Phrag Stolons -Has anyone found a good solution?

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

I know we've had some discussion on this before, but I don't know that we've come to a good conclusion. Perhaps there isn't one, but I am going to fish for it anyway.
Is there anyway to STOP Phrags from forming stolons outside of the pot? Will planting them in a wide tray help? Or do I just have to deal with rooting and potting them as is?
I've been considering not growing stoloniferous types anymore, but I do love them and I wouldn't want to disappoint Eric.

 

[Shiva]

I tried potting the plants along a tree fern post. It worked very well for a while but it's impossible to keep the post wet enough and watering frequently from the top of the post leads to infection of the new buds in the new growths. Using basket culture might work better and you could stake the stolons down. My solution for now is to cut off the stolons once they're big enough and repot them in the same pot.

 

[NYEric]

I know we've had some discussion on this before, but I don't know that we've come to a good conclusion. Perhaps there isn't one, but I am going to fish for it anyway.
Is there anyway to STOP Phrags from forming stolons outside of the pot? Will planting them in a wide tray help? Or do I just have to deal with rooting and potting them as is?
I've been considering not growing stoloniferous types anymore, but I do love them and I wouldn't want to disappoint Eric.

Yay besseae hybrids!
My solution is to spray the plants often; eventually the stolons will form roots and you can then divide them.

 

[Marc]

I read this topic today at work and somewere during the day I had an idea.

In the photography section there were some pictures posted of a small orchid mounted on a clay tube. The clay tube was sealed at the bottom and was filled with water and this would evaporate on the outside of the tube.

The idea I had was to take such a clay tube which you seal at the bottom. Then you would wrap it with living sheet moss. After a while this would attach it self to the clay tube. Maybe this can be used as a mount like the tree fern post that Shiva mentioned.

 

[NYEric]

Could work but the plant will keep making stolons, like in nature to grow up the hills, and soon grow off this mount. If you could make the clay tubes with screw-in (male/female) ends and keep adding on pieces as it grows, then it would be better.

 

[tim]

get a big plastic pot, put in a 3' tall 1/2 tube of cork so that it follows the outer contour of the pot, and put the plant in the pot. as it makes stolons, pack in moss into the cork 1/2 round and stick the stolons into that. This guy in Sacramento named Howard Gunn grows his like that and they're amazing...maybe kbarrett has pix of this?

 

[Rick]

For my one besseae its a bit early to tell, but since I started putting stuff in baskets and feeding a reduced K/ high Ca fertilizer, the plants are not running very far.

 

[Erythrone]

get a big plastic pot, put in a 3' tall 1/2 tube of cork so that it follows the outer contour of the pot, and put the plant in the pot. as it makes stolons, pack in moss into the cork 1/2 round and stick the stolons into that. This guy in Sacramento named Howard Gunn grows his like that and they're amazing...maybe kbarrett has pix of this?

3 '= 3 ft tall???

 

[Erythrone]

Wich one are the most stoloniferous??? I have several Phrags but many are young. Untill now only Phrag pearcei was a real runner.

 

[Gilda]

Are we talking stolons or growths that climb ?

 

[NYEric]

http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/generalbotany/typesofshoots/stolon/index.html

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

Thx for the link Eric. Perhaps I am still confused, or not talking about the right thing.
Several of my besseae & hybrids produce growths that are several inches above the pot. Often times a second growth will start off this.
I've tried several different mediums & sh and I get the same result -sh seems to be slower to do this.
The only solution I have so far is to root the offshoots and pot them separately...and the problem multiplies! lol
It could be these plants are trying to climb a hill...now how to create an orchid growing hill? (ha)

 

[SlipperFan]

I just keep setting the plant deeper when I repot.

 

[NYEric]

I have plants with the stolonous growths 6"+ above the previous growth, potting deeper has its limit.

 

[Gilda]

The solution to this problem is to stay away from besseae & their hybrids, they are the worse !! (for you Ericoke: )

 

[NYEric]

Gee thanks! I only have about a hundred.

 

[Paph_LdyMacBeth]

Gee thanks! I only have about a hundred.

Well then, you must have all the answers!?

My besseae var flavum just arrived today :rollhappy: Hopefully, it will keep itself nicely contained in its pot.

 

[cnycharles]

I thought once about buying a large tray that you use when you are painting with a roller; has the reservoir on the bottom to hold paint. I had thought if I could put a tiny water pump in the bottom and put media on the slanted area and put the 'upwardly mobile' orchid on it, the plant would grow up the slant. obviously it would need tweaking or redesigning a little, but basically you just make a pot that can slope, and use something like the black plastic mesh gutter-guard material to hold it in place. possibilities are endless!

 

[NYEric]

Well then, you must have all the answers!?

Certainly not.

I thought once about buying a large tray that you use when you are painting with a roller; has the reservoir on the bottom to hold paint. I had thought if I could put a tiny water pump in the bottom and put media on the slanted area and put the 'upwardly mobile' orchid on it, the plant would grow up the slant. obviously it would need tweaking or redesigning a little, but basically you just make a pot that can slope, and use something like the black plastic mesh gutter-guard material to hold it in place. possibilities are endless!

This is insane!

 

[Heather]

For Mexipedium, I use decorative floral wire (or the stuff that comes with bonsai pots) and form a u shaped piece and place it over the growth. Seems to keep them in the medium. Also grow it in a bonsai pot.