# mounting epiphytes to cork.



## jharless

has anyone had success with mounting epiphytic plants to a cork background? i'm looking for tips.

the cork is already siliconed to the back wall.

cheers!


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## Guest

I mount broms and tillandsia to cork. The tillandsias only need a small glob of silicon at the base, but the broms need to have some sphagnum moss attached to the base. I use florist wire to do this. I just put some LFS around the base and wrap the wire around it about 3 times. 

I have also mounted cissus amazonica, selaginella, and several ferns to tree fern backgrounds using the same method.....pretty sure it would work for cork also. The sphagnum just hold moisture.


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## Guest

yea im having the same problem because i already foamed my cork bark to my tank and i was thinking of staple guning the plant to the cork but i dont know if it will work..


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## jharless

Jeremy, what brand of foam did you use? i was shy about using expanding foam because i didn't know which brands were toxic.

re: mounting to cork, i was thinking about mounting the plants to a small piece of cork, then mounting that to the cork background. good plan?

also, what does "LFS" mean? i'm kinda new to this.

cheers!


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## Guest

jharless said:


> Jeremy, what brand of foam did you use? i was shy about using expanding foam because i didn't know which brands were toxic.
> 
> re: mounting to cork, i was thinking about mounting the plants to a small piece of cork, then mounting that to the cork background. good plan?
> 
> also, what does "LFS" mean? i'm kinda new to this.
> 
> cheers!


I am sorry....I misunderstood your first question. First, LFS stands for long fiber sphagnum moss. Second, the brand of foam that most people use is called Great Stuff and is made by DOW...get it at home depot or lowes. OK, about mounting plants to cork, lots of people have there own methods. Jeremy made a comment about the lighting, saying that everyones' different input was confusiong him...that is because there is no one way to do things...everyone has his/her own method that works...same for ff culturing, backgrounds, water features, lighting, etc.

My method for mounting plants to cork is to first wrap LFS around the roots or base to retain moisture. Then, I take a piece of stiff wire( I use electric fence wire, get it in electric department at home depot), and I make a "staple" out of it. I then put it around the base and push the ends into the cork with pliers. After some time and the plant has rooted into the cork, I remove the staple. Like I said, there are many different methods, this is just mine. Just be creative.



















Hope this helps,


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## Guest

your method sounds really good, im going to try that. were do you get plants besides the internet, iv tried going to home depot but there bromelaids are huge there like 9 - 15 inches long...


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## Guest

*mounting epiphytes to cork*

Hey all. I am new to the post. Referred by Ben and Rob from Brooklyn. Here is an idea that I use. I use a green paper-clip (plastic coated) and open it up. I push that into the cork and the green keeps it looking nicer less noticeable, I am also a little worried that the oxidation of the wire with all the humidity could cause damage to the plants. :wink:


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## Guest

Jeremy said:


> your method sounds really good, im going to try that. were do you get plants besides the internet, iv tried going to home depot but there bromelaids are huge there like 9 - 15 inches long...


local nurseries and home depot. The best plants are found online in my opinion. My favorite places for plants are cloud jungle epiphytes, peace of the tropics, T&C terrariums, and custom ecos. All have great prices and excellent customer service.


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## Guest

*Re: mounting epiphytes to cork*



steve klotko said:


> Hey all. I am new to the post. Referred by Ben and Rob from Brooklyn. Here is an idea that I use. I use a green paper-clip (plastic coated) and open it up. I push that into the cork and the green keeps it looking nicer less noticeable, I am also a little worried that the oxidation of the wire with all the humidity could cause damage to the plants. :wink:


I like the idea of the green paperclip...may give it a shot. about oxidation though....the wire is galvanized so oxidation is minimized. Plus, I usually remove it after about a month so any threat is removed.

Welcome to the forum by the way


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## Guest

Toothpicks!

Use a nail to make a small hole (or a drill, whatever) and wedge the plant in with toothpicks. They disentegrate after a few months, which is about the same time that they take to root to the wall. works great with all my orchids, cant imagine broms would be any different


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## kyle1745

I have also used toothpicks, even pushed them right through the brom.



drunknmunky said:


> Toothpicks!
> 
> Use a nail to make a small hole (or a drill, whatever) and wedge the plant in with toothpicks. They disentegrate after a few months, which is about the same time that they take to root to the wall. works great with all my orchids, cant imagine broms would be any different


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## jharless

Wow, thanks for all of your suggestions! I thought I was in a jam, but now I feel like I have so many options. Cheers to Dendroboard!

Thanks again!


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## addam4208283

Just mounted some broms in what is going to be an imitator tank. While doing this I wondered if after the brom in firmly secure to the cork bark I should take out the wire holding the SM to the brom when removing the paper clip? I am concerned that the wire will hurt the frogs. Also how tight are you supposed to rap the SM to the brom?

Thanks in advance.
ADAM


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## Guest

*tooth picks, skewers and foam*

i use toothpicks and skeweres as other do, it's easy. vivaria.nl has instructions.

great stuff is sort of toxic when in contact with water. have you ever used the black expanding foam?


