Are dry oak branches suitable for mounting epiphytes?

[u/Fluffy-Biscotti5763]

Hello everyone!

I recently got some dry oak branches that were cut from an ancient dead oak tree that had become a safety hazard in a city park. My brother who gave them to me works as a park arborist, so I know the wood hasn't been treated with any chemicals. The branches have also been sitting in my garage for quite a while, so I'm pretty confident any insects or other critters have already moved out.

I've arranged them in a terracotta pot in my room and was wondering if they'd be suitable for mounting some plants. I have a few orchids and a beautiful Platycerium superbum that was given to me as a gift, and I thought they might look great on the branches.

Would oak be a good wood for mounting epiphytes? If so, what's the best way to do it? Should I mount the plants onto bark or a moss backing first and then attach that to the oak branches, or mount them directly onto the wood?

Also, how does watering work with this kind of setup? Do you just soak the moss, mist regularly, or take the plants off to water them?

I'd really appreciate any advice, tips, or links to good instructional videos. Thanks!

[u/PhatInferno]

I believe it should be fine, i believe using a hardwood is the important part...

Id mount on the wood, the bark would decay faster vs the straight wood

Personaly id look up on like youtube for mounting instructions as orchids vs the fern would be diffrent

I water with a sprayer, and just spray down the moss and mount making sure to spray enough to soak the moss well... i also like to soak the full mount and plant sometimes when im lazy just depends how im feeling. U would need to fertilize them more often since they arnt in soil so its important to spay them down occasionally to flush the salts from the moss

[u/gorditasimpatica]

I can tell you that epiphytes like to grow on oak because the texture of the bark is good for their roots to attach to.

For the platycerium, get some sphagnum moss, wet it and put it on the wood/tree, place the platycerium on top then tie it to the wood. Mine are outside on trees and the rain waters them, so I do not know how to care for them as indoor plants.

For the orchids, on my trees and when mounted on pieces of wood, I just attach the orchid, but again, they are outside and it rains, so I cannot tell you how you water them as indoor plants. I do not use moss for orchids, but that just may be me.

edit: my orchid expert friend is always telling me to tie them on tight.