Super Sphag n-Bag results - Orchid Board

jay · #1 10-08-2008, 10:02 PM

One week ago I took two rootless plants and began an experiment with them in live sphagnum that I received from a friend.

I have a Neofinetia falcata 'Shutennou' and a piece of Paph. Dollgoldi that broke off of the main plant. Both of them had no roots. The Neo has been in decline over the last year.

I put them on top of live growing sphagnum moss because I heard it is a miracle worker. I know this is not a controlled experiment, but I am getting results from two different species in only a week. I think I will let the photos do the rest of the talking.

Swamper · #2 10-08-2008, 10:32 PM

Wow Jay that's impressive, how do you get LIVE sphagnum moss? I bought a bag of the dried up type once thinking I'd get into other orchids but never used it much. Is it the same moss after watering it a lot? like a ressurection fern?

Shirley · #3 10-08-2008, 10:57 PM

That's very good to know, Jay! Maybe this will help us out in some tough situations. Thanks for sharing.

jay · #4 10-08-2008, 11:15 PM

Swamper, a friend of mine bought some from ebay and enough extra that she sent some to me. I have it in that small tupperware container under bright lights. The bottom has a mix of peat/peralite at a 1:1 ratio. I then took tweezers and "planted" the strands of moss into the soil. I keep it very wet with RO water.

If you take dried sphagnum moss and crumble the tips over wet peat it will grow into live sphagnum. It does like very bright light. Mine is about 6 inches from 3 T5 bulbs.