another phal. in moss issue???

[mayres]

I purchased a new phal at the Oregon Orchid Society Show a month ago and noted it was in sphag. The cross was a special multifloral phal that won honors at the Tokyo Orchid show last year with what looked like a couple hundred flowers! It appeared to be in fairly loose sphag. Note that every plant I have purchased in sphag previously (big box sales) seemed to be packed very tightly and also had LOTS of rotten roots. Since this purchase was from what I considered to be a reputable local grower I decided to leave it as is (in its current sphag) and compare the progress with my other phals that are planted in a coir mixture. In the month that I have owned the plant I have watered it but twice. It seemed to be slowly going downhill so I decided I couldn't wait any longer and de-potted today. Aarrrrrrgh! Huge long roots over six inches long - ALL ROTTEN. After I removed all the bad roots I would estimate that 5-10% of the original root mass was left. If I ever purchase another phal in sphag I'm removing it as soon as I get home next time! I know some people swear by this stuff - but NOT me! mike

[brookn]

Mike,

I certainly don't swear by the stuff, I think if you live in an area of high humidity, probably just not going to work. Mine has done well in the sphag after I took a lot of it out of the pot, nice new green roots, but I could not wait for the blooms to finish knowing that the damaged ones in the middle still needed work.
I couldn't stand the wait anymore had to know it was okay. I repotted today, and because it is so humid here (the sphag remained wet for longer than 9 days) I went with sphag, bark, and charcoal. I am hoping that will make it happier. The middle roots were a wreck, but the outside roots looked good and it had six newish roots growing, the middle roots were also still too wrapped in sphag. With the constant rain here I have resorted to a box fan in the window across from the orchids on high, but have had to turn it off at night, because it was just too cool. Even then it took the sphag over 9 days to even begin to dry. I am sure a much drier climate would work for the phals in sphag, but I am beginning to think with humidity a bad idea.

I really am wondering how the growers make the sphag work so well for them, and when we get them home it is just the opposite, even when the grower is from the same area. Maybe a good question for Jerry.

Sorry to hear about your baby, hopefully it will recover just fine.

[sandra]

How strange for me to find this very topic going on now because I just logged on to search pros and cons regarding potting in sphag and bark and others' opinions on this. I just received from a friend 2 huge plants, a dend. and oncidium. The oncidium was packed tightly in sphag which I don't have any of my plants in, mainly because of living in Fla., where there's an over abundance of humidity. I spent over 2 hours running the plant under water, carefully removing all the sphag. last night. It's got a massive root system going on and lost only a tiny amount in this undertaking. I haven't repotted it yet...will do this morning and give it a heavy spraying with worm tea. Not knowing as much as a lot of the people here do in recognizing when the plants need watering, I find it much easier to judge these requirements when in bark as well as it's overall progress. I was very surprised to see how healthy the root system looked but am glad it's out of the sphag. nonetheless.

I'm with you Mike....no sphag. here as well.

[prisana]

Hi Mike,

I had a similar experience with one den nobile I bought from orchid show..it was't potted in sphag but it was in this loose pot, the 2 new growth were broken and it was in bloom and the roots were in bad shape. It was in blooms so I didn't mess with it, but of course the blooms didn't last long and when I took out the plant there were no good roots in the pot. That was in Jan. , and the plant is still in recovery now. You would think you spend that much money buying from what you thought was a reputable grower, and this is what you get... I just I won't be doing business with them again.

Sorry you had to experience that..it sure is frustrating. Better luck next time.

[pikevi]

I think fred has a different view of the sphag's use

Pardon my ignorance, what is a 'bigbox sale'?

[Sharyn]

Mike: I'm with you. I just don't have any luck with the stuff. We just discussed some moss issues on another thread.

Yet another Phal Question

[fred]

yes my views of spagh is different from other members on the forum.

I am pleased Sharyn brought the link over on the topic of spagh.

I have seen on the net alot of spagh is pre packed.

I have never used pre-packed spaghnum moss.

I dont think i would even think i would use the pre-packed stuff it looks dead to me.

the pre-packed spagh would take alot of time to get the spagh to where i would use that.

I only use fresh spagh.

My mini catts love the stuff.

I also know of big orchid growers that use tons of spagh.

