of your help.
Thank you so much for your kind words! It means a lot to me that I can help beginners like you. Keep up the great work!
OFE orchid supply in Miami fl has the rafter hanger.
Cholla Wood for tilandsia / air plants is a revelation! Love it.
yes!
Hi Dave! Just wanted to mention that I've seen some orchid collectors that attach orchids to empty terracota pots, terracota saucers, bricks, etc with much success.
I really appreciate you sharing this insight! It’s great to learn about new methods from fellow orchid enthusiasts.
Hey Dave. I find that three fern blocks are falling lots too. You can find a lot of cider cookies in cider stores we have one in Port Orange and I see it in Deland. Thanks for video
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's interesting to hear about the fern blocks and the ceder cookies. I love learning about different finds in the game!
I have a Seidenfadenia mitrata alba. Much smaller than yours, mounted on cork and, last spring, it gave me 3 spikes, for the first time🤗. Very pretty. The problem with cider mounts is that it is very hard to make holes even with a drill😩. I got my “cookies” from Planteo la Orquidea. I also get cork from them.😍
Thank you for sharing your experience! I love hearing about your success with your Seidenfadenia. It’s great to connect with fellow orchid enthusiasts who appreciate these beautiful plants!
Hi Dave from Australia, I love watching your channel. My orchids are very happy on my cork mounts. I water them every second day. I love the idea of your cookies.
Oh yeah, it's a spiritual thing, I get it:) Live in NW FL, Panama City, and am concerned what I'm gonna do with all the orchids I've acquired this year when it gets cold. WTH? Suggestions? Awesome channel and thank you, Dave.
Mounting orchids certainly looks awesome, but if you travel, how would you keep the orchids hydrated? It’s fine if you never go anywhere. Also, if you’re in a climate that doesn’t allow them to stay outside all year long, what would you do?
Yes, I have wondered how I could spray them indoors.
You would need a automated sprinkler system. Some people just can't mount them because they travel too much.
Cholla - pronounced "choy-yuh". It's the dried skeleton from a cactus commonly found in far west Texas and New Mexico. 40 years ago, I used it for crafts. I hung strings of seashells from it to make seashell mobiles - I still have 2 large ones. I see small sections of cholla at Hobby Lobby but never see the long pieces like I used years ago. I've mounted orchids on the natural fiber loofahs - not the nylon loofahs you find in drug stores. They do okay but must be watered frequently. I live in Central Texas, where it is hot and dry in the summers. Just wasn't too practical in this climate.
Omg!! I also use cholla!!! It is a cactus skeleton.
And very cheap.
You have good taste
Cholla lovers unite! Who knew cactus skeletons could be so trendy? We might just start a cactus club!
@@DavesOrchidOasis cacti are awesome. But orchids are.. hmm.. they're just the tippy top to me. My first passion and I hope it never gets old because I don't see how it could.
But cholla is and has been a thing for awhile when it comes to certain places or especially with reptiles, aquariums and just general talisman type trinkets. My mom gave me some of it from when she lived in Arizona and when I became passionate about orchids and saw someone who mounted orchids for the first time, I walked around and noticed how cool the cholla would be and ordered more. Then I noticed it was definitely not an original idea. But I thought it was haha.
Don’t give up on tree fern mounts just yet! There is a special way to drill the hanger so you don’t have that problem. We’ll have to show you next time we see you!
So Cal here. Mounted orchids hang out back under my japanese maple on ash tree. I water them 2-3 times per day. When prepping my ash wood (boiling water) the wood gave a very dark brown water. Guessing it has good nutrients, my dendrobium mounts flowered in 3 months!! Roots are crawling all over it.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's always inspiring to hear about successful orchid care. Your dedication is really paying off!
I find that orchids love cork bark. I am currently looking for someone who has native cork tree bark. I can make you cookies of a lot of types of wood but not cork as I do not have any native here.
Wanna trade!? Haha.
