Dampness of Pleurothallis restrepioides potting medium

[samantha.c]

I have a Pleurothallis restrepioides that came potted in what appears to be sphagnum moss. I've noticed that the moss seems to stay damp for an incredibly long time, should I check and make sure that it isn't too tightly packed (like I would for other orchids) or does this species prefer to be that damp?

[rbarata]

They should be kept evenly moist, not damp.

[samantha.c]

Originally Posted by rbarata

They should be kept evenly moist, not damp.

Thank you! I think that matches what I was thinking, that there is too much moss and it is staying too damp. I will check it today.

[rbarata]

Maybe you should consider changing the type of medium to a less water retentive one.

[estación seca]

I'm not an expert on these, but I seem to recall almost all the experts here grow them in sphagnum moss and wet the moss almost daily.

[Rothrock42]

I have this exact plant. Not an expert, but here is my story that seems to have a happy ending -- at least for now.

I got one dryish stalk of this as a door prize at my first society meeting about a year and a half ago. I did the sphag-and-bag for a month or so until it got some roots. I then put it into a plastic pot with holes and small bark that I watered every day or every other day and it didn't really do much for several months.

I then moved it to a clay pot with small bark, chopped sphagnum moss, and some charcoal bits. This one I kept in a saucer and tried to keep a bit of water in the saucer at all times.

I grow in the house and these plants like it cooler than I keep it. The evaporation of the water through the clay pot helps to cool down the root zone for the plant. I have a fan that blows gently toward the pot to increase the evaporation from the clay pot. I worry about salt build up, so I take it to the sink every other week and give it a really good soak/rinse.

It was in the organic mix for about 3 or 4 months and doing really well. It put up a couple new leaves and I could see some root growth. But I was worried about the moss breaking down because it was wet all the time.

So I decided to move it into semi-hydro with expanded clay pellets in the same clay pot. When I took it out of the organic mix it had grown so, so many roots. With the SH I'm keeping a saucer of water under it at all times. It has been in this for about a month and it is putting out another new leaf.

We'll see what the future brings, but keeping it way wetter and cooler seems to be making it very happy.

I've also done the same thing with two masdevallias with similar results of increased leaf and off the hook root growth.

Good luck.