I do not agree with packing the moss so tight in the pot as it has been said on here so many times.

when poting a plant up in spagh i dont just hold the plant and place the moss in the pot.
what i do is i place spagh around each one of the roots until i have a ball like shape then i place the worked spagh ball into the pot and 9 times out of 10 i do not have to add anymore spagh to the pot.

I find if the spagh is packed to tight the orchids roots suffer also the moss can not grow.

I guess i am just lucky i can get fresh spaghnum moss.

[prisana]

Fred,
You know, I've always been wondering about where to get fresh green sphag. I don't even know if they have a bog here big enough for people to harvest commercially . I read in an orchid book a while ago and they mentioned using green sphag in everything, from growing backbulbs to use as potting medium. All I've been able to find is the dried stuff. All I've seen growing around here is just reg moss..I doubt they work the same, I've even heard it blocks the roots from getting nutrients and other good stuff.

I want some green sphag !!

[fred]

regular moss wont work at all in pots although i have seen some mounted,s done with whats called bush moss that is a very dark brown color.

I use more spagh than orchid mix.

I have enclosed a few pics just to show how good spagh works for me.

I just lifted the plants out of the pot to take pics.

A Phal in the pot



now the same one out of the pot



i have also done the same with the 2 mini catts i have in flower right now.





as i posted this post i looked at the pics and you can also see that the spagh is not packed in tight.

[Aniko]

This discussion on Sphagnum moss is going me crazy.
First, I'm sorry for what happened to Mike (who obviously knows what he is doing).
Once more I see that checking the root system of a new Phal it's a necessity, without concern of it's origin.

Second, it's a mystery how such a contradictory outcome is produced by the same stuff.I'm sure though, that it's not a question of good or bad luck - has to be a more rational explanation.

I get to appreciate this medium which seems to me the easiest to handle, to control and give me good results not only for Phalaenopsis but Oncidium and Miltassia.
Of course I'm not going to try to convince anybody to switch to it.

The real concern for me is what to say to a newbie who desperately ask for advise. Such an contradictory context it's confusing rather than helpful...

[tom499]

The type of moss plays a big part in it. as fre pointed out, good quality live moss is a much safer bet and will work very well in the right conditons. i think heat and pot size plays a big role in getting spag to work well. Fred has his catts quite snug, so there isnt too much moss to get waterlogged if over watering were to occur. Moss does take a while to dry out, so warm temps and a moderate humidity help here. I myself have rather cold conditions so only use moss on masd. which like abit of a chill for their roots.

phals are quite epithytic and so i think they work best in medium bark, maybe with some moss if you dont water so often.

i wouldnt recommend pure moss for a large plant as i think its too easy for it too get water logged, but by freds pics, a snug pot seems to be the trick

[brookn]

Okay I think that saying humidity is relative, I should probably should explain the humidity here is 80%. If I wash my hair, and let it air dry, it takes around three hours in this humidity. In the spring and summer here 80% humidity is the norm. and it gets higher. Sometimes the air is so moisture laden it feels as if you are breathing water.

Compare it this way, in Keizer where mike lives it is 57 F with 89% humidity, here in missouri it is 77F with 80% humidity (and we have not gotten our daily thunderstorm yet), in connecticut it is 68F with 52% humidity, and in tasmania it is 45F with 79% humidity. Okay so I am using deducitve reasoning and saying that the sphag is going to dry much faster in your humidity. The reason Fred is having success is because his sphag is straight from a bog (? swamp?), it is fresh and green. Fresh green sphag actually inhibits fungus because of the ph. I don't know about mike, but our humidity is most always that high here, and for the exception of winter, the place has the look and feel of a jungle. We can't stop the plants from taking over around here. I think that is the variable that makes the sphag harder on our plants, I could be wrong.
I will say, that my catt. seedlings are in a pot with bark in the bottom, and only sphag at the top snugged around the roots, and they are loving it. No problems, new growth, green and happy. My phal was just not having it, but it was also from a box store and had been packed too snugly, and was probably abused badly before I got it. I did point out that there are new roots-6 of them and they grew in the sphag, I just did not want to risk any more problems.
Mike I would be p#$%^d also if I had such bad luck.

Fred i have a phal. bellina coming, and I know that they like sphag, so I am going to use your technique. I thank you for the instruction and pics-very helpful. I had actually been worrying over what I was going to do with it, and your post helped me decide the medium and tecnique.

Prisana florida has sphag bogs (?) I am not sure if they still harvest them, but I read some interesting things about the things that they discovered in them archaeologically (sp?). You might check it out.

