Hi Orchid Fans,

I'm reading through the old Orchid magazines that I picked up several years
ago. It's fun to see what plants cost back in the 70s and 80s. Paph
rothschilidianum FCC/AOS for $4000! Other awarded plants for hundreds of
dollars for a division.

In the early 80s there was a product called Orchid Blocks that was being
sold. From pictures in the ad it looks like a block that sits on top of the
pot with a thin layer of moss on top. The orchid would grow around the
block and roots dangle down in the empty pot under the block.

It looks interesting. I was thinking I could cut a circle of wood (cedar
shingles) and place it on the shelf formed by the brim of a clay pot.
Drilling some holes in the wood circle would allow the same thing.

What ever happened to the Orchid Block idea? Anyone ever try them?

Good Growing,
Gene

I don't know about orchid blocks, but some of my customers are basically
doing that with EpiWeb.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
news:wiGSg.3429$Kw1.2343@trnddc05...
Hi Orchid Fans,

I'm reading through the old Orchid magazines that I picked up several
years
ago. It's fun to see what plants cost back in the 70s and 80s. Paph
rothschilidianum FCC/AOS for $4000! Other awarded plants for hundreds of
dollars for a division.

In the early 80s there was a product called Orchid Blocks that was being
sold. From pictures in the ad it looks like a block that sits on top of
the
pot with a thin layer of moss on top. The orchid would grow around the
block and roots dangle down in the empty pot under the block.

It looks interesting. I was thinking I could cut a circle of wood (cedar
shingles) and place it on the shelf formed by the brim of a clay pot.
Drilling some holes in the wood circle would allow the same thing.

What ever happened to the Orchid Block idea? Anyone ever try them?

Good Growing,
Gene

If my memory serves me right I think they where blocks of dense osmunda
fiber (roots of the osmunda fern) When osmunda fiber got expensive growers
moved on to other media.

Dusty,

That might be true. I can't tell from the ads. The pictures just show a
round object with notches cut out at 4 points where the roots can decend
into the pot. One of the ads show the bottom of the pot cut away and roots
just hanging in the air below the disk.

They never say what it's made from.

Gene


"Dusty" wrote in message
. 17.102...
If my memory serves me right I think they where blocks of dense osmunda
fiber (roots of the osmunda fern) When osmunda fiber got expensive growers
moved on to other media.

On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:33:26 GMT, "Gene Schurg"
wrote:

Dusty,

That might be true. I can't tell from the ads. The pictures just show a
round object with notches cut out at 4 points where the roots can decend
into the pot. One of the ads show the bottom of the pot cut away and roots
just hanging in the air below the disk.

They never say what it's made from.

Gene

I remember a time when "they" suggested you do that with Oasis - you
know that foam florists use to hold water for fresh flowers. Don't
know of anyone who tried it though.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids

I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also came
in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

Osmunda is the fibrous root mass of a fern, and is somewhat flexible. I
think you might be mistaking the rigid "trunk" of tree ferns, which were
often used as "totem poles" for climbing plants.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Dusty" wrote in message
. 17.102...



I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also
came
in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

Dusty wrote:
I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also came
in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

If you read carefully, Sue said it was once SUGGESTED to use Oasis in
this manner. She didn't mean that it WAS Oasis in the picture.

I can imagine using Epiweb this way, too. I haven't played around with
it much yet. Ray, it probably doesn't wick up water at all, does it?

Reka

No wicking to speak of, Reka. Once watered, it does HOLD some water
droplets, but that's as discrete droplets scattered throughout the matrix.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Reka" wrote in message
...
Dusty wrote:
I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also
came in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

If you read carefully, Sue said it was once SUGGESTED to use Oasis in this
manner. She didn't mean that it WAS Oasis in the picture.

I can imagine using Epiweb this way, too. I haven't played around with it
much yet. Ray, it probably doesn't wick up water at all, does it?

Reka

Here is a site, from the manufacturer I think, that shows moss growing?
or placed? on the E/W. One way to encapsulate it for water retention or
at least slow down evaporation of what water it does hold. Wonder what
kind of moss it is. This site has a number of interesting methods for
E/W use.

http://dusk.se/slab_close.html

Joe T
Baytown

Ray wrote:
No wicking to speak of, Reka. Once watered, it does HOLD some water
droplets, but that's as discrete droplets scattered throughout the matrix.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Reka" wrote in message
...
Dusty wrote:
I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also
came in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

If you read carefully, Sue said it was once SUGGESTED to use Oasis in this
manner. She didn't mean that it WAS Oasis in the picture.

I can imagine using Epiweb this way, too. I haven't played around with it
much yet. Ray, it probably doesn't wick up water at all, does it?

Reka

Joe,

I have grown moss - and grass for that matter - on EpiWeb. It's is no
problem if you keep it moist. I don't think it's a great idea for orchids,
but it's great in vivaria.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"jtill" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is a site, from the manufacturer I think, that shows moss growing?
or placed? on the E/W. One way to encapsulate it for water retention or
at least slow down evaporation of what water it does hold. Wonder what
kind of moss it is. This site has a number of interesting methods for
E/W use.

http://dusk.se/slab_close.html

Joe T
Baytown

Ray wrote:
No wicking to speak of, Reka. Once watered, it does HOLD some water
droplets, but that's as discrete droplets scattered throughout the
matrix.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Reka" wrote in message
...
Dusty wrote:
I see someone suggested it's Oasis, if the picture is in color then
Oasis
would be a solid dull green. Osmunda is a fiberous black. Osmunda also
came in pole shapes to allow Philodendrons to climb on.

dusty

If you read carefully, Sue said it was once SUGGESTED to use Oasis in
this
manner. She didn't mean that it WAS Oasis in the picture.

I can imagine using Epiweb this way, too. I haven't played around with
it
much yet. Ray, it probably doesn't wick up water at all, does it?

Reka

"jtill" wrote in news:1159634224.672018.252570
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

http://dusk.se/slab_close.html

Weird the only browser this sight works in is IE! That is way to scarry.
Well now for a virus scan.

Grow well and bloom magnificently
dusty

Well being brave I explored the sight further and found pictures of this
fibeous mat. It looks to me to be coconut fiber mat not unlike what is put in
the bottom of wire hanging baskets. I'll post the picture I found in a.p.b.o
under mat pic for jtill

Grow well and bloom magnificently
dusty

hanks Dusty.
JT

Dusty wrote:
Well being brave I explored the sight further and found pictures of this
fibeous mat. It looks to me to be coconut fiber mat not unlike what is put in
the bottom of wire hanging baskets. I'll post the picture I found in a.p.b.o
under mat pic for jtill

Grow well and bloom magnificently
dusty

Could they be rockwool cubes??
http://www.1-hydroponics.co.uk/grow-media.htm

Ian in the UK

Gene Schurg wrote:
Hi Orchid Fans,

I'm reading through the old Orchid magazines that I picked up several years
ago. It's fun to see what plants cost back in the 70s and 80s. Paph
rothschilidianum FCC/AOS for $4000! Other awarded plants for hundreds of
dollars for a division.

In the early 80s there was a product called Orchid Blocks that was being
sold. From pictures in the ad it looks like a block that sits on top of the
pot with a thin layer of moss on top. The orchid would grow around the
block and roots dangle down in the empty pot under the block.

It looks interesting. I was thinking I could cut a circle of wood (cedar
shingles) and place it on the shelf formed by the brim of a clay pot.
Drilling some holes in the wood circle would allow the same thing.

What ever happened to the Orchid Block idea? Anyone ever try them?

Good Growing,
Gene