What types of moss is good?

[Abel-Purete]

My friend is trying to learn about orchids. So she sent me these pictures of moss. I've never used these, I always use better group spah. Moss.
Will these harm her orchid? Are they safe?

[Leafmite]

I have never seen that type before (I use NZ sphagnum moss). One way to test it is to put it in a pot without orchids and water as you would with orchids. It it remains nice and fluffy over a few months, it will probably be okay to use. Many dried mosses, especially for decorating or floral arrangements, deteriorate rather rapidly and become compact.

[Subrosa]

I doubt that they're toxic, but as mentioned they may not hold up for long. I also use Better Gro for most purposes, but for Catasetum hybrids that I repot yearly whether they need it or not and starting non-orchid seeds I use Mosser Lee Wisconsin sphagnum. It's much cheaper than Better Gro, even if I didn't get it in bulk at wholesale. It doesn't hold up as well, but it's a viable alternative if cost is a big issue.

[DeaC]

I wouldn't use these as medium. On exhibits I've worked on for our society these were used for decoration only. Potting medium mosses would be New Zealand sphagnum and they are "A" graded from ok to superior,having to do with how long the fibers are and the amt of debris you may find in them.

[Abel-Purete]

Thank you all!! I'll def. let her know.

[estación seca]

Would you really want to look at plants potted in flaming purple moss?

[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Would you really want to look at plants potted in flaming purple moss?

Lol, I would

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Lol, I would

OK then!

US cactus & succulent shows are stuffy about having a really expensive pot, with the plant artfully arranged, in the master's division. A boring common plant in a $$$$ pot often takes a trophy against a really rare, difficult to grow plant that is well-grown but not in a nice pot. Some shows even ban plants in plastic pots in the master's division. In the UK members of the BCSS think we're nuts (well, they may have other valid reasons) and they judge only the plant.

I don't enter much any more because I'm not interested in flower arranging, and I have to enter in the master's division based on ribbons attained. I would rather spend that time tending plants or planting seeds. My local cactus club knows my opinions.

But once I entered a cactus dish garden. It featured an 18" diameter pink/white striped plastic bowl that looked really cheap. I got it at the dollar store and filled it with blinding white play sand (in which almost no cactus would ever grow.) In the center I put a Barbie doll on a beach towel, surrounded by cactus in an artful arrangement. One even looked a little like a palm tree. This is not what is expected at the master's level at US cactus shows.

Another time I entered a very wide glazed ceramic dish only 2" deep, intended for placement under a large pot to catch water. I filled it with tan sand. I artfully arranged 4 round rocks in a Zen-pattern and the 5th thing was a sweet potato. Cactus people go nuts over things with fat exposed roots and vining tops. I think these sorts of plants all look the same, but that is the current fashion. The tuber was just sprouting, so the leaves were not recognizable, and on the tag I put an obsolete Latin name for sweet potato, one nobody would recognize today. I got the rosette for best dish garden.

[wintergirl]

Too funny! Great stories, especially the Barbie and the sweet potato.

[DeaC]

You're my kind o'guy! Stuffy judges are just no fun!