Thanks for the culture clarification. I find the info about the sun exposure interesting. I also grow orchids and the high sun in a south window in the summer is a plus because direct sun in the summer can cook some orchids. I have an unobstructed north east window and a south west window that looks out on a porch. I don't get enough direct sun thru the south west window and I'm not sure I'd get enough thru the north east window. How many hours/day of direct sun do they need in the winter? Is it preferable to put them out during the summer? As far as temp differentials....I like my house cool at night and run air conditioning as little as possible so I think I can manage significant temperature differentials.

My son's room is currently yellow on the top and dark blue on the bottom (ceiling is also yellow). I want to paint the ceiling and trim white, three of the walls gray, and the 4th wall with this pattern: Can I use one primer for the whole thing or will I have to use a primer for each separate color tinted in that particular color? Since the wall with the design needs to be painted white so I'll have the white lines in between the squares, will I have to use a white primer on it first and then come back with another primer before I paint the darker colors? Someone mentioned the technique, of painting over the taped off area with the underneath color first, so that if it bleeds it won't matter. I've also heard to take the tape off before the paints dries or else the paint will peel. Well, if I paint over the tape with the underneath color, I will have to wait for it to dry before I can paint with the top color. Won't the paint peel then? Laurie

Mounting orchids is a simple process. First, I would suggest applying the hanger to your mounting material. Most people make hangers for the mounts from wire. The most common wire used is the wire used for hanging suspended ceilings, but any strong, yet flexible wire may be used. One method is to bend the wire into a u shape, and then hammer the wire into the mount. The other method is to drill a hole or two and thread it through the mount. Making a tag with a hole and threading it onto the hanger is a wise thing to do to identify the plant. A tag made from Tyvek scraps and permanent marker may be used if you dont have any fancier material. Orchids to be mounted are placed on the mounting material which has been soaked in water (I like to leave it over night). Some people put a pad of good quality sphagnum moss on the mount then place the roots on top of itallowing the roots to spread first into the sphag. Before it goes into the mount thereby helping it get established. Others prefer to place the plant directly on the mount, or to put the sphag pad on the outside. The plant is then tied into the mount, by wrapping monofilament (fishing line), twist tie, or panty hose around the roots. Once the plants roots have grown into the mount, the line, twist ties, or panty hose is removed. Tree fern plaques (or slabs), and cork bark are probably the most commonly used mounting material, but other materials include cactus skeletons, and rough driftwood (both of which may be purchased at pet stores as they are used for reptiles). Some people like to use slabs of wood with bark attachedsuch as live oak or fir. Fresh water driftwood may be used, but driftwood from saltwater bodies must be washed to remove the salt. Using Physan to kill any bad things on collected mounts is also a good idea. Driftwood as a whole may not be the best material as orchids like to have a somewhat rough surface to grow into. One grower uses paint sticks for some of his smaller mounts. Tree fern slabs are probably the most quickly drying. Vary your mounting material to the plants needs. Plants needing a quicker dry-out should be mounted on a more porous material and the sphagnum or coir pad may be skipped.

Arthrum: good point, the temps in my house are only kept above 65 degrees, but it still seems that some temperature hardy plants still show dislike of my repotting... Dbarron: oh my! Sounds like a tragedy! I get upset enough when I break of a new shoot! Vtandrea: thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely try it on one of my oncidiums! Jane: I live in the Oakland hills in the SF Bay Area. I grow almost all my indoor orchids in the same spot, positioned around a fireplace to control the amount of light. The facing of the house isn't the best. 80% of the light is late morning to afternoon sun . 90% of the windows are west facing :( like the house... The problem might be I repotted at the wrong time. I didn't a lot of reporting in the winter/ late fall (whoops...)