If you like moss tell me :)

[Orchids&Unicorns]

I'd like to hear from those of you who use moss successfully and like it

I'm having trouble figuring out what my phals want. My first one died and I blamed the moss but I think the problem was not the moss but how tightly it was packed. After that I shied away from moss and repotted all my new phals in bark/charcoal/perlite mix. None of them are happy

Since I am experimenting I have them all in various pots - clay, plastic and some inside, some outside. The bark just dries too quickly (I did soak it) and some of them are in various stages of wilting. Some I am watering every day and still sulking. I tried a mix of bark and moss but that didn't work so I'm considering switching back to moss. I have one phal that I put back in moss yesterday, lightly packed. Fingers crossed !!

So I'd love to hear success stories of how you grow your phals in moss - since most of the moss posts I read seem to end in disaster!

(I did check out the sphag moss thread with all the nice healthy moss and that has helped me feel a little more confident!)

[katrina]

I LOVE it and use LOTS of it.

I use it w/my bulbos...mixed w/some chunky bits and those pots/baskets sit in saucers of water.

I use it w/my smaller phals mixed w/orchiata. The orchiata is a recent (less than a year but more than 6 months) trial. So far...best results I've ever had. I used to use it w/med chc and the results were ok but I am now leaning more toward to orchiata.

I use it mixed w/CHC and other chunky bits for my Coels. Several of these also sit in saucers of water during the Summer months.

I use it heavily w/my Catesetum and Lycastes...mixed w/a bit of CHC. The Ctsm in Sphagnum alone are doing better though so the next repot will be sphag alone w/these.

I'm sure there are others that I use sphag mixed w/other medium but I can't think of them right now. It's safe to say though...if the plant wants to be mostly moist...there is sphag in my mix.

As for using it alone...I use it alone w/my itty bitty phals, smaller angs, any division that needs to be rooted and/or awaiting repot, and I have a few other odds and end in it alone.

Something to think about....I don't know how much time you're giving your orchids when you make switches but they don't respond quickly. It can take quite awhile for a sick one to truly turn around. I'm talking weeks...maybe even months. Just throwing it out there in case you're making changes and possibly not allowing enough time for the plants to show improvement.

The trick to working w/sphag (I believe) is understanding how to water w/it given what the plant wants. Whether it's packed loosely or tightly...figuring out when to water is the key. I think most people tend to over-water w/it and that's when they start to see trouble.

I don't know where in FL you live but your experimenting idea is a good one. I know several of our FL members shy away from Sphag because of the humidity down there but we have some that use only sphag. Experimenting and trial and error are the best ways to figure out what's going to work for.

Personally...I love sphag because I don't want to water more than once a day and w/90+ degree Summers...it's the only way to keep many of my moisture lovers happy.

[Orchids&Unicorns]

Thanks - that helps a lot It could possibly be that I'm not giving them enough time to adjust but when I start to see them going downhill I get the urge to try something else. Several of my phals are from Lowes so I figure it will be good to experiment and see what works for me and what doesn't - and if they die I can exchange them under their one year guarantee

So far I like the fact that the moss is so much more light and airy than the bark and I can stick my finger down in there to actually feel the moisture instead of relying on a skewer.

[orchidea]

I like it!
I brought 3 huge bags from California last time I went there. I am talking about the NZ one.
Just like Kat, I am using it a lot. Seedlings like it the most.
The trick is to let it to dry out and flush it with water when it's almost dry, as it holds sults.
My Ctsm's like it too....
You just need to know not to pot most Catts and Den's into it........

[otis 226]

I use it some always for some of my indoor 'chids. Gets too wet outdoors here to use it there. I believe that the way its watered is the deciding factor in how successful you will be using it, as with all orchid media, you have to get the watering right and that takes some trial and error depending on your conditions. Most 'chids are tuff enougn to take a bit of trial and error! I'm not an expert, but I do think that the quality of the moss is also fairly important, unless your just using some in a mix. I think the AAAA grade NZ sphag is the wat to go.
Cheers,
Tony

[Daethen]

I use it straight with all my young or mini phals. I mix it with bark for my bulbos and medium sized phals. I use large pads of it for any mounts I make. I don't have a lot of humidity most of the time and I think this helps. I grow inside under lights and don't have to water more than once every 5 days. I only pack it tight enough to hold the plant in place. I also agree it is a no-no for catts and dens.

