Here is a picture of that log with it's 13 little plants attached to it. Some are in the back, one near the top is in bloom.

Nick

Here is the happy family, Mom and her 13 children. Those big leaves apparently coming from the top of the log, belong to a Vanda which is unfortunately sitting right behind it.

Nick

Man, I wish I had the space and the climate that you have - just a fantastic setup and a tribute to your growing prowess!

Tucker

Also I laid down the law that in my back yard there shall be no grass, roses, petunias or any vegetation other than orchids. Other members of the plant kingdom shall be confined to the front yard.

Here is another fun one. A 4' long branch, which 4 to 5 years ago I covered with 20 odd Dendrobium Delicatum keikis. They are pretty big now and the whole thing is looking like a Delicatum cylinder. All of them bloomed this spring. The branch ends just above the photo.

Nick

For whatever reason, the dend tree appeals to me much more than the max....

Nice growing as always Nick.

Bob

I picked up a 8" pot of M. tenuifolia at the March orchid show in San Diego and have been trying to decide what to do with them--wavering between shoving it into a basket or going vertical. But I have never even thought about growing my extra Dendrobium kiekies on a stick. That must have been something in bloom!

After watering this morning I was bored and decided to have some fun. I took a large, about 5" in diameter Scaphosepalum verrucosa and decided to make a monster out of it. This is a very willing plant which has been in bloom non-stop ever since I got it 10 to 13 years ago from SBOE $7.50 table I have traded numerous pieces of it, put numerous pieces on the raffle or silent auction table but still have this compact plant with 100 plus leaves.

I divided it into 33 pieces, this is how SBOE gets their $7.50 plants, take a big one and make 50 little ones then laugh all the way to the bank. Here is a picture of them eventually I divided some again and ended up with 40 of them.

Nick

Then I took a 14" shallow HD pot/pan and drilled 50 odd 1/2" holes into it. Good drainage is the most important thing when dealing with a large container.

Nick

The bottom. The holes that non=orchid containers come with are woefully inadequate.

Nick

Next I put a 2" layer of large (3/4") orchiata bark on the bottom and then filled the rest with a combination of smaller orchiata bark, 3.8" pieces of lava rock (3 to1 ratio)and a few pieces of the larger bark. The layer of large bark in the bottom is again to ensure great drainage.

Nick

Then I wrapped each plantlet with a small amount of sphagnum moss around it's roots. Ideally the entire media should have been SM but I'm building this for the long run. I don't want to ever have to repot this. SM moss deteriorates and within 2 years it's a disgusting mess.

The plantlets will get the benefit of the moss to get started and then send their roots into the bark which will be their permanent home. Since I water at least every 2 days it will be wet enough aided by the water retaining lava rock. The little moss there is will deteriorate but I shall ignore it, the majority of the media is the long lasting Orchiata and the moss will deteriorate and eventually wash out.

None of the plantlets are bigger than this one.

Nick

I tried not to make any smaller than this one but a few split off and have 2 or 3 leaves.

Nick

The first one is planted in the middle of the pot.

Nick

All of them are planted.

Nick

Now I did something I should have done in the beginning. Remove all of the flowers. These plantlets need to make roots and new leaves and not waste energy on blooming. I didn't think of it until they were planted but all the flowers were removed.

Nick

Here it is on the bench. I'll copy the name of this thread to my orchid catalog so that in 2 years or so I can bring it up and show a picture of what this will turn into. If each of these 40 plantlets end up with 30 odd leaves and numerous spikes, this should be quite a sight ----- or so I hope.

Nick

It's going on 4 months now and they are coalescent nicely. Lots of new leaves and 5 to 6 flower spikes. No suicides.

Nick

Another view showing the flower spikes better. This worked so well so fast that I'm thinking of really going over the top. I have this 18" flat container I use for super sized Bulbophyllums. I should have put these guys in there and really put on a show, might still do that.

Nick

WOW! LOVE it! It is joyous! Janine

I need your imagination for potting. Love what you did.

I started using orchiata bark and spag from New Zealand and found that it last so much longer and therefore worth the cost and saves time each year or so on repotting.

Problem I would have would be the 14" space. Unless it could be hung or left outside, I'd have no where to pot that big.

I envy your growing space. Great lesson, though!

Jane

It did not come easy, Jane, roses, impatients and other dirt plants are allowed in the front and side yard. None are permitted in the back yard. Other Homo SapiensI have to deal with objected but I prevailed. Other than a patio and a workbench, the entire yard is devoted to orchids. Hence all the room. It took a major effort but was worth it

Nick

Lucky man!

Nick, If I lived alone, my entire back yard would be a large greenhouse, actually a large lath structure. No Homo Sapiens, just canines which would be confined to the side yards to drive my neighbors crazy. No FELINES ever, ever.

I'd probably get some ferocious looking canines so no one would come to visit, like the HOA people.

Now, my children and grand children are very dog savvy so they wouldn't have a problem. They could care less about orchids, but they love dogs.

Jane

Decided to redo the last one using an 18" flat saucer. 3" is the height of the wall, no bottom drainage. Made 3 holes half way up the wall and will grow them semihydroponic. Filled the bottom 1 1/2" with LECCA pellets and the rest with orchiata/lava rock combination. A little coconut was added to the mix.

Nick

Pot full of bark.

Nick

Put a dome on the bark to give the central plants some elevation.

Nick

Took all the plants out of the previous pan and since they all have grown, divided them again giving me 72 plantlets. I know now how SBOE makes their money on the $7.50 table.

Nick

Plants all located in pot.

Nick

Side view, showing the central dome. Now it's hands off and let's see what this thing will look like in a year. Many were in bloom but just like the last time, I removed the flower.

Nick