[fred]

brookn

I am pleased that you found my technique helpful.

I also enjoyed reading your post.

very well said

[melissa]

Hi all,

I am a real newbie to orchids. My late brother was an EXPERT so I acquired little bit of knowledge from him by shear osmosis. Enough of this knowledge enabled me to recognize a Phal. in LOWES (yes - the building supply chain) that was getting ready to take a turn for the worse. Doing my best imitation of Charlie Brown, I brought it home and repotted it out of sphagnum and into orchid medium. It quickly grew two new roots up out of the medium and a new leaf! Great right?! Maybe not - the existing leaves are really rubbery. So, now what? I know it needs something but I don't know what. I observed the same as most people repotting an orchid from sphagnum moss - rotten, white roots with, (at best), 15-20 percent healthy roots left. Somebody help me help my poor little orchid who is fighting the good fight.

Melissa

[brookn]

Thanks Fred. You should have seen me going back and forth checking the weather conditions, the kiddies said I looked pretty serious. Flying fingers and all hee hee.

[brookn]

melissa, how long has it been since you repotted, and what kind of orchid medium. It will help us help you if you could tell us what is in the medium. Thanks.

[fred]

hi Melissa

welcome to the forum

I hope that you enjoy your stay here with all of us orchidgeeks.

Not all orchids do well in spagh as this has been stated in this thread.

just what might help your Phal is a half and half mix of spagh + potting medium.



brookn

I can just see your poor kiddies face when you were dong that lol

[tom499]

Just want to emphasize my second point, as i think it can get confused with how well packed the moss is.

Look at freds pics, The roots fill the pot, with only small amounts of moss between it all, so there is little to get too wet as there are enough roots to quickly absorb the water upon watering, and not much so be saturated. As long as your plant doesnt mind having its roots held like this then moss is good to use.

[prisana]

Hi Melissa, If your phal has firm white roots (more like yellowish white) that isn't bad, don't cut them off. Bad roots are brown or black and mushy.

[palito]

Originally Posted by tom499

Just want to emphasize my second point, as i think it can get confused with how well packed the moss is.

Look at freds pics, The roots fill the pot, with only small amounts of moss between it all, so there is little to get too wet as there are enough roots to quickly absorb the water upon watering, and not much so be saturated. As long as your plant doesn't mind having its roots held like this then moss is good to use.

ITA

I use sphag and it works for minicatts and phals in the hot weather around here. The key is not to stuff the pot with a huge amount of moss. In my plants, most of the space is filled with rocks, styrofoam pieces etc to create air pockets. the amount of moss is really small. The result is just watering once every 10 days is enough for a phal.

[fred]

Hi all,

I am really new to orchid ownership. My brother was an EXPERT and some of his knowledge sunk into me via osmosis. Enough knowledge to help me recognize that a little Phal. in LOWE'S (yes, the home store) was getting ready to take a turn for the worse. It was blooming - very common purple flower - but was in shagnum moss(which I assumed was a 'no no') and you could tell it wasn't really happy. I cut off the bud spike when I got it home and repotted it - finding most of the too soft roots white or brown and rotted. I put it in medium recommended for Phals. It quickly sent new strong gray-green roots (with purple ends) up out of the medium and sprang a new leaf. Great right?!? Maybe, maybe not - it's leaves are very rubbery and don't have a lot of... is the word "turgidity"?? Anyway, I know it needs something else besides love - HELP!

My poor orchid thanks you as do I - Melissa

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...html#post19006

I hope this helps.

Orchid Care for Phalenonopis & Paphiopedilum Orchids

Hi Melissa - I'm assuming you put your new baby in bark of some kind - am I correct? If you did, did you soak it for a day or two first (I'm thinking even longer would be good)? Much of the bark sold for orchids is very stubborn about obsorbing water initially. For awhile I used bark and had some challenges with some plants right after transplanting. The bark just does not often hold moisture worth anything for awhile. You might need to actually soak the whole pot/bark/roots in water for 15-30 minutes when you water for awhile until the bark gets used to holding water? The last plant I put in bark did exactly as you have described - the leaves started to loose their turgor and started to develop lines of indentation along the axis of the leaves (not a good thing). The funny thing is that it had been doing good for the past two years in the same place in bark. Even though I had gone to a different media with all the rest of my phals I put this plant back into bark because it seemed to like it before and I had some bark left over to use up. In my case, rather than trying the soak method I mentioned, I just decided to put it into the media I'm using with my other phals (coir/perlite/charcoal) and the leaves all immediately sprung up and smoothed out again. It sent up the start of a new spike a week ago too and has grown out another new leaf. Alas, all seems to be well again. Good luck with yours! mike

just to make clear, mayres, your soaking the bark only for 1 or 2 days, not the orchid in the bark.

it is still early for me so i may just be slow but just in case anyone read it like i first did, mayres is soaking the bark only.

