Wood branches for mounting

15 years ago

Does anyone know what types of wood branches work best for mounted orchids. Aside fron the matter of roughhness and the amount water retention, I recall reading that some types are better than others for getting orchid roots to take. I've got some nice eucalyptus branches I'd like to use, but I'm concerned that the wood may have the same toxic substance that the leaves have.

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Comments (8)

richardol
15 years ago
Dave, go for hardwood. Fruitwood is also good. I have some grape that works well. Lots of olive trees around too.

Take the bark off of the branch, the bark rots quickly. Let the wood dry for awhile.
garyfla_gw
15 years ago
Hi
have trying to do this for a number of years The best has been live trees. Though "dead Bougainvilles worked fantastic!! The wood rotted away after 3 years lol.
Hard woods that make good driftwood work but find two problems Very hard woods such as Iron, mahoigany or rosewwod hold up but epiphytes fail to root properly. Even have trouble with Broms which will root to you if you hold still lol
I'm now trying some limbs made of PVC pipe with various materials glued to the outside.. seems fair so far but I have no artistic ability at all. looks a lot like various materials glued to PVC. Trying again with flexible PVC which looks a lot more like a limb .Added a waterline through the inside to make it more useful. Of course this approach as the added advantage that it can be any size or shape as well as CHEAP lol. Good luck with whatever you decide. gary
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xmpraedicta
15 years ago
I have been on the search for good mounting materials as well. I've seen some people in europe with epiweb branches which look marvelous and never rot, but sadly that material is pricey and scarce in north america.

How about cork? That holds up pretty well
orchidnick
15 years ago
My son lives in Northern/Central California, Redding to be exact. Every time I visit him I load up with Manzanita which is my favorite wood for mounting. It's illegal to cut live but there is tons of dead around. As you cut it you get to inspect the core and if its intact, free of decay, the branch will probably outlive me.

Before that I used whatever came my way, fruit trees, Eucalyptus etc. Anything except coniferous which I avoided because of the sap. I truly believe the plants don't care whether they are mounted to a piece of PVC, and old fridge or a nice branch. I have some plants just hanging only by wires through their root ball, they only need support, they don't care where it comes from.

Bottom line is looks. The irregular shapes of the Manzanita is most pleasing to me of all the woods I have used.

Nick
garyfla_gw
15 years ago
Hi
has anyone seen the tree created of PVC at the AOS gardens?? Looks good ,doed not outgrow the shadehouse does not rot but wow I'll bet it cost 500 bucks lol,
Calvin I find cork excellant but use X foam to hold it to the PVC or whatever.. Works as an adhesive as well as cover the seams between the joints of course this requires some paint and some artistic ability. gary
neworchid3
12 years ago
I have a manzanita tree that we had used for our wedding last year but we glazed it with polyurethane or something like that. Is it still fit for mounting orchids?

TIA!
kimh2010
11 years ago
Hi all ,

I wonder if I could use the cedar fence board from Home Depot and cut it into small rectangular pieces for mounting my orchids ? Any advices ?

Thanks .
arthurm
11 years ago
Some suggested mounting materials but first read all the posts above.
Cork
Treefern
Live plumeria bush/tree/shrub
NOT most eucalpytus except very old very weathered fence palings
Callistemon or any non aromatic tree branch cutting where the fissured bark lasts for years on the cutting.

Cedar fence board? Doubtful.
AND most important of all do not mount anything unless it grows best that way in your conditions.

Wood branches for mounting

Comments (8)

richardol

garyfla_gw

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