Sphagnum Moss vs. Orchiata Bark

[netrizone]

Hi all, in one of my previous posts, many of you guys recommended that frequent watering was the key to faster vegetative growth.

As one of my phals are due for a repot (it's currently sitting in broken down moss), I was thinking of the benefits of repotting it in New Zealand AAA moss vs Orchiata Bark.

Of course, orchiata bark dries out faster than moss, so I would have to water it more. This should make bark better than moss if I want faster vegetative growth, right?

[Roberta]

There's no one "right" potting medium... keep the goal in mind, which is "humid air" in the root zone. If you can water frequently, a rapidly-drying mix like medium Orchiata or other good-quality bark is fine. You really can't overwater a plant in that configuration. If you travel, or otherwise are away from home a lot and can only water on weekends (or similar interval) sphagnum may be better for you since it will tend to stay damp longer - as it dries, the water is replaced with (guess what...)AIR. Same effect. (If it gets crunchy-dry it may be hard to re-wet, though). So there's not a set formula. Go with what works for YOU under YOUR conditions to get the effect that you want.

[estación seca]

Watering in sphagnum is very different from watering in bark. Do some searching and reading here.

[Roberta]

Hint... I hardly ever use sphagnum in pots. I am a ham-handed waterer and most pots would stay 'way too wet unless they're very tiny. On the other hand, I use it a lot in baskets especially outside where there is lots of air movement and relatively low humidity - frequent watering, but rapid drying. But that's just me .. works for my conditions. Yours, likely different.

What you do want to avoid is having too many sets of requirements. May be easy now with just a few plants, but that situation is not likely to last. Think about how often you're going to be wanting to water, then think about the requirements of each type of plant - a Phalaenopsis is different than a Cattleya is different than a Cymbidium. Make your decisions when you pot (once every few years), not very time you water! Or you will make yourself crazy!

[tmoney]

also keep in mind that if you switch to bark you can reasonably expect some of the roots to suffer or die back. this is pretty normal when switching to different media, and hopefully the plant can retain enough roots or grow new ones fast enough to sustain the plant. this is also especially true if, like us, you wait too long when it is in moss, and the roots are already on the their way out. most likely the plant can live through that transition/recovery period, but it may be a year or two before its back on track. this is sort of a reality of growing phals that came to us in moss unfortunately....

best of luck with the decision!

[Ray]

As I am probably “the guy”, I think you may have misconstrued the advice.

Water is absolutely the driving force for growth, but that has to do with water availability to the plant, not the frequency of applying it. Sure, they are related, but as ES stated, there are big differences.

If you ever let the potting medium dry out, you are decreasing the availability. A pot full of coarse Orchiata will dry out in a day or two. Sphagnum in the same environment, might stay moist a week. S/H culture never dries out.

[greyblackfish]

Depending on the size of the bark and size of the pot, it can stay moist for a while, too. I combine a bit of moss into the bark because it can take bark sometime to get soaked by itself. This way I don’t have to dunk the whole pot as often. I spray once a week but dunk once a month. My phal pots are all 5” or more and take a long time to dry out. For me they’re definitely the most low maintenance orchid I keep.