[Maddy]

A little sphag mixed in with the bark can help with water retention for orchids that don't like to dry out all the way, but in general it's caused me more problems than it's solved. Although I admit my phal Makai Wantanabe is in all sphag right now, but it's also mostly roots.

[mayres]

I am intrigued by Fred's comment of using "live" sphag. As far as I know the stuff that is used around here comes in a pressed bale and is fluffed out and rehydrated with water just before being put to use. I can't imagine there being in "life" left in it? I got a bale of it last June from the president of our local orchid society and was going to give it a try and then he made the mistake of showing me a couple of phals that he had planted in a coir, perlite, charcoal mix. They were the biggest healthiest looking phals I had ever seen around here. On July 4th I planted all 30+ of my phals into the mix and couldn't be happier with it. The sphag is still in the packaged bale - just hope I can find someone to sell it to one of these days! Thanks for all your comments on this thread - very interesting reading to me.......mike
BTW - As far as orchids go this is not a lot of money to spend on one for many people, but I did spend $35 for this plant which is more than my lean budget usually allows for a plant around here - and I really expected a top notch quality plant from the tip of the roots to the tip of the last leaf. Just goes to show you that you can get a bummer directly from an orchid grower/show just as easily as you can from the big box stores.

[fred]

mayres

I would like to see the some of the spagh bale rehydrated.

I just had a thought while doing this post is the spagh rehydrated with rain warter ?

I have only seen them on the internet myself.

to me most of the spagh would be brocken and i think the spagh would need alot of work before it would be good enough to use.

with the fresh spagh it is nice and fiuffy and green also around 2 feet long also.

I once bought a bag of spagh from one of the large chain stores it was packed tight into a plastic bag and also very light also looked like old spagh also.

I dont that once never again.

I have also been wondering if the New Zealand spagh is the same as Tassie spagh.

[kmarch]

Originally Posted by Aniko

Second, it's a mystery how such a contradictory outcome is produced by the same stuff.I'm sure though, that it's not a question of good or bad luck - has to be a more rational explanation.

There is a rational explanation Aniko and it's this: It makes no difference what you grow an orchid in as long as you give it the conditions it likes. If you give it what it likes it will thrive whether grown in sphag, bark mix, or my old socks (added for humorous emphasis - not a legit recommendation).

There are a number of things that determine how much moisture is held at the roots of your Phal. The mix it is in is only just one factor. So it really has nothing to do with the sphag, but instead it has everything to do with everything else. These other things include:
1) the mix you use - how moisture retentive it is
2) how tight the mix is packed
3) how well extra water drains off the mix and roots
4) the temperature
5) the humidity
6) the air circulation
7) how often you water
8) probably a couple of other things I'm forgetting.

Two people could have two phals potted in identical mix (like sphag), yet because of the other conditions, one Phal could thrive while the other completely looses all its roots. We all have to make little adjustments as we go and as we see what works a little better for ourselves.

Happy Growing!

[chefatplay]

I'm finding this thread very interesting. After reading numerous threads about the dangers of tightly packed sphag, I decided to be brave and mess with my Dttps. Golden City, which happens to be in full bloom. The first thing I did was pick at the top sphag and immediately got three green roots coming up with the pinch of moss. Then I picked the whole pot up and looked at the roots in the clear container. They were green and yellow. There is about an inch of packing peanuts in the bottom. There is even a little algae like growth in there, not a lot. I don't think I have any problem with that one. The nine leaves are deep, deep green and have a sheen to it. (got this from a local grower.)

My "mother" phal, which is almost done blooming is in bark. The bark is loose but holds the plant well. I can't see any sphag at all. When I picked this one up and look at the roots from the clear pot, I see green roots. There is no algae at all. The four leaves, two on each plant, are nice and green but not as green as the sphag phal. There is no sheen to these.

