Sterilising (or not) Sphagnum moss

[Undergrounder]

Hi, this is RE: the writhing mass of ghost orchids i have happily sitting in flask. After much research i think i'm going to deflask them to a bed of green, growing Sphagnum moss, sitting halfway down a pot, in an aquarium that houses my other flasklings (the aquarium has a small fan too).

But i want to make this as sterile as possible, so how can i do that without killing the moss? will pouring boiling water on the moss kill it? or am i better off leaving the moss alone and unsterilised? And same thing for a systemic fungacide... will that kill the moss?

thanks!

[John D.]

I don't have any ghost orchids (yet) but if I remember the threads I have followed in this and other forums they prefer the high humidity but stagnant air rather than moving. I would be carefull not to let the live moss compete for light with the roots. If they get covered that is less area exposed to light for photosynthesis.

[Ross]

From what I've seen with the dismal one I had for a while plus what I've read, you might be better served with a large slab of bark laying horizontal with the seedlings laying on the bark. Later you can cut the bark into chunks along with the plants. Let us know how you do.

[Gold3nku5h]

As for killing the moss with boiling water, that will most def. kill it.