[orchidaddict789]

I used to hate sphag moss with a passion, mostly because of root-rotted phals in the beginning days of my orchid obsession. Now, I like to use it for certain orchids. For example, I had an miltonidium that I bought in 2004, and over the past 7-8 years, it remained nearly rootless. I once tried sphagging and bagging it but its new growth started rotting, so I removed it and it was fine. Don't ask me why it didn't die. It diligently put out one new bulb each year, and for 3 years it even bloomed, but the roots would always get to 0.5-1" before shriveling away. It's been potted in bark until this year, when I decided to repot it in sphag. Suddenly, I see tons and tons of new roots growing into the wad of sphag! Now, I can see many new roots through the transparent plant pot. I'm glad I didn't give up on it, mostly because it has sentimental value, as a souvenir of the "old days."

So, long story short, use sphag for an orchid that likes to be kept moist. I think I kept my oncidium way too dry.

Almost all my orchids are still potted in bark or LECA though. I reserve moss for newly potted keikis, some seedlings, masdies/draculas, and some orchids in baskets, like my Maxillaria luteo-alba, which is a water hog but enjoys to hang in the air.

[bearded orchid]

I like using it on my Phalaenopsis either as a mix or an additive. I have tried using it loose and tight and both give good results. Packed tightly, and using the skewer method, I can go roughly three weeks without having to water again. Packing lightly, it's more like two weeks or a few days less.

Additionally, I have had good luck using it as a top dressing for my Oncidiums. I have them potted in a fine bark mix and dressing the top of the pot with a layer or sphagum really helps to keep the moisture and humidity levels constant for them.

[Mira-Claude]

All of my plants are or in sphag moss or in bark/charcoal or in sphag/bark/charcoal mix.
In a low humidity environment I find it help them keep moist longer if soak thoroughly with a diminished risk of fungal or bacterial infection.
Just poking the medium tells me if the plants needs water or not because wet sphag will easily give way while dry will crunch under the finger.
The only draw back I found is that you have to repot every six months or so. But as I love to touch and manipulate my plants it is not much of chore for me.

[Bolero]

I love the stuff for my Pleuro's or even unhealthy plants that need to recover.

Some of the best catt's and phal's I've seen have been growing in it.

Depends on how you use it and your climate, it doesn't suit everyone and doesn't suit all genera. But for Pleuro's I use nothing else.

[-k-]

Oh yeah!!! When I first started growing I steered away from it, but now I just love it and use it for just about every pot and repot. Whether used straight or added to your favorite mix it just works wonders and allows me to ignore the plant for longer periods!

[MelissaSE]

I don't use sphag for my phals, but my Dracula seems to be doing really well in it (in a cedar basket). I have been watering that one every other day this summer.

I also have an Encyclia tampensis that came in a plastic pot in sphag -- it was doing well, so I just popped it out of the green pot and put it in a clear one. I'm a chronic overwaterer, so I wanted to be able to see when it was dry! It is growing like a weed, and parts of the moss look like they're growing too !

Of course, I also use it for mounts.

[jerrymeola]

I use large amounts of sphag. All my Cattleya seedlings and Phals are in it.

I also grow outside and with our rains this summer they are getting 2-4 hours of rain a day. They do not rot.

The reason was in an AOS journal interview with Norman's Orchids from Thailand. They grow 10s of thousands of Phals in sphag. Fresh sphag is very low PH about 5.5. Phythion fungus (root rot) can not grow in this low a PH. The problem is as the sphag gets older the PH rises. Re-pot with fresh sphag every 8-12 months and you do not get the rot. It also helps to add a little small charcoal to the sphag as this extends the life of the sphag.

