Synthic Synthetic Sphagnum Moss, thoughts & use

[orchidudebcn]

I just got a hold of some Synthic myself. I potted a new Stanhopea in a wooden basket using pure Synthic, as opposed to pure sphagnum so we'll see how that goes. But my main intent was to use it in my s/h pots. I already mixed Seramis in with the Leca in the top 1/3 of the pots, in an attempt to raise the "dry line" caused by a higher rate of evaporation than wicking, because Seramis retains water longer than the Leca does. Even so, I wanted more moisture at the top of the pots to stimulate root growth and such. Normally, a dressing of sphagnum moss would do the trick. But not in s/h since, eventually, the sphagnum would break into pieces that would clog up the pot, hence suffocating the roots, etc...That's where the Synthic might work...hypothetically...gonna give it a shot and hope for the best...


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[AkuRan]

Hi orchidudebcn
Really would like to hear how this works for you.
I was thinking of adding a strand of this to my leca for my dendrobiums and neofinetia.
Do you think there would be fertilizer build up issues in the "moss" ?

[orchidudebcn]

Well, there's only one way to find out lol...I assume if there's buildup on the "moss" then there's buildup on the Leca as well, which means either lower the concentration of fertilizer in your watering solution, or flush with pure water more often. I'll keep you posted as I get results.

[estación seca]

I have found that, even with a low wet zone in my S/H containers, the orchid roots near the surface are still moist all of the time. So be sure you really need to add stuff to your S/H before you do it.

[orchidudebcn]

Yeah, it's mostly for new transplants making the adjustment to s/h usually on a heated mat...

[daddydoall]

I have been looking for something similar, but would not use it in a pot as that would limit airflow, but only for mounts and aerial. I think a lot of natural or synthetic fibers would work but the problem is aesthetic. wrapping an old sock around the roots is ugly.

[estación seca]

I mounted a couple of things using polyester pillow stuffing. (If you have dogs and pillows in the same house, you will eventually have this all over the floor in multiple rooms.) It works fine for mounts, but it is certainly a different look. And, it shows black dog hair quite well.

[Dandrobium]

I've used Synthic on a couple of semi hydro pots for increased wicking and it has performed well. I used several strands coming up vertically from the reservoir to the top of the pot, along the inside face of the pot. This keeps the LECA saturated so no need to worry about where your water line is (at least, with my RH and conditions). I have my kovachii seedling in this mix and it is doing well so far. Lots of algae buildup around the Synthic strands but that is expected in the clear pot.

[gdupont]

I'm in the US - where does one get epiweb?

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by gdupont

I'm in the US - where does one get epiweb?

I recently got a giant box from Ray. I can send you some for the price of shipping. Shoot me a pm if you're interested.