Bark!!!

[biothanasis]

Hello all,
I have found these pieces of pine bark in the forest and I was wondering if I could use them to mount plants (orchids) on them? Does anyone know how to treat them in order to disinfect them and such?? Thank you anyway... Any other tip is welcomed!!! (In the first picture is the front side and in the second picture the inner side)

 

[john mickel]

I think the will to survive will be stronger that the worry about the source- john mickel- I think these au natural mounts are great unless you see insects ie grubs etc

 

[Candace]

I've been told pine decays and rots rapidly and doesn't make for good mounts.

 

[JeanLux]

I've been told pine decays and rots rapidly and doesn't make for good mounts.

I agree with Candace that pure pine bark decays quickly, when used as a mount! however the piece on the right side of your 2nd pic looks like a solid bark inner-side; I would use this one for mounting an epiphyte on this side!
Years ago I got several old stems of grape-vine from a colleague, whose family owns a vine-yard at the luxembourgish Moselle (very nice white wines!!). I used pieces of these stems (with just some brush cleaning of the ext. bark) as mounts for catts, encyclias, laelias... and they do like it!!!
Jean

 

[biothanasis]

I was thinking for grape vine stems too, but unfortunatelly I cannot obtain any... I have told a friend of mine that has grapevine in his village to give me some pieces, but not yet... Thanks for the tip though...

 

[Rick]

I have plants mounted on several different kinds of bark. I have a phal hybird on old pine of some kind too (at least 6 years now).

I have orchids on:
Maple
Oak
Locust
Walnut
Pine
Cork
Grapevine
Manzenita (my least favorite because it is smooth and doesn't give roots much to hang on to).

Some folk around here also swear by sassafras.

I don't do much preparation except a soak in hot water to get out the big bugs.

A universal culture thing about growing mounted is that the air humidity needs to be high all the time, but you can water just about all you want.

I'd guess that all the mounted plants are either phals or bulbos, with an odd dendrobium or cattelya or two.

 

[SlipperFan]

I agree with those that said hardwood is best, and the harder the better. I don't think Pine will last very long.

 

[biothanasis]

Hmmm.... thank you all for your tips!!!

The fact is that I have used some hard wood pieces (not bark) to mount some Dendrobium and Coelogyne I have! They seem to do fine so far!!! I will try with the pine bark and see if it is ok!!! i will keep you updated!!!