ORCHID PORTRAIT Lending Support - American …

1 180 orchids MARCH PORTRAITL ending SupportBy Charles Marden FitchBranches, Logs, Plaques and Slabs Can Be Home to orchids Support ME, SHOUT THEorchids. I ll grow so well with theright Support . Sometimes our plants may soundlike demanding teenagers, yet pro-viding a lifetime Support is reasonablefor epiphytic orchids . In the wild,many of our most attractive orchidsthrive on tree branches, in clumps ofsturdy shrubs, on rocks covered withmoss or in a tree crotch filled with captivity, supports for orchidsresemble natural arrange-ments in supports includelogs of suitable wood, especiallyhardwoods, and lighter poles of sturdytree fern.

2 Smaller orchids do well onchunks and slabs of tropical tree fern product, osmunda, madefrom the roots of a species of temperate-zone swamp plant, can also be used asa hanging Support . For years, chunksof osmunda were the preferred pottingmaterial for epiphytic orchids . Densityof osmunda fern root varies from softto almost hard and dense. The hardersections are best for hanging of cork oak bark(Quercus suber), oak branches andgrape wood (Vitis vinifera) are goodas ORCHID supports.

3 Driftwood fromfreshwater lakes and rivers is anattractive Support for epiphyticorchids, while that from the sea isbeautiful but usually saturated withsalts that harm ORCHID roots. Soakingin several changes of fresh water or afew months outdoors in the rain usuallywashes away enough of the sea salt tomake saltwater driftwood safe as anorchid pruned from living hardwoodtrees is suitable for orchids after beingdried for a few months. ORCHID growerand frequent winner of AOS awardsDennis Dayan of Deal, New Jersey,grows many of his small orchids onwood supports.

4 Dayan told me thatseasoned (dried) fruitwood such asgrape and apple is good, but he avoidsusing wood from fruit trees with hard pits(stones) fruits such as cherry, peachand apricot. According to Dayan, thestone-fruitwood bark has a chemical thatretards ORCHID root growth. ORCHID expertPhil Jesup of Bristol, Connecticut, hassuccess with orchids on sassafras(Sassafras albidum) using any type of wood thatABOVEM asdevallia infracta Devine ,CCM/AOS, still growing on the branch towhich is was originally attached.

5 Forsuccess, mist on sunny mornings, providegood air circulation and night temperaturesof 55 to 60 F (13 to 16 C). This species isone of the successive-flowering membersof the genus; do not cut the inflorescencesoff until they are dry. Grower: Kristine RIGHTT hese cork tree branchesfor sale at a nursery are among the manychoices growers can use as mounts fororchids. Pieces of tree fern, osmunda anddriftwood (leached of all salts) are rhodosticta Fox Den ,JC/AOS, mounted on a log. This ORCHID ,native to Africa, thrives with diffuse light,intermediate to warm nights of 65 to 68 F(18 to 20 C) and regular waterings onsunny mornings.

6 It also grows well whenattached directly to the trunk of a pottedcoffee tree. Grower: Phil and Ann 2005 ORCHIDS181 PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHARLES MARDEN FITCH182 orchids MARCH PORTRAIT living inner bark. Older trees also offercork from thick branches. Cork slabssold for ORCHID growing are pricedaccording to weight or measured find that cork slabs last at least 10years. Usually the ORCHID outgrows theslab before cork bark deteriorates. (Incontrast, I find ground cork used aspotting mix needs replacement everytwo years.)

7 Corks from wine bottles areuseful as slabs for tiny orchids and aspotting material, especially as wedgesto push rampant rhizomes back into acontainer. While most growers usepieces of cork as vertical slabs, a fewplace the piece of cork horizontally andattach the ORCHID to the raft. Equitantoncidiums and Psygmorchis pusilla arehas been pressure treated with woodpreservatives. Generally, orchids dobest on totally natural unpainted wood,be it branches, slabs or ORCHID nurseries includevarious wood supports in the suppliessection of catalogs.

8 Cork bark isuniversally available at orchidnurseries in many parts of the wood-type supports vary ac-cording to region. For example, inFlorida, cypress (Taxodium distichum)slabs and above-water wood knees are popular. In California, grapevinewood and cactus wood (skeletons) areoffered. Lowland tropical regions,often near the sea, are rich in coconuthusks and coconut shells (Cocosnucifera), both useful as orchidsupports). In temperate areas, hard-wood such as apple (Malus sp.

9 And oak (Quercus spp.) are bark of cork oaks(Quercus suber) comes mainly fromcommercial plantations in southernEurope, especially Spain and cork oaks also grow inCalifornia and a few Southwesternstates. Cork is the outer bark, usually1/2 to 1 inch ( to cm) thick,removed from living trees. Sturdy corkoaks live well over 100 years, easilyproducing cork every eight or nineyears. Only the dead outer bark iscarefully removed without injury to theMaterials on Which to Mount Orchids71234561 Dense or hard osmunda fiber isrecommended for plants that requirea constant supply of moisture suchas miniature phalaenopsis oak bark slabs have a roughsurface that ORCHID roots grip tightlywhile still offering quick drainageand long life.

10 Cork slabs can be usedvertically as seen here, or hung as ahorizontal Support similar to the logseen in photograph 5 on page log section cut from a 3-foot-(1-m-) long pole. Tree-fern poles aredense, hold moisture several days, andare suitable for many epiphytic chunks of tree fern are usefulfor equitant oncidiums. In the wild,these Caribbean species grow on twigsin bright osmunda is good to stuff a plasticmesh bag or other hanging Support forsmall orchids that do better when theroots can grow into a mount.