How to Mount Hanging Orchids on Cork Bark
Orchids grow naturally from trees in tropical areas throughout the world, and mounting them on cork bark is the closest you can get to reproducing their natural growing environment right in your own home. It is also an attractive way to display them about your home. Transferring potted orchids to a slab of cork bark is actually much easier than you would think. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Remove your orchid from its original container, generally a plastic pot. With the base of the orchid between the index and middle fingers of your right hand and the pot in your left hand, simply turn the pot upside down and gently pull the orchid from the pot (gravity should do most of the work). The orchid should come right out of the pot with the root ball in the palm of your right hand and the empty pot in your left.
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2
Gently work your fingers through the roots and remove all the bark. Place the plant in the sink and soak the entire root ball in water for about 10 to 15 minutes to loosen the potting media and make the roots more pliable and less likely to break during the mounting process. Soak the New Zealand sphagnum moss for the same amount of time in a separate container to avoid any cross-contamination.
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3
Wrap the roots of the orchid with the New Zealand sphagnum moss. A little goes a long way and not much should be needed.
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Lay your wrapped roots onto your slab of virgin cork bark. Wrap the fishing line around the base of the orchid and the roots to secure it to the cork slab. The fishing line is strong and nearly invisible, so it does not take away from the natural look.
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Screw an eyelet into either edge of the cork plaque and string additional fishing line or wire between to hang.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do happen to break a root, don't worry! Your orchid will grow new ones.
The New Zealand sphagnum moss is used primarily to hydrate the roots so not much is needed.
After a few months you will notice the roots growing onto the cork bark -- eventually the fishing line is no longer be necessary.
You will need to water/fertilize more often than a potted orchid. Use a water-soluble fertilizer mixed at about one-third to one-half strength every time you water, which should be about every one to two days.
Use the sphagnum moss to determine the appropriate time to water. If it still feels damp, you do not need to water.
