Mounting an Orchid Made Easy

There is nothing quite like an orchid, and when they are mounted as they grow in nature, they are even more breathtaking. In nature, orchids grow on trees and their roots cling to the bark. There are a few tips and tricks to mounting an orchid, and with a little patience and love, you can create a beautiful, natural-looking orchid display.

What You Will Need:

• Orchid of your choice
  
• A natural mount, for example a piece of bark, cork, or driftwood
  
• Small pad of Sphagnum moss
• Fishing line or florist wire

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Step 1
Start with a natural material such as bark, cork, or driftwood for the mount. Place some damp moss on the mount where you plan to place the bare rooted orchid.
 
Sphagnum moss will help keep your orchid from stressing during its time of attaching to the mount and will hold the extra moisture and nutrients needed for good growth. Better-Gro® Orchid Moss is an all-natural, fine quality sphagnum moss that is excellent for mounting. 

Photo Credit: Paul Velasco

Step 2:
Place orchid on the mount and moss so that it’s able to attach and grow properly on the mount. Pay attention to the growing habits of the orchid. Some orchids grow straight up (monopodial) such as Phalaenopsis and Vandas. Others grow outward (sympodial) such as Cattleya and Dendrobiums. So, be sure to place your orchid on the mount so that it grows as it does in nature. Not mounting your orchid properly could prevent your orchid from growing and reduces your chance of flowering.

Step 3:
Attach orchid to the mount with the fishing line or florist wire. First place a small amount of moss around the roots to protect them from the wire. Wrap the wire around the mount, orchid, and moss -crisscrossing in different directions covering different area of the roots; essentially you’re tying everything together as one. Make sure the plant is tied snug; if it is loose and moves around, the roots will not attach to the mount.

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Step 4:
Ideas on where to place your mounted orchid are immense, but two popular places for mounted orchids are:

• In a Tree. To do this, simply add a hook to the top of your mount and use one of Better-Gro®’s S-Hooks to loop through the mount’s hook and over the branch of a tree
• To a Tree. All you will need to do this is a length of fishing line. Place the mount up against the tree and use the fishing line to wrap the mount and hold it to your tree.

Step 5:
Take a step back and admire your beautiful, natural orchid display. Now show it off to all your friends!

Just a little tender care will reward you with a gorgeous display of orchids in a natural setting that will delight you and fill your home with a wonderful touch of nature.
 
Final Tips:

• The best time to mount an orchid is when your orchid is showing signs of new root growth.
  
• Cattleyas and Oncidiums thrive when mounted.
  
• Low light will keep your mounted orchid healthy for its first few weeks while it’s trying to attach itself to the mount, and depending on climate, you may want to give it a watering every day.
  

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