I live in VA
And I gotta say that my Brassavola types absolutely do better mounted than potted. And same with Aerangis. I have two Aerangis that nearly died until I mounted them and put them in higher humidity (aka put them in a mini terrarium inside of a cabinet in my home as it could not take the weather outside. I love your channel and am completely obsessed with your outdoor setup. I mean... Pools are so much stress and trouble... But put a ton of orchids around it and suddenly it has so much purpose!. Haha
Just wanna give a kind of tip that I have learned the hard way. A. Lot of people suggest cedar as a mounting wood,.. but I work with wood and work in construction and I would not recommend such. Cedar is known to never have vegetation growing on it or below it or generally even around it.. because it literally has that smell/attributes that keep plants from doing so. Kind of like a dominating sort of mechanism to keep itself thriving.
Cedar has the added benefit of keeping bugs away. Well it does the same for other plants.
Cork however... Is perfect for orchids. Not saying cedar can't work but cork will last you much longer.
Much much longer. I haven't had much luck with cedar but maybe because this is a tree (when alive is somewhat poison to plants and bugs) but maybe when dead and cut off, not as much of a threat..
BUT CORK OAK BARK IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN MY OPINION. GIVE IT A TRY! YOU WILL SEE THOSE ROOTS ATTACH TO IT AND THROUGH IT LIKE NOTHING ELSE. AND IS SEEMINGLY EVERLASTING
ORCHIDS ARE DEFINITELY SPIRITUAL AND CONNECTING TO THE BEAUTY THAT IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND A GOOD WAY TO FEEL THAT CONNECTION WITH GOD.
good point.
-L. ^_^
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment and the valuable advice! It's always great to learn from fellow orchid enthusiasts. Your passion for these beautiful plants shines through, and it’s wonderful to have you as part of the community!
Cholla is a type of cactus. I personally am not disciplined to water every day, so will never mount mu orchids ! Can you try to wire the cedar wood sticke together to have a mount rather than the poor cedat cut into slices for making " cookies" ?
Any log dealers out threr? Saw off some cedar slabs (cookies) for Dave.
Ah, the search for log dealers: a true adventure for the lumber-lovers! May the timber gods be ever in your favor!
I found that tree fern mount are great for oncidium types and encyclia
I started trying that because of this comment!
Also..
Very miniature orchids do excellent on actual wine corks... Haha
True, but not the new style corks that are really only like an artificial rubbery hybrid cork.
But the real corks are awesome. I have a huge bag of them and have started breaking them up as media for some orchids, and also have hung a couple minis on the bigger more unique corks that I happened to own.
Also. Cork mats make a good addition to the top of plain wood mounts to hold onto more moisture.
17:40 what about mounted orchids in the house? How does a person water them?
I don't think you can mount orchids in the house. They have to be outside.
Have you tried OFE Orchid supplies over in Miami -Dade County they have one of every thing. I don't live in the state, so I'm not sure time wise how far away that is ,butttt I think they ship
Pet stores sell driftwood and cork cheaper.
Iliterally cant eait until you start spreading out into other genus. Like the Madagascar orchids and the more obscure ones.
And dont get me wrong. I am never bored with any orchid. Even phals.
So dont think im the type to only care about the "rare"
I could care less. But you do have some nice shady spots under cover.
You could do all types of bulbophyllums and such
Thanks for your enthusiasm! Exploring different orchid genera, especially the Madagascar ones, sounds like an exciting journey. I appreciate your suggestions!
Now I think I need to slice my ash tree leftovers instead of putting an ax through them!?!
Tree fern slabs, not much of a fan. The roots penetrate the fibers and once the root tip reaches a hard part, the growth stops there. Probably it will do with orchids with thin roots but not for vandas or orchids with thick roots. 🤷🏻♂️
I hope Hurricane Milton didnt do too much damage to your family and your orchids ! 🙏
Without seeing what the roots look like, the Dendrobium at the end looks like fertilizer burn.