Bought some moss, Is this the right stuff???

[VEEKTOR]

I plan to re-pot some of my Phals in bark and others in Moss to see which medium I like better. So if you hate moss thats not really the input I'm looking for...
I picked up this moss but not sure if it is the right stuff.
Please let me know.
THANKS!

[digitalgate]

have not use that before so cannot advise U. I normally use New zealand moss so far , so good. That moss you have seem to have a lot of debris, may be it is not so clean?

[kmarch]

It's sphagnum moss which is commonly used in orchid mixes. It does look like it has a lot of bits in it though.

[VEEKTOR]

Thanks, I'm going to try it out. This new hobby of mine I have to do on a budget.
Once I figure out if I like moss then I will drop the $$$ on the good stuff.

[SamIAm]

Hi VEEKTOR,

I use NZ moss from rePotme and my phals love it. I'm not sure if the moss you purchased is chilean moss, maybe someone else can answer that ...If you are going to use the slotted pots you ordered from rePotme, be aware that as the roots grow, they love to try squeezing out of those neat little slots but they do well in them...I have found that in order to balance phals in the lighter plastic pots as well as using moss, which does not weigh them down, I do not underpot them and the lower phal leaves that rest on the lip of the pot helps to keep the pot from tipping over, unless you use a cache pot as many do. Once you have an answer as to whether the moss you purchased is suitable to use, remember you don't want to pack the moss in tightly. I weave the moss in a circular motion, and even through the roots, loosely. For bark, I have one large phal in Monterey Pine bark that is doing great as well, so...it will really come down to the environment in which you can offer them (culture). Here are a couple pictures of my phals roots in moss. Good Luck ...

[VEEKTOR]

Thanks Sam that is all good to know!
I got my RePotme pots in the mail today and ready to start work tomorrow re-potting a few phals!
I hope to be getting some RePot me moss soon!
Those are good tips as I get frustrated with my plants be wobbely now in the cheap plastic "cups" they came in. I think the ones they are grown in are that way to be cheap and so florist can cram them into different arrangements without taking them out.
Seeing how my new pots are harder plastic and have flat bottoms i hope they stand up better.
Cheers

[Hummer344]

Be very carefull not to keep your chids to moist in the moss. This is a problem for many and will lead to root rot.

[Brooke]

VEEKTOR I'm afraid you won't be happy with your choice of sphag. California is not known for growing premium sphag I'm afraid the shorter strands will compact too much and not provide sufficient air around the roots. You could compensate for the shorter strands by adding large perlite to keep it from compacting.

You have a great vendor of premium NZ sphag in California in CalWest. I buy their sphag by the bale and love the quality. Google will give you their website. Shipping should be much less for you than having it shipped cross country.

Yes square pots sit better than round ones. Clear pots are easy to determine when to water - if there is condensation inside the pot, don't water.

Brooke

[kip]

Not the best stuff, but it should work for most situations. SuperMoss also packages good long fiber sphagnum under the name "Orchid Moss". Check with the vendor you got that package from - they may be able to help you.

[11Orchid126]

You say you're going to try bark or moss. Why not a combination of the two? Perhaps 25-30% moss, 75-70% bark.

[JungleMel]

I agree with 11Orchid126. For orchids that need to stay more moist I use a bark/charcoal/sphagnum mix. For me it eliminates any potential problems that come from using just one or the other.

Also if you need decent sphag cheap, I've picked up some dried Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss from both Home Depot and Lowes before for around $5 in what looks like a larger amount than the one you bought too.

[starwhiz]

I agree with Brooke. Im happy with the NZ sphagnum moss from Calwest. A little expensive but cleaner and my phals are also happier with it. Since I only have 8 phals,
I got 1000g for 34.25 (23.96 +10.29 shipping). It may last me for about 1.5 years -that's about 3 repotting. Or even longer as I do a 3 weekly,weak fertilizing and 4th week flushing with tap, then RO water. Try it next time.

[plucker]

The key thing with spag is pack lightly and have heaps of airation. That may mean packing with other drier options like a mix of stone or bark or something.

How do you know if it is packed too tight? Well I find that if I water it and the pot is not free draining than it is too tight. In this case either of 2 things could happen. If it gets wet, it stays wet for ages or if it goes dry, you cant get it wet!

With spag I recommend putting a styrofoam layer on the bottom of the pot which will help everything.

I do it this way

[vanda_obsession]

All my orchids are in moss, they seem to be doing better than ever. They were all in bark before, and ever since I repotted them to moss, they seem to be loving it.

[ceahorse]

I'm trying moss this time, my orchids just didn't seem tight enough in the bark.

[PhalNewbie89]

I am with Vanda, especially with my phals. My phals love the moss, I think my other mix kept them a little too wet and tightly packed.

My Paph on the other hand loves my miracle gro orchid mix and I am not sure what I am going to do when it is time to repot because I had to toss it due to a gnat colony in the bag.