about sphagnum moss

[Gilda]

It is not the horrible media you think it is...and it is not hard to grow in.

I first learned from a guy ,'Lonemountain' ,on another forum a way of growing in moss. You do it in layers of styrofoam peanuts and layers of moss. I started out growing my phals in a bark mix but I was either watering too much or not enough.

You start by placing the styro peanuts on the bottom of the pot and then add a layer of moss..then peanuts..then moss etc. till you end up with moss on top. The layers will depend on pot size. Do not pack the moss too tight. The peanuts provide air spaces that the orchids love and the moss stays moist without rotting the roots. I found it much easier to judge the dryness also.

A lady in our society who has been growing for 40+ years saw my results and changed all her phals over to that. That was probably the highest compliment to my growing that I have ever received!

So, if you have trouble with watering,try this method for phals and see if it works for you.

[Liz]

I used to be afraid of sphagnum, but I repotted all of my phals into it about 6 weeks ago; I think I really like it, and I think it is especially good for nursing a few root rotted ones back to health. I didn't use layers of peanuts, but that's a good idea. I've got unglazed clay pots, some with side holes and some without, and a layer of broken terra cotta at the bottom. I think the trick is not to pack the moss too tightly; the plant should not flop over, but there should be enough room to wiggle your finger down to test moisture. Then, I water when the top is crispy dry or when I stick my finger in and it's not still cool-damp. I think this works for me because the clay is so porous, and my plants are either outside or inside under a light and a fan, so there's plenty of circulation to keep it from staying soggy. I haven't put dendrobiums, miltassias, or oncids in moss because I think they like to be a tad dryer and it might not be for them. I could be wrong. I'm interested in trying s/h for the next batch of plants. I'm trying to experiment and see what works best for my conditions and different plants.

[LJA]

I agree with both of you: sphag *is* a good medium (we use it for our seedlings) as long as it's not densely packed and you're not the type to reach for the watering can every half hour. The layering idea sounds like a very good one, especially for plants in larger pots where filling all of that space with just sphagnum would turn the root zone into a bog....

[Heather]

Jury is still out for me. Vast majority of my plants are in some kind of bark mix. I've had one issue and maybe a slight other with plants in sphag, but no dead orchids yet! I'm reserving judgement.

[Jmoney]

I like NZ sphag a great deal...but I think it does require a little more attention to detail, i.e. while potting, and repotting when it breaks down in 6 months...I've seen some tremendous plants (especially phals) grown in sphag, and going a bit further, some outstanding phals grown in that peat moss mix (in a plastic pot no less). I guess the moral of the story is that you just have to tailor your conditions to the media, the pot, and the plant.

[Clark]

I grow many of my orchids in sphagnum moss. All the Brassias are grown in wooden baskets with sphagnum moss. Many of the Oncidium intergenerics I have grow best in a plastic pot with extra slots burned up the side (like you would find in clay orchid pots). I use styrofoam peanuts on the bottom (about one third of the pot depth). I mix coarse sponge rock with the sphagnum (1/3 sponge rock to 2/3 sphagnum). The plants seem to love it.
I have grown my Miltoniopsis this way for the last four years, seems to be the only way to grow them in North Florida heat.

My Phals have been grown this way now for five years. Only difference is I do not add the additional slits to the plastic pots.

Clark

[OrchidTraci]

Originally posted by lja
I agree with both of you: sphag *is* a good medium (we use it for our seedlings) as long as it's not densely packed and you're not the type to reach for the watering can every half hour. The layering idea sounds like a very good one, especially for plants in larger pots where filling all of that space with just sphagnum would turn the root zone into a bog....

Whe should a seedling be put into regular bark medium? My seedling is growing like crazy and don't know when to treat it like a regular plant?

[Gilda]

Traci,
If you can tell your orchid has several good roots, then I would say it is ready for the real world!
Just don't put it in an oversize pot....it would stay too wet.
What kind of orchid is it?