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## Derek Benson

Great Stuff is toxic when in contact with water? I don't think it'd ever come in contact with water when on a background, because it covered with silicone and then cocoa bedding.


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## Guest

i know but it's worth mensioning as sometimges folks just use it and plaster it with coco fiber and skip the coating of silicone, that 's all.


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## Erikb3113

I did not know it was toxic, or that you had to coat it in silicone. I'd heard it mentioned, but did not know it was necessity. Would you not have to be careful what kind of wire you used also? No threat of metal poisoning?


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## Ziggi

How long is great stuff toxic when exposed to water?
It's my understanding for people creating water falls and false bottoms and stuff like that sometimes you'll have great stuff on the sides or the back that maybe have a tiny bit of water touch it, will that be a life or death situation if lets say the frogs soak in the same water? Is it toxic eternaly or does it wear off with time and vivarium growth?


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## Erikb3113

subject has turned from the original. Sorry i played a part in that.


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## dam630

Great Stuff is only toxic while it is curing. Once cured it will not have any affect on plants or animals.


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## stitchb

dam630 said:


> Great Stuff is only toxic while it is curing. Once cured it will not have any affect on plants or animals.


also I read that its will leach toxic chemicals in water if its heated...like hot. this shouldn't be an issue for any of our purposes-no worries guys

oh and for the record-i use coated paperclips too haha


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## hectik

I know this is an old posts but I couldn't quite understand the toothpick method. Do I just stab the toothpicks through the plant?


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## charlesbrooks

I use a hot glue gun to attach my plants.


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## D3monic

At Menards I found some Plant mounting staples. 0.79c for about 50 or so. u shaped with nail tips. Maybe 1" long.


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## frogparty

Thse would be jst fine, especially if plastic coated


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## ZookeeperDoug

Bambo skewers from walmarx. Cost me .97 for a 100 pack. Cut off the extra length with my leatherman. They are really hard and really sharp. A bit larger in diameter than a toothpick so they are pretty sturdy plus the bamboo breaks down pretty so so they will last a while. Maybe overkill compared toothpicks but they worked great for me.


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## Pumilo

ZookeeperDoug said:


> Bambo skewers from walmarx. Cost me .97 for a 100 pack. Cut off the extra length with my leatherman. They are really hard and really sharp. A bit larger in diameter than a toothpick so they are pretty sturdy plus the bamboo breaks down pretty so so they will last a while. Maybe overkill compared toothpicks but they worked great for me.


I've used those with nice results too, Doug


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## hydrophyte

I wrap real fine monofilament fishing around and around to first attach a spaghnum moss pad to the cork, then I carefully tuck the orchid rhizome cuttings up underneath the fish line to hold them in place.


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## Kagekiki

is there any way to get the broms to attact to the exoterra background that comes with those tanks or would you have to do some crazy stuff??? please all info deffinantly needed


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## MA70Snowman

I don't see why you would have to do anything "Crazy" honestly the concept is no different then great stuff.


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## shibbyplustax

hectik said:


> I know this is an old posts but I couldn't quite understand the toothpick method. Do I just stab the toothpicks through the plant?


Nooooo.. that will kill the plants most likely. take the plant ant place i where you would want it on the wall. then take two tooth pics and put one on each side at an angle so they meet at the base of the plant kind of like a wedge. you should have made alittle hole in your background so the plant can kind of fit in there but needs alittle help thats where the toothpicks come in. by the time your toothpicks dissolve your plant shoot have rooted in the hole you made and will be able to hold itself in place.


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## wjesse

Can someone show a pic of toothpick/ skewer attachment?

I just replanted my viv with a new background and some of my broms are dying. they used to be in cork and were fine. Now they are squeezed into the crevices of drylock coated styrofoam background and some look pretty sad.

Any advice on how to bring them back or plant them better?

Thanks!


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## Adventure King

It probably wouldn't work for cork, but what makes it really easy is when you have a foam background and lots of pups on the broms. If it's growing from the right part of the mother, you can remove the pup and stick it in the background. It's attached firmly enough for the roots to grow, and is super easy.


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## Jackalope

Would one use similar methods for mounting vines to backgrounds and wood? I'm gathering that the moss at the base acts as a "soil" keeping the base moist enough for the plant to root but when I see the term "vine clippings" it makes me wonder how it would work.


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## Pumilo

Jackalope said:


> Would one use similar methods for mounting vines to backgrounds and wood? I'm gathering that the moss at the base acts as a "soil" keeping the base moist enough for the plant to root but when I see the term "vine clippings" it makes me wonder how it would work.


Here is a pictorial on mounting broms and vines with toothpicks. Scroll down to the bottom. I did it with full, 30" vines, but it will work just as well with cuttings.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/79872-bad-plant-order-good-deal-2.html


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## insaneglitchx

I have a question about mounting vines and epiphytes, other than broms, to a background. Both of my tanks have a cork bark mosaic background. I've had success with mounting broms, but have had no luck with vines. I realize now that I should have included built-in pots to plant vines high on the background, but I did not like the idea when I built them. Is there a way to mount cuttings to a background? What other plants could I mount to this type of a background, other than broms?


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