Miltoniopsis: new purchases, leave as is or repot?

[AdeleDS]

I just received three miltoniopsis hybrids (Breathless 'Brilliant', Princess Diana 'Red Baron' and Newton Falls). They are in 1.5 inch green plastic pots in wet sphagnum moss. They are not flowering, but they have new leaves coming in. I am worried that they may be too wet. Is it OK to leave them in the sphagnum and just wait for it to dry out between waterings, or should I repot and if I repot, should I switch the medium to bark or ?

[Roberta]

Miltoniopsis need to stay damp. So a little drying between waterings is fine, but don't ever let them go dry. These are babies... I would not rush to repot unless the sphag is broken down. Just let them dry out enough to where they are a "little less wet" so that air gets pulled into the mix. Ray has said it best... "Orchids don't suffer from too much water, but rather from lack of air". When water evaporates from the sphagnum, it is replaced by air. So not sopping wet all the time, but definitely damp.

[estación seca]

Like I mentioned in my response to your Den. post, it's not a good idea to repot tiny plants that have just arrived. Miltoniopsis are not like Cattleyas and not like Phalaenopsis. They are set back badly by drying out even once. They have very small and easily damaged roots.