Orchid Project: Mounting Two Phalaenopsis on Cholla Wood

My phals and their cholla wood mount. Check out the new leaf on the right!

One year ago, I wrote a post about mounting orchids. I own two mounted orchids that I’ve written about before, but until recently, I’d never mounted an orchid myself. A couple weeks ago I was about to repot two rescue orchids, but then I realized it was the perfect opportunity to try wood mounting for myself. 

Many mounting options exist, and they all have up and downsides (cost, rot resistance, texture, appearance, etc.). I went for a big piece of cholla wood that I found at a local greenhouse. This is the type of wood often seen in aquariums and reptile tanks, as it has lots of holes for plants and animals to wind through and hide in, it’s non-toxic and natural, and it lasts a long time. 

Cactus skeleton (photo credit Sheila Sund, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Cholla wood is also called “cactus skeleton,” since it comes from the dried branches of cacti that grow in the Americas and West Indies. Desert animals eat the living cacti and their fruit, and then when the cacti dry out and die, people harvest their desiccated branches. I love the way they look, and the texture and holes are perfect for attaching roots.

One of the reasons I opted to mount these two orchids is because it’s helpful to be able to see their roots while they’re getting TLC. The biggest downside of potting orchids (or any plant) is that you have to un-pot them to check the roots, which plants never enjoy. I figured if I could get my orchids properly mounted, I’d be able to see all of their roots all the time, which in turn would allow me to adjust my care and make sure I can rehabilitate them.

Screenshot of instructional mounting video by @gardeningwithdezz

I chose a piece of wood that has some curves for the orchids to nestle into. I first glued sphagnum moss onto the sections of the wood where I’d mount the orchids. It’s important to get some sphagnum moss onto the wood in order to help maintain humidity levels (the moss will retain moisture after being sprayed). Dry sphagnum moss is crumbly and falls apart easily, so attaching it any other way to the cholla wood didn’t work. I used as little glue as possible and tried to use the holes in the wood to help keep the moss on there. 

Next, I decided where to place my orchids. Since it’s a decently-sized piece of wood, I could easily fit two on there, but had to do so in a way where they can get the same amount of light (mounting orchids on opposite sides of the log would result in uneven sunlight access for them). I sprayed water onto the sphagnum moss, settled the orchids onto it, and then gently attached them there with florist wire (plant / Velcro tape would work too) and a couple of plant clips. You definitely do not want to glue the plant or the roots themselves!

The orchid is attached with wire and clips

Mounted plants require more frequent watering, so I spray the roots and moss daily to maintain humidity and to encourage the roots to attach to the wood. I’m not sure how long the attachment process will take and am curious to find out.

The holes in cholla wood also make it easy to hang. I ran some twine through two holes on opposite ends and hung it in a west-facing window. I love how it looks and am already daydreaming about how gorgeous it will be in bloom!