Silly question about sphagnum

[Narnia]

I have two young nbs Masdevalias planted in sphagnum moss and they are new and the only orchids i have planted in this medium. Frankly, they've been stressing me out. I'm pretty sure I've repotted them 4 times in the last week. I kept feeling like the moss was too wet and compact. Finally, and I hope to leave them alone now, I have them in a 50/50 moss and pearlite mix which I hand wrung out very firmly before lightly planting them in it. Here's my question:

Now that the mixture is actually kind of drying out, how do I water it without it becoming a soaking wet compacted mass? I don't want to have to take it out every week to "wring it out" and fluff it back up. I'm sure this isn't how other people do it.

What is your method?