Encyclia alata culture, mounting a plant in a piece of wood.

Encyclia alata is a species that can produce dozens of small fragrant flowers.  In my garden in coastal Northwest Puerto Rico, it does very well growing outside.   It can handle the dry season with no complaint and is unfazed by the high temperatures of summer.   But there is a trick to growing this species successfully.  It demands media that drains freely and doesn’t get waterlogged.   I have a plant that has been growing for many years in a metal basket full of river pebbles.   The plant produced a tiny side growth.  I decided to mount the side growth when it had a number of pseudobulbs.   I mounted it in a piece of wood. in the lowest part of the mount so that it would eventually climb.  The plant took its time growing but it finally produced a larger pseudobulb.   It is very, very important to attach the plant firmly to the piece of wood, otherwise it will not be able to grab the wood with its roots.   The roots are growing upwards into the wood mount.  Note that the surface of the piece of wood is slightly rough and uneven.  The roots are following the contours of the piece of wood.  The plant is also producing aerial roots, some of my plants have long aerial roots along with the roots that are growing into their pots and mounts.   An unexpected problem is that the wood proved to be less resistant to decay than I thought.  What I will do when the wood decays too much? I will affix the plant, piece of wood and all, to a larger piece of wood and then allow the old piece to decay and fall to pieces, as the plant as the plant attaches itself to the new mount.   This plant is a few years away from blooming but once it has a larger root system its rate of growth is sure to pick up.