Thanks for the kind words, Rick! Looking forward to seeing future updates. Glad the plants arrived safely, and especially glad they are in good hands! All of your plants look amazing!
I only have a few blooms myself, with the exception of my new orchids most of my older orchids suffered through my learning process this year. I didn't kill any, managed to save a few and learned so much so I know this year is going to be great so something to look forward to! Your plants look so healthy I'm sure you will be blown away by how they do this year!
That purple den is just gorgeous. I love his channel, and like yourself he is very knowledgeable. Amazing newbies and we know they are in good growing hands. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Rick ....... I’m fairly new to orchids so your vids are a real inspiration for me ...... I have learnt a great deal from you ....... I hope I can put it into practice...... take care 💖
Hi Rick. Good luck at your “stay”. Be strong and healthy. You learn a lot from doing and watching how plants react, and the mounts is part of the process. It’s almost like planting in clear pots and watching the roots explode, or not. All in the process of doing and evaluating. With all your experience in growing it’s a win win situation.
Makes me wonder about mounting them on rosemary wood. I have access to some *spectacular* pieces, just not sure how orchids would do on it. And yay you for (eventually) learning a valuable lesson! It benefits us all.
Great video about the effects of red oak. So sorry it happened to you, but thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your blooms on all those great looking plants.
Your "trash bin" den is absolutely amazing! i've never seen one with blooms that dark! Maybe try potting up that big den in larger, heavier river rock to off-set the height. Seems like that would be the easiest and most efficient way of taking care of it. like you mentioned, mounts are awesome. But with big, top-heavy plants like that dendrobium watering and placement would be a pain.
Looking forward to the blooms! I think with the strength of growth your orchids are showing, the blooms will be fantastic when their time for spikes and flowers arrives! My orchids who weren’t too happy in FWC are doing well mounted on cork bark with fresh green sphagnum moss Ricky, producing new root shoots, I only had one tiny phal out of 15 orchids that has died, but it was so tiny and not doing anything so was worth trying! My orchids in FWC seem very happy to wrap their roots around river rocks and pebbles,which I’m interpreting as it gives them added stability in the vases, as their roots have something to wrap around and anchor to! Love as always from across the pond.
.......thats the same way I got started using gravel and stone.....I had a few in SW and added some pea gravel to stabilize them...........now i have 130 in pots of stone...lol
Hi Rick. I am glad to see that the mounted orchids came off easily and no damage to the roots. I will be looking forward to the next video my friend. I pray all goes well.
The Dendrobium types I have potted are Den. Phals., the Latouria types and the couple of Antelope types all of which have a more upright growth habit and like to stay moist when growing. I also pot my nobile types for the same reason (although I do let those dry off a bit in Winter). Most of the other Dens are mounted mainly because they are naturally pendulous or the canes are just too long to stay upright and end up looking straggly in a pot unless staked and tied in. I use cork-bark quite a bit but I know you have trouble with the cost? of that. (I'm lucky, there's a guy who has his own cork oak plantation out in Spain that sells all sorts of sized pieces on Ebay with pics of the actual pieces with sizes shown with a 30cm rule so you know what you are getting and he lives in the UK so shipping is really cheap.)