[TheBlazingAugust]

Out of my 41 'chids, 28 are in pure sphag, all 17 phals, all 10 Bulbo's, and 1 Catt species. Most of my phals are rather small, being either species, 'teenagers', or just smaller novelies, so the pots aren't too large, about 4". I use a bamboo skewer put in about half way between the plant and pot edge, and I angle it towards the center. Once it gets lighter in weight, I will take the skewer out and touch it to my upper lip, if it is still cool and wet, I wait. Once it is no longer cool, and lest moist, I will then water them.

[Orchids&Unicorns]

Thanks everyone for all the great replies. It's good to hear people to have luck with sphag moss. I've switched two more of my phals over. So far the only phal I have doing well in bark is in a really big pot. The smaller ones just don't seem to keep the even moisture in bark - the top and outsides get too dry and the inside stays too wet. Hoping moss works better but it's all an experiment and I'm learning as I go

[PhalNewbie89]

Looks like plenty have told you good stories but I thought i would add that most of my plants are in moss and i like it. Bark was a pain for me.

[orchidlover55]

I enjoy using sphag moss, it does very good with all my little chids Many of my sick orchids have survived I believe because of sphag . My 4"dens and4" Phals grow real good in it . I have tried growing Catts with it but not good success .

[Orchids&Unicorns]

Sphag moss experiment update!

I didn't expect to see results so soon but I'm very happy that I am. The first phal that I switched back to moss has a new root nub growing on the end of an existing root This is a phal that I've had for about two months. I repotted it into bark when I got it and it's been slowly declining the whole time. It lost many roots and it's leaves have wilted. I can't believe I'm seeing it grow now!! I think I may have been converted

[ArtGeekMark]

I too don't care for sphag moss much also because of the NoID phals I've rescued cocooned too-tightly in the stuff in drainless death-traps, but I realize used properly it probably isn't bad stuff.

Personaly I've only used moss for my bulbophyllums as well, which I mix bark mix & the moss, in hanging baskets lined with cocofiber. They seem awfuly happy with that. I have also used a small amount for my psygmorchis I mounted per members suggestion and because two "mini-mounts" I bought at an orchid show came that way and are mad healthy. I have two masdevallias which came in moss & bark mix I struggle with, but I think that's because I got over my head jumping to masdevallias because they looked awesome and I ought to have stuck to paphs, phals, encyclias, & bulbos. Granted I got cattleya about the same time to try out also and I've been doing good with them.... Sorry I have derailed, it has been a long week and it's only frickin' Tuesday.

Like I said used wisely and properly I'm sure it's ok stuff!

[lmartiny]

I've gotten more comfortable with spag too. I also didn't like plastic pots but I started moving my Phals back into plastic for better moisture. The heat and dry spells were just really making them unhappy. I mixed spag in with the bark mix.

[Orchidementia]

I didn't like it at first because all the plants I got potted in it had some fungus or something I was allergic to. Then I got some neos and some fancy long sphag to do the mounds with, and found I didn't react to that. I mount everything I can now, and use sphag on the mounts, as well as some masdies (the fine-rooted ones) and some mini-catts and plants with poor roots.

I found that good sphag can be bought at Petsmart in the reptile aisle - that's also where I buy some of my grape wood mounts!

[GreenOrchid]

Interesting. Does anyone grow paphiopedilums in spag?

[Brooke]

I'm growing some Paphs in sphag I deflasked in '09. If you know how and when to water sphag, it is great.

Brooke

[cable]

Originally Posted by jerrymeola

I use large amounts of sphag. All my Cattleya seedlings and Phals are in it.

I also grow outside and with our rains this summer they are getting 2-4 hours of rain a day. They do not rot.

The reason was in an AOS journal interview with Norman's Orchids from Thailand. They grow 10s of thousands of Phals in sphag. Fresh sphag is very low PH about 5.5. Phythion fungus (root rot) can not grow in this low a PH. The problem is as the sphag gets older the PH rises. Re-pot with fresh sphag every 8-12 months and you do not get the rot. It also helps to add a little small charcoal to the sphag as this extends the life of the sphag.

