As the cool weather sets in here, we wish you a warm

Cattleya purpurata

welcome from all of us at Orchids Garden Centre/Oak Hill Gardens.  We thank all of you who visited us at the recent MAOC show in Kansas City.  Many of you took advantage of our 10% plant pre-order discount, which helped to make the show a success.  Thanks also to our hosts in the Kansas City society and also all the member societies in the MAOC for having us!  We enjoyed your hospitality and had a great time.

For the month of November we are featuring a special on mounted orchids at a whopping 25% discount.  This includes all orchids that we have in stock which are affixed to wooden planks.  These plants are hung by a hook on a rack, versus grown in a pot.  Those of you have have not attempted to grow orchids in this manner, or who have not had success, are encouraged to read Liese's article on mounted orchids in this month's "Growing Tip" section at the bottom of the newsletter.

Dendrobium spectabile

Details on the special can be found immediately below in the "Monthly Special" box.  Some of the many available varieties (there are 50 items from which to choose!!) are also pictured throughout the newsletter.  You may click on the photos to get directly to the page on which they are offered!

Additionally, we have again added MANY new plant offerings!  See the quick link at the left to check these out.  

We wish you the best for the upcoming holiday season!

-The staff at OGC/OHG

Bulbophyllum taiwanense

During the month of November we are offering an aggressive discount on all of our mounted plants.  These plants have been attached to planks of wood, which are hung by hooks and grown on a vertical rack system.  There are 50 varieties from which to choose!

Growing the plants in this "mounted" fashion imitates the epiphytic orchids' natural habitat, as they grow similarly on the branches or trunks of trees in the rain forest.  With the proper care, most mounted orchids often thrive even better than when grown in a pot!  For more details on how to grow mounted orchids, see Liese's Growing Tip of the Month below.

Sedirea japonica

When ordered on line, your 25% discount will not be evident in your shopping cart.  However, the discount will be applied manually before your credit card is charged.  As usual with our specials, the shipping charges will be based on the regular retail value of the plants.

Check out our four (4) pages of available (and "discountable") mounted orchids at the link below:

 

It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a hike around our property.  I was walking along, enjoying the sunshine, birds and lovely fall colors, when I almost tripped over a large, gnarled branch from an oak tree that had fallen onto the path.  My first thought was not to step over it, but rather to pick it up and take it home.  It would be a beautiful piece on which to mount an orchid plant! 

Orchids growing on a mount are fascinating to observe.  They wrap their roots around the wood and the new growths often cling to the piece, many times enveloping it over time and creating a 360 degree spectacle!  Orchids can be affixed, or "mounted," to just about anything.  In the past, we have mounted them on cedar shingles, grapevine, cork logs (even miniatures on wine corks!), tree fern slabs, driftwood, and even ceramic tiles and stone.  If you are using wood, a hardwood is preferred because it will not decay as quickly.

The orchids are attached to their mount by simply tying them on.  A lightweight fishing line, such as 8 or 10 pound test, is best for smaller plants.  It is sufficiently strong to hold the plant to the substrate, while remaining virtually invisible to the human eye from a few steps back.  Medium weight grades may be required to affix more substantial specimens.

Ascocentrum pumilum

Usually some type of media is wrapped around the orchid roots before tying it onto the mount.  This media helps to retain moisture for the plant.  We use sphagnum moss; however, coconut fiber, Spanish moss or anything similar may also be used.  In growing areas where extremely high humidity exists, media may not even be desirable or necessary.

When watering a mounted orchids, the plant and mount should be either immersed in a container of water or misted/soaked thoroughly so that the moss surrounding the roots becomes saturated.  The moss should then be allowed to dry out before being watered again.  Never allow the moss/media to be kept continuously wet, or root rot will occur.  If no moss or media is used when mounting, then frequent misting or extremely high humidity is required so that the plant does not dehydrate.  For more detailed instructions on growing mounted plants, see the culture sheet at the link below:


Many orchids seem to grow better on a mount than in a pot.  Tying them to a piece of wood, with their roots more exposed to the air, simulates the natural growing habitat of these epiphytes.  The root and plant growth can also be observed more easily on a mount, as these things are not hidden by a pot or containers.  Watching the growth of the plant and flowers develop is just one of the things that makes the growing orchids a fascinating hobby!

Enjoy!
Liese