Best Sphagnum Variety/Brand?

[katsucats]

I feel like it depends on the context. If you're not building Neofinetia mounds or even mounting, but just stuffing them into pots, then it may not be beneficial to use expensive super-long grades as opposed to a normal (but not low) grade.

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by 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?

Could be your growing conditions. The tight sphagnum is used primarily for production in greenhouses. Hot, humid, and ideal brightness = fast growth and high water demand. Using moss reduces how often they have to water.

It can be an ill-suited medium for some home environments and especially if people water heavily or too frequently. The secret is to have the right growing conditions, or know how/when you can/can’t use it if you don’t have the right conditions.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dimples

Could be your growing conditions. The tight sphagnum is used primarily for production in greenhouses. Hot, humid, and ideal brightness = fast growth and high water demand. Using moss reduces how often they have to water.

It can be an ill-suited medium for some home environments and especially if people water heavily or too frequently. The secret is to have the right growing conditions, or know how/when you can/can’t use it if you don’t have the right conditions.

Totally agree! Like with any medium, you first need to determine WHAT you are trying to accomplish. Then you look at the HOW which would dictate what medium and how you use it. When I use sphagnum, I pack it loosely because my goal is a very open medium that dries gradually and pulls air in as it it does so (since the sphag shrinks). It never goes completely dry. I use it mostly in plastic baskets - again, air is my goal, I water accordingly - a lot, but it never stays soggy.

[Jmoney]

I find that tightly packed sphagnum holds less water than loose. the fibers cannot expand due to the packing and I believe, without proof, that there is better airflow and less chance of a soggy mess (which is what loose invariably did for me years ago). I think lining a pot or growing in a very airy basket is a different story but if you plant a cattleya in a 4" pot with tight sphag vs. loose sphag you will see a world of difference. I switched to sphag after coming across a few cattleya growers who use this method. it is not for everyone! I'm not saying you cannot use loose pack successfully, just that it is much much different and that I see more and more growers use tight pack. cattleyas, phals, catasetums

[Jugyjoy]

I suppose you can pack it quite tightly as long as the moss retains some sponginess. Would you say that is true?

The first time ever I used sphagnum I packed it so hard in the center of the pot that literally in 4 days the moss turned into this flat, lifeless brown bulk. And started smelling a bit rotten. Then I started packing it loosely and as you rightly point out this does have its own problems. In the first place it does not wick properly and is difficult to water. And yes. I have had this soggy mess you mention. So, may I ask you, how far can you compress it and still be fine?

[estación seca]

Tightly packed sphagnum is watered differently than bark. If you soak the moss it will fill all the air spaces with water. Wait until the top is very dry. If you have a Phal. in sphagnum in a transparent pot, wait until the roots turn from green to silver or light brown. To water, run water over the top for only one second. That water will diffuse through the moss but leave it well aerated. Tight sphagnum is not a good method for plants exposed to rain unless they use a lot of water. Some Cattleyas and Dendrobiums do, but Phalaenopsis do not.

[Jmoney]

Originally Posted by Jugyjoy

I suppose you can pack it quite tightly as long as the moss retains some sponginess. Would you say that is true?

The first time ever I used sphagnum I packed it so hard in the center of the pot that literally in 4 days the moss turned into this flat, lifeless brown bulk. And started smelling a bit rotten. Then I started packing it loosely and as you rightly point out this does have its own problems. In the first place it does not wick properly and is difficult to water. And yes. I have had this soggy mess you mention. So, may I ask you, how far can you compress it and still be fine?

I was told by well-known catt enthusiasts to wet the moss, squeeze out all the moisture, and then pack the stuff tight. the moss is springy but not sopping. the interior often remains dry-ish since watering from top may not fully wet the middle (which is fine by me). however drenching rains will thoroughly wet the whole thing and that takes longer to dry out.

again, probably not for everyone. I use clay pots and a small inverted net pot for my catts and most seem to do very well. I prefer this over a more traditional mix. you can also see actively-growing plants take up moisture at much higher rates.