I never understood why plants in moss need to be repotted annually until you posted this, but it's definitely been my experience that root rot becomes a lot more likely after the 1 year mark.

I use sphagnum a lot, and regular repotting is definitely important. I usually pack it just densely enough to keep the plant stable in the pot, but no more than that. It's a very good choice for orchids that like to stay moist, such as Bulbophyllums and Phals; it seems to keep the roots in 100% humidity all the time. Avoid overwatering so that air can get in too, and the roots will be happy. That's my experience, anyway.

[plucker]

I use spag in my cats and no longer for my phals because I am using other means. I live in the dry tropics, and would not use it in cool places.

With my catts I only have the top inch or so of spag packed loosely. When the spag is dry, it is time to water again. When the water no longer runs through the pot it is time to repot.
We get metres of rain in the wet season and have no problems with rot. In the dry season, winter, you have to be careful not to let the plants sit in a cold wet seat too long or they will get cold and go backward.

Spag tends to absorb moiture from the air, and I have noticed that some of my seedlings dont need watering in the wet season for up to 2 months at the height of summer, with temps around the 100F!! They are covered from the rain.

I have found that seedlings go backward after about 12 months and power on if the spag is replaced.

The key is to pack lightly and let the spag breathe. You will do fine in warmer conditions.

[PhalNewbie89]

My Paph maudiae is in sphag and really seems to enjoy it.

[PaulB]

I had a dendrobium in a cedar hanging basket with only Sphag for about ten years. I'll call it a Noid here, because the tag with all the info went somewhere south along the way.
Watering meant a ten minute dip in a rain barrel (mostly to saturate the cedar), then back up on the hanger. Hardly any feeding at all and it bloomed nicely. Probably would have bloomed better with a bit more attention to feeding, but hey, it was doing well.

The sphag was loose, mainly just to hold the plant upright and I would allow it to almost dry between waterings.

[jpyerry]

When I started growing orchids back in December, I was using Sphagnum moss exclusively for my Phals. After some setbacks with root rot, I decided to change over to medium grade bark for large plants and small grade bark for small plants (Phals that is). I have had good results so far since the change and I am pretty happy. I do use Sphagnum for many of my carnivorous plants, and I do culture a small amount of live sphagnum that I add to my CP mix. So, orchid-wize I really don't use except for my smallest plants, and as an additive on mounts to help the plants get established on the mount.

On Sunday, I attended a lecture by Norman Fang that was hosted by the IPA that has caused to think a little differently about Sphagnum moss. He advocated that Sphagnum moss is excellent medium for Phals and it is necessary to repot less frequently. There were a lot of details that I am omitting, but I think my problem was a tendency to overwater. Mr. Fang indicated that it is perfectly acceptable for the moss to take up to 4 weeks to dry, which goes contrary to what I have learned up to this point. Apparently he foliar feeds many of his plants while the plants are drying from their waterings. I don't know how enthusiastic I am about the notion seeing success with other media, but it gave me a lot to think about and in the future I might experiment with it a little more.

[John Moss]

I have moss growing in the forests around me and I used to make extra money out of 'pulling' moss for nurseries. I have used moss all my orchid days and it is not the moss that is a problem.
For instance, in the corner of my greenhouse I tipped a bag of moss into a tub of water because I wanted to soak the moss. Later I was potting some of my cymbidiums and one was un-named so I dropped it into the tub of moss and water until I got around to potting it. Three years later it is still there, the water is clear and only gets replenished by rain or irrigation, the moss grows happily with the cymbidium, the cymbidium has flowered twice since it has been in the tub. The tub is in a corner, on the ground, with minimal light. The frogs love it!
Two days ago I moved the tub outside because I needed the room, so I will monitor the situation from there for my own information experience.
Like I said, the moss is not the problem.