Doesn't make any difference that i can see, i have hundreds of tolumnia and they do equally well mounted or underpotted in tiny pots. I have the mounted ones just tied to treefern.

An orchid show with two hundred or so entries and i think about 6 on mounts.

That says something and the something is that why bother putting something on a mount unless it grows better that way.

Brooke

1) I prefer the original natural look to the cultivated, disciplined appearance of plants

2) I love watering, am retired, start my day with a cop of coffee and the LA Times and then water the orchids. (Except in winter when watering has to be curtailed). I talk to them which is cheaper than talking to a shrink, continually improve their appearance with removal of dead leaves or chaff and generally know them quite well. Being restricted to once a week watering would leave a big hole in my life.

3) By knowing them that well, one can sense when a plant is in the wrong place and needs to be moved to a shadier or lighter place.

4) You never have to repot them. Jan of 2,000 was my last repotting effort and I have never looked back. I have no bark on my property. Some do better in pots, I have those in rock (Cymbidiums and some Dendrobiums) or Sphagnum Moss (some Pleuros, Masdies etc).

5) As the plants get larger they never outgrow their home, the hanging plant mass just gets bigger.

6) Since you can't over water them, winter rains are no problem. Off and on rain for 10 days is not harmful, would be a big problem in potted plants (in large 3/4" gravel its also no problem as there is lots of air space between the relatively large pieces of rock, rain forest plants in moss are also OK with it).

7) Over all I am convinced it takes less time and effort to take care of them. If I had the same number of plants in bark in pots, I think I would go nuts. A friend of mine who has an equally insane number of plants, 95% potted in bark has been doing his bianual repotting trick. He has been add it for 2 month and is still not finished.

8) My main reason for mounting them is because I LIKE IT THAT WAY!!!!! I grow them not for my orchid society, the AOS, the next orchid show nor for the approval of the next 'expert' who looks at them but solely for my personal pleasure. Can anyone think of a better reason than that last one?

It does not really take that long to water them, I just hose them off adding a very small amount of nutrient to each watering. The main disadvantage is to take them to orchid shows where it is more difficult to display them. I have a few stands I use but it is definitely more cumbersome to make a nice display. I also think it probably takes a smaller plant, a division for example, longer to really get going. Put a Cattleya division with 10" pbulbs on a mount and the first year's effort will be 7" or so, only after the plant has grown a lush root system will the new growth be up to snuff. Plants with fine roots, like some in the Oncidium alliance, take longer to attach to a mount or never do. I try them for a couple of years and if they don't seem to get the hang of it I give up and put them in a pot with diatomite.

I will not categorically stat it is a 'better' way to grow them. There are a couple of growers in my orchid society who grow better looking plants than I do. They prefer potting. They have been at it twice as long or even longer than I have, pay incredible attention to detail and grow in greenhouses. They live close to the ocean with higher humidity and less extremes of temp. I made a point of looking at their mounted plants and they are also slightly superior to mine, these guys just simply are better growers in a better environment and it is not the fact that their plants are potted. I finally broke down and am right now building a 'warm' and a 'cold' greenhouse so maybe that will help.

In the end one must keep in mind that it's really all just for fun and the Golden Rule applies: If it feels good, do it, if it doesn't, leave it alone.

Nick

So, what i'm about here is saying you should aim for the best possible culture in your conditions and aim wherever possible for the one watering routine for all your orchids by adapting "potting" material and "pot" style to achieve that aim. Do not mount an orchid just because of dogma or fashion.

If you go away, you want to leave simple instructions for the non orchid types, even if you think they should be smart enough to not need instructions.

A few pics are worth a thousand words.
Dendrobium canaliculatum on a wood mount (top), B. cucullata mounted because the leaves say "i need to dry out" and Sarco.ceciliae in spike and under-potted. Kind souls would put it into a bigger pot and bump it off.

Bulbophyllum shepherdii growing on a square of old fence paling. This is a good method to use for "creepers".

This orchid has a reputation for being difficult. Note the shallow tray.
Dendrobium jenkinsii 'Kusaf' ACC/AOC grown by a lady with the magic touch,
she has two cultural awards from the AOC.