Spanish Moss Use Question

[skirincich]

Do people use Spanish moss to increase the moisture/humidity on mounted orchids? I am tempted to try it on my Trichoglottis, but I have heard that it decomposes quickly.

Thanks,
Steve

[Roberta]

I have never seen much improvement with Spanish moss (Tillandsia usenoides) as a moisture source for mounted orchids. If anything, if conditions are good for it, tends to grow and smother the orchid. That's the live stuff... if it is dead, it does break down fast. Are you growing in a greenhouse or in the house? The way that you have your Trichoglottis potted, with roots in medium, it should be fine. As it grows aerial roots, they will benefit from humidity, if not in a GH then frequent misting.

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[Keysguy]

Somewhere in here is a thread where I posted pics a couple of weeks ago of live Spanish moss covering my hanging vandaceous plants. I have to harvest it (severe thinning) from them every fall to let the air get at the orchid roots. It grows like crazy down here over the summer.

I'm in a situation where I don't really need it for humidity purposes. I started putting it on because I had read somewhere (and of course I don't remember) that it will absorb a fair amount of salt from the sea air which helps protect the orchid from same. (I am a couple hundred feet from the ocean).
Is it true? I have no idea but as long as I don't let it grow out of control it doesn't hurt.

If you are growing in a GH up there it might help you conserve humidity but if not in a GH I seriously doubt you can get it to survive let alone grow.

[DirtyCoconuts]

here are my thoughts on the stuff

it is a great protector of roots from many birds and bugs...it also harbors some bugs but none that i have seen that bother orchids, mostly ants here

it is a good indicator of the humidity and the time since it has rained. it is green when wet, silver when drying and almost white when "dry" so it can tell you when to hose those plants down

it does create a micro climate for other plants in the VERY NEAR area, like in the moss. i know that at least 4 of the people i know who grow Dendrophylax lindenii start them for the first many YEARS on a bed of live spanish moss- i have a lot of it on and around my ghosts

it is a GREAT protector from sunlight. once it is established in a good sized clump it act a lot like a shade cloth or lath

so what is the point? if you are growing outdoors and would benefit from any of these attributes, go for it!


if not, pass!

one factor to KeysGuy's comment about the growth, he is talking about the warmer, wetter months in a tropical climate and under sprayers!!! its like heaven for the stuff

i am a few short hours north of him and i rarely if ever trim my plants moss at all....i will grab a clump to put in another place occasionally thinning it a bit, but it does not actually grow THAT crazy everywhere

[estación seca]

It's a great indicator plant indoors. If it dies on you it's not humid enough for orchids to be truly happy.