Plant Know-How: Mounted plants
You may have seen plants like this before and wondered what's the deal with those weirdos? These are mounted plants! Instead of being grown in soil in a pot, the way most people grow their plants, these guys are mounted on a surface like cork bark or a board and usually kept in place with some sort of moss. This is a great way to grow many of the plants we keep in our homes as houseplants. If you've read some of our other plant care posts you'll know many houseplants are epiphytes, meaning in nature they grow more like these mounted plants than like your typical potted plant. The best way to care for your plant is to mimic its natural habitat, and growing your plant in the way it would naturally grow in the wild is just one more way to do that. Genera such as Platycerium, Hoya, Dischidia, Peperomia, Asplenium, and many other epiphytes thrive when grown as mounted plants. If you have a plant you'd like to try mounting be sure to read up on it before you do to ensure it's an epiphyte! Caring for mounted plants is a little different than potted plants, so we've got some general tips here get you and your mounted plants started off on the right foot!
CARE TIPS FOR MOUNTED PLANTS:
Light Requirements: The amount of light your mounted plant needs with depend on the type of plant you have. Many plants prefer bright indirect light, but always check the care of your individual plant!
Water Tips for Mounted Plants: Watering mounted plants is a little different than watering potted plants. Mounted plants will dry out quicker than soil, so you will need to water slightly more frequently than a potted plant. How often you water will depend on the genus and species of your plant, but whenever you do water we recommend soaking the moss around your plant until it is fully saturated. If you find your plant is drying out too quickly in-between watering you can give your plant a little extra moisture by misting the moss! You'll want to fertilize your mounted plants as moss doesn't hold as many nutrients as soil does. Use a fertilizer that is made specifically for mounted plants or air plants and follow the directions of your chosen fertilizer.
Are Mounted Plants Pet Safe? Certain mounted plants may be pet safe! Genera such as Platycerium, Peperomia, and Hoya are all pet safe! Be sure to check the genus of your individual plant to be sure!
Did you know? We think for growing Platycerium, or Staghorn Ferns, growing them mounted is the only way to grow happy and healthy plants!
Ready to try a new way of growing your plants? We have mounted plants (mounted in-house by our own Folia Bill!) available in-store!