I water them all the same, once a week by immersing (soaking) them for 15 to 30 minutes each. I mist them usually once a day with Worm Tea. I have been soaking them with Worm Tea as well, but have just ordered more. I think I'm over using my Worm Tea, but that is for another thread.

My Oncid is just so big and full of bloom, I will have to wait until it is finished to examine it more closely.

In all, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't see much of a difference. I think my sphag phal may be in better condition than the "mother" orchid, but I'm not surprised since the "Mother" orchid was purchased at Publix (grocery store) and the Golden City was purchased by a local grower.

[melissa]

First, and most important, Thank you all for your help! I am hoping to be worthy of orchid geekhood someday.

To answer some questions:

Yes, my orchids (2 Phals) are in a bark medium recommended for Phals BUT I didn't soak it first before potting them!!!! How stupid of me - no wonder I'm thinking they look like they need water - I've been so afraid of rotting them but instead they're probably parched! I water once a week (water until it runs through the bottom of the pot and make sure it is drained before returning them to their places). I mist leaves and spray top bark 3-4 times a week.

I potted the poor little Lowe's orchid about 2 months ago. I'm afraid I may not have potted it tightly enough at first But it feels like it is a lot tighter in the medium now.

How tightly do you pot an orchid?

Is it too late or will it hurt my orchids to "re-pot" by taking them out of existing pots, soaking existing bark and putting them back into same pots again? OR, should I just start a more intense watering schedule until they seem to bounce back?

Also, do you folks mix your own perlite, charcoal, and coir? Is it available ready-made? I'm liking the two accounts of members as to its performance....

Thanks again everyone - I am really excited about learning orchids and taking care of them.

[mayres]

Melissa -
Your second option would probably work - at the very least soak your bark WITH plant for longer than you think you should (at least that is what I am recommending). Even a couple of hours. You may need to do this a couple watering periods. You can tap in the bark fairly firm - being careful not to go so firm that you break fragile roots. I found my coir at a hydroponic store here in town. I understand there are different qualities of this available. It comes in a pressed bale all the way from Sri Lanka and makes up a lot of media for what you think you're getting. Since it comes from coconut husks which grow near the sea they say it is a good idea to rinse well (salt) - I think good quality material is probably somewhat pre-rinsed, but you probably cannot rinse too much. I mix it myself - just guessing, about 20-25% perlite and 5% charcoal, which I get in a garden store. It retains moisture more than bark so I actually cannot water but every 2-3 weeks - which I actually take as a good thing - like Kevin was suggesting, everyone has to find what works well for them and adjust accordingly. This works great for me at present. Good luck - mike

[m3phist023]

Maybe it depends on how much a person likes to fiddle with their plants, as well as the size of their collection.
I like to fiddle, and I like to water, so sphag is a bad idea for me since you have to leave it alone for longer periods of time. All of mine are in bark but one, which is mounted. I love that one! I get to water it every day!
With a big collection, unless you have limitless time, I imagine it's good if they stay "watered" a bit longer.

[Aniko]

Kevin's words make sense of, course. So many factors are involved and interact in the life of a plant! The most experienced grower can miss something...
I really like to spend time with my orchids, everything: watering, potting, inspecting what is new every day, or just looking at them sipping my morning coffee.

[Vivienne]

Aniko - you sound like me. Daily inspecting and trying to perfect my growing conditions. And I love my morning coffee with the 'chids.

[prisana]

Originally Posted by Vivienne

Aniko - you sound like me. Daily inspecting and trying to perfect my growing conditions. And I love my morning coffee with the 'chids.

Same here, morning coffee, afternoon beer...let's just say I'm really never "in the house" when I'm home.

[Vivienne]

LOL prisana. I'll take a glass of wine. 3 teenagers - I have to keep my wits about me - they have me out-numbered.

[fred]

lol with three teenages I would take a bottle lol

[Vivienne]

ahh fred true, but hangovers and kids, not a good combo. The boys are pranksters ... I'd be doomed. You'd stand a better chance with BooBoo! LOL

[fred]

hehehe i like that one

[sandra]

One more thing to add:

This is one of the more interesting threads I've read here. One thing leads to another yet, it's all full circle. I've learned so much by reading just this thread and Mike, I'm with you on this one.....no sphag.

Kevin, you are the rock! Thank you for taking your explainations beyond quick replies. Much appreciated!

