Eating my Words about Spraghum Moss

[PhalPal]

I'm going to go back on something I have stated many times and never thought I would change my opinion. I once HATED spraghum moss. Hated it! Everything that came to me planted in it died, even with the most careful of care. I have since learned to love it.....hell has frozen over....

Turns out what I hated was not sprag specifically, but the sprag that growers use (cheap??) and frequently double pot. By the time I would get the orchid, the old seedling moss would be well worn out and soggy, and not visible to me at the time of purchase. I have since been using a very high grade - operative word here- spraghum New Zealand moss. If new and fresh and most of all VISIBLE, all of my species phals have thrived in it. In fact, they are the only phals I have this year in spike. I will try a few of my more mature phals in it to see if they like it as well. I am in the process of putting almost everything under T5's; I need something that does not dry out in two days. (smaller pots) I'll keep you posted!

BTW - my spiking phal is a Phalaenopsis equetris (sp??) orange variety. This is it's first bloom and I can't wait to see it!

[exasperatus2002]

and we cant wait to see the pics! I will only ever use the new zealand moss myself. but I mix it in with bark, I'll only use it straight when Im mounting an orchid to help retain some moisture.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I was told by an AOS judge that NZ moss goes bad in just under a year, well, I think she said 9 or 10 months, but don't remember exactly. Everything I have except the mounties gets repotted every year, including those in moss.

[Brooke]

I agree about loving the NZ sphag and offer this as a suggestion for people trying it. Add tree fern to the mix and it is wonderful. Even when the sphag starts to wear out and would collapse, the tree fern keeps the mix light and airy with no collapsing around the roots.

I also use the sphag/tree fern mix for my lone gongora, lone stanhopea, all bulbo/cirrs, lycaste and my lone bollea. I still use only sphag with the masdes and miltonia.

Brooke

[fred]

I agree with Cynthia Sphagnum moss goes sour I find when you smell the pot with sphag and you can smell it being sour its time to re place the moss with fresh sphag.
Even the fresh sphag I collect will last up to 8 to 9 months before I replace with fresh sphag.

I hope that helps you PhalPal
Fresh Sphag is great I love using the stuff.

[jerrymeola]

I have used lot of New Zealand Sphag and think it is the best quality.

Chilean AAAAA grade is nearly as good. notice the 5 A, Chilean grade A is the lowest grade from Chile

I find all sphag packs down in about a year, and while I do not think it is necessary to replace it, I do take it out and loosen it yearly.

This is the problem PhalPal had with old moss being kept and the entire plant being up potted. The cost of best quality sphag in commercial sizes is cheaper than the cheapest shpag you can buy yourself, so no commercial grower is using poor sphag to save money.

[digitalgate]

it really depend on your area. Even in singapore some people swear by it.Personally
I hate it. Most of my orchd died because of it. Even imported ones gave me a hard time
as i have remove them one by one URghhh...

[WIB]

My guess is that sphagnum, even the high-grade stuff, is something you either have a feeling for how to handle or you don't. Maybe you have to be born with it. I've tried it, following the rules (collected rain water, careful not to pack it too tightly), and the results have varied from mediocre to awful. So I stopped using it. I think I just don't have the gene. -- Bill

[articuno75]

I love the stuff! I use it for my Mtdm. Bartley Schwartz and for top dressing. My Neos are in it was well. You do have to pay attention to watering and humidity levels. Doing this will help control root and crown rot.

[MSPProductions]

Phalpal, I'm glad you spoke up, I haven't had the metal, knowing how much some people hate the sphag. I've gone back to sphag after trying bark chip mixes. Maybe it's our favorable location but I find it easier to gage sphag. And I also have to agree that the biggest issue with sphag is getting plants that are over packed and/or 'drop' repotted.

[rmt135]

So far I have not tried to use sphag. It is either charcoal or saw dust. As mentioned by Digitalgate, the Phal that I received as a try out when I opened the root & removed the spag. --- yuk ---- lots of rotten roots. In the end the Phal has no roots.

[rodbender]

NZ is all I use when only using spagh. as the medium for my moisture loving plants. I fill the pot halfway with peanuts then the sphag. that way there is plenty of airflow thru the pot and it drains better with less packing of the sphag. My Paph's and Phals seem to love it.

[palito]

I have some reliable NOID home depot phals in cheap spagh. they came with half the volume of the pot with styrofoam peanuts and spagh in the top. I only l keep it slightly moist at all times and replace it every 6 months or so with whatever junk spagh is available at the stores. it seems to work fine with no rotting and the plants bloom reliably.

[Bird Song Farm]

I, too, am in the process of changing all my Phals over to spagh. I've had seedlings in bark for a year that within two weeks time show great improvement with the spagh. I now re-pot any Phal (my equestris is coming into blossom!) that comes into the house no matter what its age or condition. Have found some pretty foul material in plants from HD AND from 'reliable' vendors. I admit I'm still new to the orchid growing process and learning all the time. This is one lesson I'll live by for a long time.
AL

[MSPProductions]

Does anybody repot their Plahs that they buy in bloom, right when you bring them home?
Or does everyone wait until the plant has finished blooming.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

I think the problems with sphag go up with the pot size. It dries VERY much slower in large pots, and the tendency for beginners is to use pots too large for the plant, compounding the problems. So, I would guess if you are going to use Sphag with mature Phals, you should use the smallest pot possible, and using clay speeds drying immensely.

[PhalPal]

MSP I ALWAYS repot the day I get any orchid home. I have had too many die because of old moss wrapped tightly around the roots. I am very gentle and haven't lost a bud yet.
Cynthia you have a good point about the pot size. The success I am having now with my little species phals are three inch pots. I rarely put a phal in anything larger then a 4" pot, but will try a few just to experiment. I will be taking them out of a coir mix that has worked very well but I'm finding it messy to water and a lot of the coir washes away. The best thing about the coir is it just shakes right off without the need to disturb the roots.

[pikevi]

I use sphagnum moss in all my mix(es) though the amount varies according to the orchid type.

Just like PhalPal,I also re-pot all the orchids as soon as I bring them home or soon after.

The only problem is that it is very expensive. 225g (8oz.) bag of good sphagnum moss is about $7CAD.

[Miki]

I've just started using NZ sphag moss on my phal seedlings with peanut underlay, So far so good.
I am going to try it with a mature phal.
Apparently sphag moss provides similar conditions as s/h- wet!

[PhalPal]

Wow Pikevi, I have never paid that much for NZ sprag. I buy it online because I really don't like the stuff I find in stores. I think the last time I ordered it I paid $9 US for two quarts?? Something like that, but I do remember I got A LOT of moss and the cost didn't jump out at me.

I can find the website if you would like me to.