Moss as a potting medium?

[Aleksa]

I noticed that many people are growing orchids in sphagnum moss. I'm growing them in pure bark. I tried potting some chids in moss but all roots rotted. How is it possible to have so healthy orchid when it's roots are in moss (which means constant wetness)?

[tuvoc]

Hi Aleksa. I use sphagnum ony on orchids that need steady moisture, and have smallish, thin roots, such as Colminara, etc. I live in Reno, NV. and it is very dry here, so this seems to help keep these guys happy. Every thing else that likes to dry out a bit goes in bark.

Kim

[Ray]

Wetness, by itself, is not the issue. Allowing the moss to get waterlogged and too compact, resulting in suffocation of the roots, is the problem.

The key with moss is to dampen it very lightly so it doesn't hold "bridging" water droplets between the fibers, cutting off the air flow to the roots.

[(..._...)]

I find that commercial growers tend to pack the moss really tight do that they don't dry up. Initially, I didn't like this type of potting material, but I find it really effective for plants that like constant moisture. The only plants I grow in moss right now are miltoniopsis; I place them loosely in the moss, so that I dries relatively quickly.

What types of orchids are you thinking of growing in moss? I like to keep my phals and paphs is bark.

[moogiemama]

I make my own mix with bark, sphagnum moss, charcoal, sponge rock and occasionally tree fern fiber. Sometimes I'll use coconut chips. I've also received some minis packed in coconut fiber. I like tailoring the ingredients to the needs of the particular orchid.

[Lagoon]

I agree, its the compression and the moss allowing to go stale keeping the sphag too moist. No air!
Most of the orchids I've gotten in sphagnum moss we're rotted.
I don't use pure moss now since it's likey to pack down as time goes on.
I couple it with rok, this makes the drying time much more even thru-out the mix. When the top begins to dry out the middle and bottom follow soon after.
I grow oncids to catts in this, it works very well for me, but not without with some tweaking.

[Ray]

If you grow where the solar flux and air flow is sufficient, tightly-compressed sphagnum is really good.

For the rest of us, however....