Best Sphagnum Variety/Brand?

[Roberta]

What's important in choice of medium gets down to the basics... under YOUR growing conditions (watering, humidity, type of container), are the roots getting both moisture and air? If the answer with sphagnum is "no", then you don't want to be using it. If "yes" then it does have a place in the regimen.

I use sphag a lot in baskets outdoors in an area with relatively low humidity so there is rapid drying. Even when it breaks down, the fibers leave lots of air spaces. I do use the long-fiber Spagmoss. But in plastic pots in a high humidity environment it's probably a poor choice for most orchids. (There are exceptions to every generalization, of course.)

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Lil Duck

For One Mile Moss I would aim for getting the AAAA grade but the AAA grade is fine if you can't find it.

I looked up OMM, which I believe is the same moss Fred Clarke sells, when trying to find a cheaper alternative to Spagmoss. I noticed One Mile Moss AAA promises 20 cm length for 70% of product, Spagmoss premier is 15 cm for 50%.

Is there a reason why you would recommend to aim for AAAA for One Mile Moss if AAA is already longer that Besgrow's premier? Have you found that it degrades faster or am I missing something?

Thanks!

[Roberta]

AAAA is likely very expensive overkill for most purposes. For preparing the traditional moss mound display of Neofinetia falcata, it is very useful for the last outer wrap of the mound, to control the "loose bits". So I think that most people who use it at all, use it in combination with other moss (long fiber but likely not quite as long or uniform)

So, what you choose depends, in large part, what you're trying to achieve, and what is available.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Roberta

AAAA is likely very expensive overkill for most purposes. For preparing the traditional moss mound display of Neofinetia falcata, it is very useful for the last outer wrap of the mound, to control the "loose bits". So I think that most people who use it at all, use it in combination with other moss (long fiber but likely not quite as long or uniform)

So, what you choose depends, in large part, what you're trying to achieve, and what is available.

Yeah I use AAA/Premier but wouldn't recommend lower grades for most orchids. I do think some Paph growers like the milled versions? I have used AA for carnivorous without issue but tends to be too suffocating for orchids in my experience.

However, I noticed Lil Duck's particularly mentioning he prefers AAAA with One Mile Moss and I'm curious to hear about his observations. E.g. It might be due to this company's manufacturing.

[Lil Duck]

The longer strands degrade slower than the shorter fluffier strands, because the structure of the longer strands is more open with more space between the “leaves” of the moss it is also aririer, this also means it doesn’t become as mushy. I have also heard from a local grower that when sphagnum moss decomposes the stringy bit is left behind. These strings supposedly give excellent drainage and are very airy although I’m not sure I would recommend leaving an orchid in sphagnum for that long. Of course getting the AAA grade is fine as well and you can get it in smaller amounts. I would just recommend removing pieces of Sphagnum shorter than 4 inches in length.

[Blueszz]

Definitively Besgrow. Same brand as @dalachin made a picture from. Same packaging.

[MateoinLosAngeles]

Originally Posted by Lil Duck

The longer strands degrade slower than the shorter fluffier strands, because the structure of the longer strands is more open with more space between the “leaves” of the moss it is also aririer, this also means it doesn’t become as mushy. I have also heard from a local grower that when sphagnum moss decomposes the stringy bit is left behind. These strings supposedly give excellent drainage and are very airy although I’m not sure I would recommend leaving an orchid in sphagnum for that long. Of course getting the AAA grade is fine as well and you can get it in smaller amounts. I would just recommend removing pieces of Sphagnum shorter than 4 inches in length.

Aah, gotcha! My fear regarding leaving an orchid in sphagnum for that long would be about pH craziness...

I pack my sphagnum tight as if my life depended on it. I don't know if this is very scientific, but in my experience, the "rougher" I am when potting plants, the better they do... I think there's some trauma building there, they better do well or else... Hammering down bark on cattleyas, packing moist sphagnum tighter than the compressed bales... I believe that the leaf distance in the long strands might be helping in creating more little spaces for roots to grow through. I've been very surprised using Aircone plastic pots with very tightly packed sphagnum, yet thick Phalaenopsis roots grow into it without issue, I thought the flimsy taiwan pots helped the roots get that space but thus far even a thicker plastic one doesn't seem to be suffocating.

[Leafmite]

The better grow moss and better grow orchid bark is good for amending potting soil (to lower the pH in the future). The bark prevents the potting soil from retaining too much moisture until the roots can get established. Good stuff, just not great for orchids.

---------- Post added at 03:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 PM ----------

I have switched from moss to the small pieces of lava rock sold for bonsai culture. Moss just hasn't been a great solution for me where I live (Ohio). The only orchids that actually liked it were the Zygopetalum but they are thriving in the small grade of lava rock.

[Jmoney]

[QUOTE=MateoinLosAngeles;1007576]Aah, gotcha! My fear regarding leaving an orchid in sphagnum for that long would be about pH craziness...

I pack my sphagnum tight as if my life depended on it. I don't know if this is very scientific



I think tight packed sphagnum has very different moisture retention properties than loose sphagnum and I exclusively pack tight. I know a few growers who use sphag on big catts, and all pack tight.

[Jugyjoy]

I pack sphagnum loosely, perhaps too loosely having experienced some issues, but I have seen phals in pots packed tightly and yet the roots seem to be doing fine. What is the secret?