Sphag Moss issues

[johnblagg]

you just have to find what works for you there really is no "right" medium.I use the husks from the rice crop they throw away at the local grain bin here aka Rice Hulls and it works great for me.

[RosieC]

I agree about the quality of the medium being key, whatever you use.

I got a 'chid in August which came in moss from a reputable seller. The moss is FAR better stuff than I've seen in others (and not so packed in). I've left this 'chid in the moss, it's only a small pot, and it seems to be doing well. The moss is nice large flufy strands which are really quite nice.

I've bought bark in the past which was horrid stuff and I'm convinced was 'sour' and killed the roots on a couple of Phals before I realised. I've then bought bark from a reputable online orchid specialist and the stuff is wonderful, all plants potted in it have thrived.

On the other hand, there was another discussion recently about some wonder product which was considered over priced for no advantage. There is no point paying more unless the stuff is actually better, but I've definately seen a difference in quality in mediums and there really is an advantage to getting a reasonable quality.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Undergrounder

What quality of sphagnum moss are you using? If you get that stuff from big stores that comes damp, sold for using in hanging baskets then everything will rot pretty quick..

Make sure you've got the springy, yellow, fairly clean stuff that's packed dry.. It's usually called New Zealand sphagnum or Chilean or something. It's really essential you get the good quality stuff.

Also, make sure the moss is drying out completely roughly within about a week, possibly a little more.

If the sphag is staying wet for 2 weeks at a time or longer, repot it with styrofoam chunks mixed in so that it dries out faster. Either that or move it into a place where it will dry out faster.

Then, just water whenever the sphag stops feeling cold and wet to the touch and it should work well.

Everything i have in sphag is busting out root growth like crazy, even better than the stuff i have in S/H. But i use good quality sphag, i water it lightly whenever it starts to get dry, and it dries out within about week.

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Undergrounder makes an important point. Quality matters. It took me a while to give in and buy the good stuff to see for myself. I still don't use it much, but I'll never get the cheap stuff again.

Maybe one day I'll realize how much quality bark would improve over the crap I use now.

I'll have to agree with both parties on certain points. Here's what I mean...

I've used the cheap sphagnum from Taiwan or China. And I've used the New Zealand moss.

Like Undergrounder mentions.

New Zealand moss IS a much better quality moss.

New Zealand moss doesn't break down as fast. It's also a moss that has bigger and fuller "leaves" per strand compared to the Taiwanese or Chinese brands.

However...

Like Royal had said, I'm careful to use sphag on my orchids.

I only use the New Zealand sphagnum moss on mounts or as top dressing for plants potted in bark that needs better water retention. Not all of my mounted plants have sphagnum dressing on them, such as the mounts with Dendrobiums; these are free of moss.

I now use a mix of Supersphag and perlite (2 parts perlite, 1 part Supersphag) for my potted orchids that like it wet or evenly moist. I do this for a reason. I was sick of damaging roots and stressing the plant out. This is especially true for Pleurothallis.

Supersphag is a brand of moss that is processed to only have the leaves and not the stems or runners.

With the long strands that the New Zealand moss has, the roots of my thin rooted Pleuros would get tangled up in it and when I had to repot, I'd damage the roots badly. I'd also struggle with trying to get the moss inside the pot and in the process damage young shoots as well. Unfortunately, there are quite a few Pleuros that are very sensitive to root loss or damage.

[toynutz]

I noticed you didn’t mention, and I don’t think anyone has asked, what type of containers you’re using. If your orchids are in plastic pots without any drainage holes… you should consider changing to something that drains. I pot in terra cotta (clay) containers that have good drainage using an orchid mix with a little extra bark in the bottom and a light layer of sphag on the top. The clay helps absorb excess moisture and the thin layer of moss helps me identify when they’re dry and need watering. Like everyone's said, you need to use what’s best for your conditions… and sometimes that can only be found by experimenting.

[Judi]

King, you brought up a good point, what is a good ph for phals? Does it vary with the variety of phal?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Originally Posted by Judi

King, you brought up a good point, what is a good ph for phals? Does it vary with the variety of phal?

I would say something pretty standard like 5.5 to 6.5 is acceptable.

A pH of 7.0 is neutral, (as a reference).

I don't think it varies between Phal varieties or species.

[jowben1]

I purchased a bag from Lowes the other day. I chose the darker color because it looked coarser. Boy what a suprise. I got enough sticks out of it to build a bird's nest.Next time, back to the lighter color, finer type.

[Undergrounder]

Also, sphag comes in different grades... milled, long strings, short strings, sticks removed and cleaned, etc. The difference between the good quality, long string, fluffy gold stuff and the stripped, brown, soggy stuff is the difference between life and death.

If it comes in a bag already damp, then you know it's already been rotting slowly for months, and comes complete with a whole range of bacteria and fungus spores ready to bust out.

But even if it comes packed dry, keeping good quality sphag sopping wet provides a perfect bed for fungus to spread and kill roots. It should feel damp and cool but springy to the touch. If it feels slick and looks a little slimy and doesn't spring back when you touch it, then it's too wet.

I know it sounds complicated but it's not, you get a good idea how to water sphag after a while..

[Sandy4453]

Once you get the hang of using sphagnum as a sole medium for Phals, you'll be amazed at how great the stuff is. By comparison, when using sphag. to bark mix, if it's used correctly and in the right conditions, side by side, I've found better results with sphag....more growth 10 fold than with bark BUT there's very little room to screw up with it. It will be very unforgiving if you do, unlike bark mix. That's the tricky part! Sphag.. mixed in the bark mix is an excellent compromise also.

I did a lot of experimenting this past summer and don't know what exactly I can credit the growth on this Phal. to but it's been growing in nothing but straight sphag. (mixed with sponge rock to prevent it from getting water logged). It now has 3 basal keikis, 3 aerial keikis and one keiki was recently removed and now growing separately. It's huge, more than doubled in size since March.

Phals love getting wet but they need a constant source of good air circulating in their pots to really thrive. That's where you have to be very careful when using straight sphag. which can easily get weighted down and suffocate those roots if not careful.

Here's mine. The second pic includes the keiki I recently separated from momma. I have the keiki growing in a combo of bark and sphag. I'm not always so brave.

[cirillonb]

two comments about using sphagnum that I don't think have been mentioned here:
1) even if very careful loosely packing it, the top will crust over in time making water penetration difficult. I've gotten in the habit of watering around then coming back and watering again. Also gently and carefully fluffing up the hardened surface helps.
2) Most orchids love a lot of ventilation. I have started using the plastic web pots and baskets when using sphagnum. The moss doesn't fall through like particulate media will and the ventilation must be optimal, second only to mounts.
Nick