Who Really Loves Moss?

[priz_m]

Hi Blondie! I used to hate moss because I did not understand it when I started growing orchids and that led to over watering and yes I lost a couple phals, however, l have found that it can be very good medium, at the moment I use it in a mix with bark and LECA.

If you are going to keep them in only moss I can only suggest to keep it loose to promote air circulation in the roots and to watch out for over watering, the best way to prevent it? don't water again until the moss is crispy dry

Hope the buds don't blast this time

[Cookiemonster]

I grow in moss and LOVE IT!
This might be due to my conditions- fairly dry and humidity is not fantastic.
I grow phals and laelias and a few catts in moss, everythign is doing well. I have to make sure nothing sits for a long time in a soaking wet mess.
I put a ton of packaing peanuts at the bottom so there is lots of air- an I use clear pots to see the progress or lack of in root growth and production-

Everything dries out for me in 2 days or less, if moss takes far longer than that to dry out for you i'd consider mixing it with somethign else. When my moss is crispy i soak everything- i usually water twice to three times a week.
Moss is a great medium if you can control how long you can keep it wet since it creates a nice moist environment for roots-

[orchidegg]

I grow on the windowsill so I have very low humidity so I grow all my minis in sphag. I also am experimenting growing some phrags in my own version or semi hydro-pumice on the bottom and sphag in the rest of the pot. I pack the moss loosely for better circulation and use the neo style of mounding trying to leave a pocket of air in the middle bottom of the pot.
Also I do unorthodox things like repot when the plants are in spiking because I have to make my hobbies fit my schedule. Not all the plants blast when you do this

[Donald]

I have a number of "Phals" that have been growing in moss for quite some time. All are in clay pots except for one which is in a clear plastic pot. Needless to say the one in the plastic pot takes longer to dry out, but I have never experienced any problems with them having root rot etc. I am meticulous about my watering habits and the monitoring of their wetness etc.
We all have our different growing habits and I have found that I, personally have had better luck using moss than bark.
HAPPY GROWING.

[pale blue]

I absolutely love moss, and have all my phals growing in it with clear pots. I grow under lights with fans on, so it dries pretty quickly for me overall. I love the moss when it's dried. I'll just lift the plant out to inspect roots and then plop it back in the pot since the moss is already molded to the pot

Whatever works for peoples growing conditions is all that matters!

[Blondie]

I'm glad to hear that so many of you have success with moss. Since they are brand new, they are really packed in tight, but I'm sitting on my hands to keep myself from doing anything to them until they are finished blooming. Then I can give them a little more room and new pots. They are so beautiful that I'm telling myself NO TOUCH.

[Ed b]

Blondie
I started two keike's about the same size back in June of last year,one in moss and the other in bark. The one in moss is in bloom with 3 flowers and 1 bud.The one in bark is doing finne but has no flower spike or any signs of one.I grow under lights,so if you pay attention to the watering side I have no problem with moss.
Ed b

[Undergrounder]

Sphagnum moss is my second favourite medium behind S/H and LECA for phals. I got some Phals in flower packed in tight sphagnum moss in clear plastic pots, and the moss wouldn't completely dry out for about 2 months!! And believe it or not, the roots were mostly fine. It all depends on what your roots have adapted to.

Moss is fine as long as you let it get crispy dry between waterings, LECA (or perlite for young seedlings) has worked best for me, no need to worry about watering and tonnes of new growth. I've killed everything i've put in bark.

[(..._...)]

Hi Blondie!
Moss can be your new best friend. When it is nice and loose and airy, it is PERFECT!! I use it for almost all of my plants. Like Cookie monster said, you need to use packing penuts ( I use styrofoam which I buy my annuals in), and fill probably the bottom 1/3 of the pot.

Ps. I have been enjoying your blog

[Blondie]

So where do you guys buy new moss and how do you treat it before putting orchids in it? I'm excited to learn about this new medium. My bark orchids are so dry and they never spike.