Hi Rick. Thanks for the update. From my experience, dendrobiums are not actually hanged up side down. The up is always the new growth's definition of 'up'. For the deciduous can dendrobiums, when the growth mature, it will automatically lean downwards. To sum up, section antelope, callista, phalaenopsis dendrobiums are never upside down. Hope it helps. Thanks
Hi Rick - glad to hear (from update) your red oak issue plants are perking up and doing better. Hopefully I haven’t sent this information already. Due to their high tannins, many oaks, particularly white, have been used for centuries in boatbuilding, however; apparently red oak is a different bird. While great for interior use - not so for exterior. See below statements I pulled from two boat building websites. It sounds like red oak may not have as high tannin level (to protect the wood) as white but also the tube structure of red oak may be sucking up a lot of the moisture allowing it to break down even faster, becoming more acidic. In addition, red oak may be lower in tannins than white, but still has enough to react with certain chemicals, and metals like iron. Of course, we use cedar, cypress, teak, and tropical hardwoods such as: mahogany, or ipe (30-50+ yrs), (cumaru, tigerwood, massaranduba and garapa - all 20-25+ yrs) for decks, boat docks/boardwalks, cladding, windows, etc because the natural resins resist decay and insects for a longer time, thus those mounts should last for years. There is a youtube channel on boat building - “Tips from a ship wright ” that has a good video that shows the difference in how the red oak vs white oak draws up moisture. He talks about issues with salt water and fresh. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-L6t2AZubF8U.html I know you were really looking to use that wood as mounts. I wonder if you could seal or even use white non toxic matt finish glue) those mounts in such a way as to not affect the plants and to stop the penetration of moisture and any chemical reactions -with the tannins. On several of the other boat building websites talking about red oak - they mention using clear penetrating preservatives as the red oak tubes [bunch of straws] allow deeper penetration. “Red Oak is not suitable for lumber used in boatbuilding. Sadly, for boatbuilders this attractive and otherwise useful lumber has a defect that makes it unsuitable for boatbuilding. It has an open structure and the small open capillary tubes can suck in moisture and draw it up several inches into the wood. This open structure make it readily subject to moisture infiltration. Once wet, it is hard to dry the lumber and this makes it a victim of rapid decay. Although it has tannin, being wet for long periods make it a victim of fungus and bacterial attack. This tendency to rot is diminished when the wood is pressure treated. It readily absorbs the treatment because of its open structure. Pressure treated red oak has been used as fence posts and railroad ties and as construction lumber. It is sometimes possible to see the fairly large pores of the wood. Red Oak is not very dimensionally stable and will shrink quite a lot. Because it reacts with iron, screws and other fasteners often stain the wood. Unlike red oak, white oak produces blockages in the vascular capillaries of the xylem called tyloses. These occur mostly in the heartwood. These effectively limit water flow and close the tubes. This prevents capillary action and greatly reduces moisture penetration and attack by mould and other organisms. This ability to restrict moisture entry makes the wood less susceptible to decay. White oak sapwood is not as moisture resistant as heartwood because it has not developed the blocking tyloses. White Oak is rated as durable and is more resistant to decay than red oak. .... If you place a piece of oak endgrain down in a glass of water or better alcohol, the red oak will allow the liquid to rise very quickly up the wood, White oak will get the end wet but the liquid will not be sucked up very high or very quickly.” www.christinedemerchant.com/wood-oak-red-white.html
......thank you yes you sent it already......no worries........I believe the pores and absorption were part of the issue.......holding on the salts as well....
Aloha Rick, watching this again. Waiting for a new video :) Love the Burgundy Black! You may have been cheated but when you get your blooms, its going to be massive. Structure first, blooms later. Thank you Rafael!! What do you think of mounting on Styrofoam and fruit tree mounts? Sorry Carmela orchid isn't growing well for you.
The new arrivals look great! That 'Maxillariella Tenuifolia' is an awesome spring blooming type! I am curious about your grow-room. Have you ever done a video on this? I am talking dimensions, lighting, airflow, etc... I see your thermometer shows a great humidity/temp window - but how do you maintain that? I know you are cautious to not show too much, but for indoor growing purposes, I have an inquiring mind :-)
.....no worries....the room was a welding room in the corner of my shop....around 8x10...it has 2 exhaust fans 600cfm ea.........that vented the fumes to a roof vent....they are adjustable speed.....I installed 2 - 600w HID lights, with metal halide bulbs.....and installed 2 room oscillating circulation fans as well..........I have 2 small humidifiers that I use too.......Wire shelving with extra brackets.........and some epoxy paint on the floor........it has been great this past winter........thank you
your plants are looking great, love how you put those rocks in the terracotta pots! i'm a fan or using inorganic medium too ~ i was wondering if you've ever used coarse quartz or granite for media in your pots?
ok , i was interested because growstone which i use , is made of carbonated glass of sorts and i'm thinking of trying them because , my medium is said to raise the ph which has me a bit concerned!
Awesome collection! I just mounted a couple orchids on Pecan. Do you think they’ll be okay? Also I was wondering, how often do you water your mounted phals
Pecan is very close to Hickory, butternut etc...I have several on hickory and no issues so far....I water them when they need it, the smaller ones more often.....larger less.......smaller ones could use water everyday.....but they get it several times a week....the others about the same as pots.....every 4 to 5 days to every week or so....
Good morning Rick. I am so happy to have found your channel. I live in south Florida where the temperatures are presently between 75-85 with 60-80% humidity. I have been gifted a Vanda orchid with a large root mass and a beautiful blooming stalk. It hangs outside on my patio where it gets morning sun between 9am and 11am. I spritz the roots before the sun hits it. In the late evening I spritz the roots again because they appear to have dried out. I am telling you all this because a lot of the roots are now covered with a fine green velvet. Am I over watering? Is this something I should be concerned with? Where did this velvet covering come from and is it harmful?
