A question about the sprag (sp?) moss

[Wolfe4372]

i live in denver, its VERY dry, should i replace the moss in my paph's pot with the bark?

[Anisa]

It depends of your watering habits. Some people grow them in moss with success. I think most important is to make sure that moss is not compacted like it gets when it is old. Also some vendors wrap roots tight with a clump of moss creating future problems for a plant.

[Wolfe4372]

ok ill have to take a look at it then

[kalanchoe]

The air in my home is pretty dry, and sphagnum moss works well for me. I also have a tendency to forget to water; another reason I use moss!

I agree with Anisa, you do not want to pack the sphag too tightly- orchid roots need air.

[Orchid126]

You could also use a mix of sphagnum moss and bark.

[BobInBonita]

I grew phals in Minneapolis during winters when it was as dry as Denver. Always used a bark mix.

That does not mean that what was said in above posts is wrong.

In my opinion, it is harder to kill an orchid with overly dry conditions than overly wet conditions. Sphag will provide moisture for a longer time, but has the risk of staying too wet for too long. The more you can control your conditions, the more successful you can be with sphag.

In my opinion, growers overpack with sphag for shipment to outlets that really aren't set up or knowledgeable about proper care. The sphag keep them from dropping blossoms due to overly dry conditions in the store, even though it makes the orchid a short lived acquisition (more repeat business?) I always unpack and remove the sphag when I get one of these, just because all of my other orchids are grown without it, and it would hold too much water both in summer outdoors and with winter waterings of twice a week IN MY CONDITIONS

Adding a little sphag to a bark mix is the biggest difference between a standard commercial mix and a phaelenopsis mix, so that can work too.

I'm experimenting with a layering now. I put a "wad" of sphag on the bottom center of a basket, cover it with a pre-soaked bark layer, the roots, and finally a top coat of bark. The idea is that during our FL summers with daily rains and high humidity (slow drying) roots will grow more in the bark and aerial, whereas during dry season with me watering once or twice a week and no rain, the sphag will keep local conditions a little more summer-like. Good in theory, but we'll see how it works in practice. All of my ideas are brilliant until I try them. Then my batting average drops.

Long story for the usual bottom line. Your orchids probably want consistency as much as any particular condition. If you're consistent, they can gradually adapt over a pretty broad range. If any one media can help you be more consistent it's probably the best for you.

[JerseyGirlBecky]

I just repotted all my phals and came up with the layering idea too. Only difference is that I put the spag about and inch in the bottom, then a piece of screen, then the bark mix.
My thought was that with the heater running and the dry air, it would help with moisture without the roots actually touching the spag.
I have some of them in the clay pots with holes in the sides and bottom and can see the wet around the bottom inch on the pot. I still water when I feel the bark is dry.
they look wonderful now, but time will tell.

[Donald]

Here in Massachusetts where the humidity is very rarely overwhelming I keep all my phals in very loosely packed moss in unglazed clay pots and find myself watering them during the winter at least once a week.

[jrodpad]

Hooray for Massachusetts! Woot!

I'm a bark-mix believer and use it for all my orchids other than the real swampy moisture lovers.

Any of the humidity sensitive members of the collection get set atop a humidity tray and get misted daily.

Things tend to rot out on me if I keep them in sphag, but that's probably due to my over-watering tendencies. THEY LOOK THIRSTY!



I feel like the bark / sphag debate depends more upon you and your habits than on the plant or the environmental conditions.

- J