Spanish Moss

[tim abbott]

Has anyone used spanish moss that grows around Ocala, Fl in the growing medium? Just curious if it could be beneficial.

I have one phal mounted on a driftwood branch that I have used sphagnum moss to surround the roots, all potted plants are mainly orchid bark with some sphagnum moss mixed in.

Thanks.

Tim Abbott

[HorseChick]

Hi Tim.

You don't want to use spanish moss for orchids. Especially fresh from the trees. They harbor pathogens and parasites that can harm your orchids and it won't hold enough moisture for many orchids to thrive in.

The sphagnum is fine for many types as long as you understand their moisture requirements.

[Chakora]

I have seen it recommended to use spanish moss on bare root orchids, especially vandas to help hold moisture a little longer but I would not go out and pull some off your trees outdoors and use it due to bugs and so forth. I'm getting some for my vandas. It's just too hot for my poor vandas in the south Florida summers and I can't always give them water twice a day.

[aliceinwl]

I have a couple clumps of live Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneiodes) hanging with my other Tillandsia and orchids outside. I use the moss and high light Tillandsia species to physically shade my orchids. I also have Tillandsia hanging from my orchid pots and mixed in on the fence with the orchids. Growing Spanish moss with your orchids is not going to be any more risky than growing non-orchids with them and even other orchids for that matter.

I’m not sure about using the dead stuff as a potting media, but I can’t see any problem growing it with your orchids as a companion plant. And if you’re growing outdoors, unless you’ve made your yard a chemical wasteland, odds are your orchids have already been exposed to everything in the local moss.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by aliceinwl

I have a couple clumps of live Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneiodes) hanging with my other Tillandsia and orchids outside. I use the moss and high light Tillandsia species to physically shade my orchids. I also have Tillandsia hanging from my orchid pots and mixed in on the fence with the orchids. Growing Spanish moss with your orchids is not going to be any more risky than growing non-orchids with them and even other orchids for that matter.

I’m not sure about using the dead stuff as a potting media, but I can’t see any problem growing it with your orchids as a companion plant. And if you’re growing outdoors, unless you’ve made your yard a chemical wasteland, odds are your orchids have already been exposed to everything in the local moss.

Are you familiar with chiggers? Wild collected Spanish moss often harbors them in large numbers. They're no threat to plants, but can make a person miserable.

[aliceinwl]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Are you familiar with chiggers? Wild collected Spanish moss often harbors them in large numbers. They're no threat to plants, but can make a person miserable.

I think chiggers in Spanish moss has been debunked: Volume 9 Issue 1 | Southeastern Naturalist

[Veksa]

Spanish moss is not a moss at all.
Spanish moss - Wikipedia

[Ray]

I don't care if they found chiggers in the spanish moss or not. Any I have ever collected harbored something that bites and itches like hell!

[tim abbott]

Wow, I had forgotten about this question. I got some orchid moss shortly after your answers. I like my orchids growing on pieces of driftwood & the moss covering the roots helpos to get them established. I have phals & a tolkian militasis growing like this. Love this board.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I drape it over almost all my mounted orchids. It serves two purposes, one, as mentioned above, it adds a great sun shade to the plant and, two, it’s a great “water me!” Reminder. If it is green then the plants is still wet or in the moist range and once it has gone all white it can stand a spray