Sarah, it sounds like the roots are growing algae......they get it in nature....should be ok, but its a sign of nutrients collecting on the roots maybe........instead of spritzing the roots.......soak the vanda roots really well every morning, and it should be fine all day.....
Love your channel been following you and roger for several months, i have a question, do you prefer now to grow phalaenopsis mounted or in lava rock potted? I have about 80 orchids, 25 catts are potted like you suggested in lava rock in clay pots, they are doing great, but i only have 2 phals, bought them today they are in sphag and in containers with no drain holes , so they must come out of that soon.
…...great question Clay...…..I love them mounted.... they do well in pots or mounted......but there is something about a beautifully mounted Phalaenopsis that just looks so natural.....
Did you try mounting the catasetum type orchid? Yes, in my case I have tried with teak initially, noticed orchids didn't like it very much. Now I am trying Mahagony.
I bought a Den. Violet Yamaji 'Puanani' at an Orchid show in March 2018. It looks a lot like your "trash Orchid." Thought you might be interested in the name. My question is related to a different video where you showed a ceramic Orchid pot that you had drilled a hole in the bottom. What type of drill bit did you use & any certain method.
Thanks Patricia.........I used a masonry bit........and running water.......Tip:....its easier to drill a small hole and enlarge it.....vs.... drilling a large hole to start with...
Could you ask the opinion of your viewers which are what is the best wood to mount an orchid on. I have ruled out Red Oak I have learn from your mistake but what type of wood would be best? Or is cork better are the other forms to mount with.
cork is fine, it just has a low absorption rate, but that keeps it from rotting as well...cypress, cedar, redwood, heart pine......are all woods I have very good success with. The orchids seem to love the wood, grow vigorously......and the wood is decay resistant as well.....
I recently had a whole house water system installed to remove Chlorine, Chloramines and ammonia from my city water removed. Now water is 9.0 pH 150 ppm. When I add 1/4 tsp MSU( tap water) to 1 gal, I get 300 ppm. I drop the pH down to 6.5. Is this problematic in any way? I really appreciate your thoughts! BTW, I've converted 3 of my orchids that weren't doing well in moss to river rock! We'll see!!
Bobette....150ppm is still hard water and a ph of 9.0 is very high,...just me, but I wont use tap over 50ppm....and then only to flush with...over 25ppm i wont use it to mix nutrients with......fine for drinking, and great for cooking and washing clothes, etc.....you need a more pure water source.......with R/O water or good rainwater........the mix automatically drops the ph to low 6.0's, and the mix is all nutrients...no added sodium, or other things.......your plants will continue to have issues with hard water...river rock is great choice, you will love the control.....let me know how your water search goes....
I will! I may get another system altogether if the company can't come up with a solution. Until we get it straightened out, I'll use distilled water on my orchids. I think I'm going to love the river rock. Wish I didn't come with all the sand, though. I'll keep you posted!
Rick, I have several orchids that are mounted (and very established) on some palms and random trees that were part of my backyard landscape. I say were* because Hurricane Irma knocked them all down. So I now have sections of the fallen tree trunks with my orchids still attached that are now incorporated into my shadehouse. Needless to say I won’t be mounting in my landscape any longer 💔 I realize these sections will begin to rot in time (I’m sure that process has already started right?) I suppose my question is, when they rot, the orchids will probably begin to show me the signs that your phals showed you right? I’m not sure how I’ll handle the dismounting of them but it will more than likely involve a saw and I will lose a lot of roots 😩 Is it wrong of me to wait? Or should I start to rip them off now. They are all thriving, leaves and roots are going crazy and actually all are in bloom 😍
what a great question...I totally understand your concerns.......i would make that call based on the rate at which the trunks are decaying....if they look like they are doing it very very slowly......i wouldn't worry much.......if it looks like it may be an issue in 5-6 months...like they are getting soft or coming apart ...best time is when they are actively growing vs dormant period......if that makes sense.....possibly remove a small piece or slice of the trunk with the roots attached and remount them again......fingers crossed for success.......
Rick L. Orchids my family and I were shocked too! I even had one den phal in spike and it held on and not one bloom blasted. just incredible! I will admit that I asked my boyfriend to go outside to chop the trunks into sections so we could bring them inside with the plants from my shadehouse 😳 Which he did and he ALWAYS tells people the story 🤣
