Baskets, what to plant?

[Trithor]

After seeing Rick's success with basket culture I was determined to move some of my paphs into baskets. I have planted a few lowii, and villosum into my regular baskets (18cm smallest size), but realised that they were perhaps too big for plants like henryanum. So I decided to make a smaller size. I have cut timber components to make 100 baskets, and assembled the first 20 this afternoon. The question now is what would be appropriate for me to plant into these little 10cm baskets? They are a bit rustic, but the paphs shouldn't notice.

 

[NYEric]

OMG!!! What are you drinking in the morning!!?? Send me some.

 

[abax]

Again, you have beautiful wood! What is this gorgeous red wood?

 

[sweaver24]

Do you have any of the parvisepalum group that you can experiment with? Basket culture might be ideal for the stoloniferous growths (like the ones on my Paph micranthum that keep going round the inner edge of the pots and popping up away from their nearest neighbors). It will be interesting to see what you do with all of those baskets.

 

[Rick]

I don't think there's an orchid that won't grow in a basket.:wink:

But I have lots of multis doing good in baskets.

What was funny is that I started some kolos in 8 inch baskets thinking they would fill it in fast, but the beat up rootless seedling I stuck in a 4 inch basket did great and the bigger ones stalled, so moved them into 4 inch baskets too.

The original little rootless one now has a 24+inch leaf span and 3 growths. It's still in the 4 inch, but inset into a 6", and the roots just moved farther out.

Bottom line, set them up into a basket that is still snug for the root mass, and fill in with lots of gravel.

 

[TyroneGenade]

OMG!!! What are you drinking in the morning!!?? Send me some.

He was probably enjoying a breakfast of Amarula Cream.

 

[gonewild]

Hasn't anyone told you red colored wood is not good for orchids? They prefer the yellow shades. Red is OK for the benches but not the baskets.
oke:

 

[SlipperKing]

He was probably enjoying a breakfast of Amarula Cream.

There you go! Clearly the breakfast of champions!

 

[NYEric]

Looks delicious but I no longer drink alcohol!

 

[AdamD]

Looks delicious but I no longer drink alcohol!

Alas, me neither. And I must say it is a relief! Are you a friend of Bill's?

 

[Trithor]

OMG!!! What are you drinking in the morning!!?? Send me some.

He was probably enjoying a breakfast of Amarula Cream.

There you go! Clearly the breakfast of champions!

Only clear spirit before lunch, gin has a colonial enough feel for most mornings. I do try and restrict myself to a half bottle or I loose my appetite for lunch, ......

 

[Trithor]

Again, you have beautiful wood! What is this gorgeous red wood?

Hasn't anyone told you red colored wood is not good for orchids? They prefer the yellow shades. Red is OK for the benches but not the baskets.
oke:

All my baskets are made of the same wood (the one we generate the most offcuts of in the workshop (other than merbau which I make external doors from, as it bleeds a black ink when wet), African rosewood. African Rosewood (Guibourtia coleosperma) does not have much oil in it and the plants don't seem adverse to it. (at least the dendrobes seem OK, below is a chrysotoxum and an antelope, in 20cm baskets. Sorry about the poor focus)

 

[TyroneGenade]

:crazy: Duh! Silly me, all mixed up in my time zones. Amarula Cream is for dessert. Gin & Tonic in the morning to get you going. Kept the Queen's mum mobile for years.

 

[NYEric]

Are you a friend of Bill's?

I don't know which "Bill" you refer to; but I am a friend of most people!

 

[Rick]

Do you have a bunch of lowii or philipinense?

These do great in baskets.

I can't think of any species that absolutely hate it, but if you are looking for easy trial species to get some easy experience in, then I'd put henry, lowii, and philli at the top of the list.

 

[The Orchid Boy]

Do you have any of the parvisepalum group that you can experiment with? Basket culture might be ideal for the stoloniferous growths (like the ones on my Paph micranthum that keep going round the inner edge of the pots and popping up away from their nearest neighbors). It will be interesting to see what you do with all of those baskets.

I second the parvis. The brachypetlaum group would also be good to try. They like lots of air and like to dry out more.

 

[Trithor]

Thanks all, I will try a mix of villosum, henryanum, phili, godefroyae and parvis. Just need to get some new sphagnum to line the baskets. I am looking forward to this, I just hope that my humidity is high enough.

 

[abax]

Rosewood, but of course! Really lovely wood.

 

[papheteer]

Those baskets look top notch. But I thought rosewood was more used for essential oil production?!!

 

[Trithor]

Not this timber to the best of my knowledge. We make a lot of doors and solid flooring from it. It is very hard and durable. Heavier and harder than oak. It has a caramel 'rose' colour, I assume that is where it gets its name from