P.S. Aniko, Prisana and Vivienne.......Me too! I'm on the patio as soon as my coffee is brewed to check out and look at all my pretty plants. I'm at peace when I'm in my garden or patio. It's the one place where I'm at more often than any other part of the house. I leave everything behind when I'm there. No kiddies in the home anymore like you Vivienne, just 3 kitties! and a doggy! And an invalid mother which is why I should start drinking.....

[sandra]

Along the same concerns as Melissa, a nagging question I've had since the other day when I took an oncidium I was gifted out of sphag. and into bark.

It took me over 2 hours to remove all the sphag. as I ran it under water and very carefully removed all of it. The plant had been in sphag for almost 2 years so it was tight. A huge root system, all in tact and I decided to let it wait until morning to pot it. When I did, the roots were all still fairly damp so I purposely did NOT use pre-soaked bark. I was fearful of rotting the roots.
I've been misting it with worm tea daily.

Was this a mistake? Should I submerge the entire plant in water for a half hour or longer or was the judgement I used, right?

[fred]

sandra I think you have done the oncid a favor

we all know that i love the use of spagh but i would not have an orchid for that long in spagh.

with the Bark soaked and the roots damp i would wait a little while and let the plant settle before letting it sit in water.

the skewer test may be a good idea i think

[sandra]

Fred, the bark was NOT pre-soaked though. I was afraid with the very damp roots already, to add soaked bark. The bark was/is dry. Do you still think I should leave it or submerge the whole potted plant in water for a good 1/2 hr?

Also, why wouldn't you leave an oncidium potted for 2 years in sphag? You'd repot it in new sphag., right?

[fred]

I replace my spagh every 7 to 8 months spagh tends to go sour after that long in pots.


myself yes i would repot back into spagh.

I find here that onchids love being in spagh.

[sandra]

Fred, you still haven't given me your advice with the dry bark for my oncidium............

[fred]

oh dear i am sorry sandra we have visitors

I would still let the plant settle for about a week before giving any more water

then you can soak it for about half an hour or so

[chefatplay]

Vivenne, Sandra, Prisana, Aniko, I get up every morning 3 hours before I need to go to work just to read Orchidgeeks, eat breakfast and be with my orchids. I go inside and out now. I love it. I have Vandas, my palm that is coming about now that I 'm paying attention to it and three avocado trees that are about 3 feet high on my front porch. I bought a 15' length of hose and a hose end that can soak, sprinkle, mist etc. It's all working great.

Sandra, I hope your Oncid does well. I still haven't forgotten about going to see Jerry. Taking vacation the last week of June and the first week of July. Is any time in there good for you?

[PhalPal]

My biggest problem with sprag is that it takes SOOO long to remove the old moss to re-pot, and I feel I am doing a lot of trauma to the roots by messing with it for so long. Just takes forever...picking, picking, picking.... Other than that, it would work very well for me living in such a dry, very low humidity area.
Mayres and I are a minority few who grow in a Coir mix. I started with Aussie Gold and loved it so much (as did my plants) that I now make my own by mixing coir, dynarok, perlite and charcoal. I really can't overwater (altho it initially looks like I can) and I have saved quite a few from root rot in this stuff. I just seemed to kill anything I planted in bark - but that is another thread!
Like lots of the ladies mentioned above - I love 'living with' my orchids. They are where I am, inside and out. Cheaper than a shrink!

[PhalPal]

Melissa - I'm not sure we have answered your questions about the following:
When you pot an orchid, put it in as much mix as it takes to allow it to stand on it's own and the roots seem supported, not wobbling excessively in the pot. As the roots multiply the plant will become more anchored. If you are attempting to save a plant with only a few roots you will need more extensive measures. Since I am certain you will never be in that situation we will not discuss it now!

A good pre-made coir mix is a brand name called Aussie Gold. I started with this as a trial but now I make my own since I now have every one of my orchids thriving in it. (See Mayres post above; he uses it too) Now, with that said, we could start a whole other thread on the plus's and minus's of coir! As a relative newbie I am more likely to try something new.

It took me two years to get to this forum so you are doing the right thing by asking questions now to prevent problems! Keep asking!

If you have not been directed to it yet, read Cynthia's sticky on method of skewer use. (Newbie section) It has been a blessing for me and really took the guesswork out of watering, regardless of the medium you choose to use.