Bark mix medium is not for me....

[Pinoychids]

After my recent fight with molds which forced me to repot the second time within a month I have come to realize that bark mix as medium is not for me. Currently. my orchids are potted in clay pots with bark mix and on humidity trays. The medium on top dries up within a day.but middle part is still moist. For some reason all my orchids' leaves are wrinkling meaning they are dehydrated. I am confused! The same reason which caused my molds problem because I was assuming that they were dehydrated so I misted them very often. Now...I am thinking of repotting again with sphagnum moss.....if my dehydration problem persist. I have an oncidium and mini phal growing on sphagnum moss that are doing excellent. I hope it makes sense.

Does growing in sphagnum moss eventually cause root rot?
What precautions should I take when potting in sphagmoss to reduce the risk of root rot?

thx in advance!

[WhiteRabbit]

Well - it's possible your plants look dehydrated due to roots rotting. Sounds like they may have been over-watered. Media will always dry on top before the inside. That's why I use bamboo skewers in all my pots - gives an indication of moisture in the pot, not just on top.
I'd have a look at the roots before deciding to use sphag.

[RosieC]

I would agree with WhiteRabbit, dehydration in the leaves can be caused by root rot/insufficent roots.

Most mediums will dry on the top before they dry in the center, I think Sphag is likely to do that even more than bark. I also kind of get the impression that humidity trays can make the bottom stay wet even longer while the top is dry (but that's from my Mother-in-Law's Phal which she is having root problems with, I've not actually tried humidity trays myself).

The skewer method WhiteRabbit mentioned above is a good one to judge water in the center of the pot. You want to let it dry in the center before watering again.

[orchidsamore]

I do not understand your problem with mold. It does not seem likely that new bark could mold that fast.

You need to search this problem more.

To answer your sphagnum questions.
Sphag is good to improve dehydration problems. Sphagnum dries from the bottom up rather than top down like bark. Sphagnum is a natural anti-fungicide but loses its effect after about 9 months to a year. Re-potting every year is work but effective. This is the best method to grow Lady Slippers.

You did not mention the type of plant.

Cattleya showing dehydration from bad roots can be pot clipped to the top of the medium and not plant in the medium. This will allow the new roots to grow into the pot without the fear of root rot. The old leaves will not re-hydrate but the new growth will be fine.

[Angurek]

The thing to consider about moss is that it tends to be a wet medium. It's perfect for orchids that need constant, even moisture, but it is absolutely detrimental to plants that like drying out or need air circulation at their roots. And, unlike bark, it tends to accumulate salts more readily, and so needs to be changed often.

Moss works best in baskets, where it can dry out more quickly, and where you can check the moisture more easily. I haven't had good results putting plants in clay pots with sphag. I've had rot problems due to excess moisture using that system.