REPOTTING MY PHAL

[punky4240]

I bought a orchid mix with bark and so forth in it some peanuts but I cannot find the sphagnum moss that I hear everyone saying to use. Where can you buy that moss? I found a green moss is this the same? Also what kind of pot should I use clay or plastic? Right now mine is in a small clear plastic cup, it was in this when I bought it. Thanks Vickie

[Brutal_Dreamer]

You do not need the sphagnum moss. Some people use it to hold more water for longer, but you do not have to use it. We do not and our phals are fine. We water twice a week in a medium sized bark mix.

Cheers,
BD

[Tednz]

I used sphagum for several years but have changed to coco fibre I got sick of all the ferns growing through evrything the coco chips seems to be fine, time will tell.

[Rick Friesen]

I use clay pots. If you find then with holes in the sides is better. The orchid roots like light. The clay helps hole moisture. The holes also help with drainage and air circulation. I use a premade orchid mix medium. In a 6" pot, I put a 1/4 cup of peatmoss on top of the mix, it mixes trough as soon as you water. It helps hold moisture in the large windows that they sit in. I also cover the top of the pots with spagnum, it allows air circulation but difuses the air from the cieling fans. I don't like the spagnum beacause it falls apart all over the place and makes a mess. When I have a problem I add to solve the prob. Thats why I have a colage of mix. Now I water to the standard of twice a week, but I still have to soak each pot once every two weeks just to keep the moisture up. I heat my house 6 months of the year with wood and it really dries out your house. Trying to keep the orchids moist is a real problem. As soon as a new orchid has finished blooming I transplant it. If I do it in bloom , the blosoms fall off. This is what I have luck with but straight mix is were to start.

[sadie]

All of the above is certainly true. I found growing in my house that once a week was really all the watering I could handle--so I used shag moss to keep them moist. Houses don't have much ambient humidity. Green moss is not the same--you need sphagnum moss. I don't know if you are in the US, but if so, you can buy shag moss at either the big blue or big orange home improvement store. (sorry to not just spell it out, but those are the forum rules). I put a mix of bark and charoal (also available at the same stores) in the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the pot and then moss to the top. It works great for growing in the house.

PM me and I can tell you the stores and brands I use.