Live sphag moss

[Miki]

Hello orchid lovers,
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone has recovered from the silly season!

Well, I've just discovered a bag of sphag moss that I purchased before Christmas is 'alive' and growing!
Most of the 5 L bag is green!
My question is- what do I do with it?

I am using dead NZ sphag moss on my phals, and that is going well.
Can I use 'live' sphag moss on orchids?

More questions:
Why does adding charcol help the sphag moss from going sour?
How do I know that my sphag moss is 'sour'?

Thanks!

[fred]

Quote] Can I use 'live' sphag moss on orchids?--- simple answer here is yes
I grow alot of my orchids in fresh sphagnum moss and they love it.

Quote] Why does adding charcol help the sphag moss from going sour?
I use alot of fresh live sphagnum moss I have not heard of adding charcol to the moss.

Quote]How do I know that my sphag moss is 'sour'?
Fresh sphagnum will smell like a damp forest you will soon smell if the sphag has gone sour.

[Miki]

Thanks Fred.
How are you using you sphag moss?
Which species?
I am using sphag moss (base lined with styrofoam) with phals. Have you tried sphag on catts and oncidiums?
Cheers,
Miki

[fred]

I am using Tasmanian sphagnum moss
how I use the moss I have a link here that will show you how I have most of my orchids in sphag like mini Catt's some oncidiums and many more small growing orchids

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/orc...html#post22796

also take a look at this link of some of my orchids in my orchid house
http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/gen...html#post33501

[Miki]

Wow Fred, you have some stunning catts! They are beautiful and so healthy!
I just love the red ones!
Can I just clarify that you are using pure sphag moss and nothing else? No styrofoam peanuts?
Tks for sharing!

By the way, can I live in your green house with your orchids...

[fred]

I don't use any Styrofoam in the sphag at all.
however I have seen some orchid growers use the small type of Styrofoam
I have been told two things about that
1) you don't need to use as much spagh as its hard to get.
2) also the use of the use of the Styrofoam pellets about the size of the pellets in a bean bag allows more air movement.
I have tried that and the sphag dried out to quickly.
I think with you being in WA you would find the same

Yep you can move into my orchid house
I have thought about that myself but I don't think my wife would like that idea one bit lol

[Anton]

Miki, you can't get any fresher sphag than Fred uses.

He harvests it himself from forests near by.

[Miki]

Well Anton, I am growing my own Tasmanian sphag moss and I got it from a place called Bunnings! HAhahhhahh.

I bought a bag just before Christmas and left it in my growing room, it is now all green and growing like mad! I was a bit worried when I first saw it becuase I didn't know it was 'alive'!
I wasn't sure what to do with it!
Now it will go to my orchids!

[fred]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the sphag from Bunning is not half as good as what I can get.
some of the sphag I get is up to two feet long always kept moist from the mountains where there is always alot of rain if not snow.

but if your orchids grow well in it its all worth while.

[Miki]

Hi Fred,
You are right, the stuff from Bunnings is not all that great but the dead NZ Sphag from our local orchid supplier is just as .....You know the kind full of twigs- the longest strand is about 15cm!!!!!
So, I'd rather use the better 'live' sphag from Bunnings. They are my choices.
Tassie sounds like a beautiful place.

[fred]

Yeah Tassie is a good place
lots of sphag if one knows where to look hehehehe

I am just lucky I can get the sphag I need as my orchids love the stuff

[Miki]

You lucky man!