Bagging with moss question

[Anton]

Cynthia, when putting a plant into a plastic bag with moss, do you need breather holes in the bag ?

I have put the moss into a clear plastic Tupperware container with the plastic bag over the top and a couple of small canes to hold the bag up from the plant which is an Epidendrum keiki.

It has not been doing well in potting media, so I thought I would try this technique to see if it helps.

[Fabolusus]

I just rooted an arundina bulb with the sphag and bag method, and it did fine being completely sealed in the bag. I did take it out once a week to rewet the sphag and to check its progress.

[Ellen]

As Fabulosus says. Opening the bag or container to check and water is all you need to do. Having said that, my experience is that if all else fails, mounting the orchid usually saves it. Have you thought of mounting your keiki?

[Anton]

Haven't thought of mounting this one as at present I don't have anywhere suitable to hang it.

[daytriper]

I agree with Ellen----when things look desperate---mount it over a small amount spag. moss. Tree fern or cork is best. Proper light and ventilation and you have the best possible set-up! :-)
Gary

[Maddy]

Can/should you sphag and bag a phal that only has one or two good roots left? I don't know what happened to one of mine, but it lost a lot of roots.

[Anton]

A few people have suggested mounting it, but do you REALLY mount an Epidendrum radicans ????

I was under the impression that they spread so much, and grow so tall that they are better off in a pot???!!!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Reedstemmed Epis would not be good candidates for mounting. Doesn't your Epi have some roots? Sphag & bag is for rootless plants. Try some sphag in a pot with your Epi if it has some roots.

The Phal with one or two roots should probably be potted and then use a bag looosely over the plant for a while.

[Anton]

Yes Cynthia, it does have some roots, but wasn't doing well in normal potting mix. May still lose it (hopefully not) hence my question re sphag n bag.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I wouldn't use S&B for a plant with roots. If you want to help it, use a baggy over the plant loosely to raise the humidity but not to 100% as in S&B. S&B often leaves the plants overly tender and susceptable to fungus/rot. A little lower humidity will have the plant a little tougher and still support it in bad times.

[Anton]

Thanks Cynthia, as our daytime temperatures are in the high 80s to 90sF recently this sounds like a good suggestion.

[prisana]

Anton, I don't know if this will help , but my first Catt I ever owned ( 2 years in the making ) wasn't doing well , no roots, no new growths ever made it bigger than stumps, until about 2 months ago I put it in a big old sterilized jar with sphag wetted just enough and sealed it tight, it sits in the shade out of direct sun. It now has 3 new growths and bunch of roots and is looking very promising I will be moving it out of the jar in a month or so..it was my last resort, I tried practically everything with it but nothing else seemed to work.

[Anton]

One thing I forgot to ask, do you add fertilizer to the sphag, or leave it as is ?

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

No, just the sphag.