Evaporative cooling of sphagnum moss

[vegetalmatter]

Most of my collection is in semi-hydro and I've had good success with almost everything except for phals.

I recently caught the phal bug again after having some short term success in traditional culture using mostly sphag in wood baskets.

here is my setup:



I water every few days by putting the baskets in a large bowl and spraying with a pump sprayer until they are drenched. Today, about an hour after I watered, I touched the sphag on top and it felt a bit cold.. I then checked with a temperature gun and it read 68.9F!! Not even my cool shelf with Masdevallias in LECA & clay pots read that low.



My apartment thermostat is set at 77F and under LEDs, the leaves of most my other plants read about 80F+, and about 75F+ on the top of the LECA.

I have more species phals coming in the mail this week including a bellina. I don't want to have to put them on heat mats or anything like that. Will they be fine or will they suffer from wet and cool?

---------- Post added at 01:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 PM ----------

Second question. Is there a relationship between leaf temperature and root zone temperature? Because although the surface of the moss reads 68F, I'm actually getting 79F on the surface of the leaves. Maybe they even each other out or something like that lol

[Mr.Fakename]

That's a super cool setup and I'm jealous of your terrariums!

Is that a Phal bastianii/mariae? It looks so huuuge.


Those temperatures will definitely be a challenge for the bellina and other hot growing species; they'll survive but sulk for a while.

As far as I understand, warm roots = growth signal. That difference could maybe be limited if you use black pots? I have no clue how LEDs heat up compared to sunlight

[isurus79]

Wow, cool set up! When the world is COVID free again, maybe we can get you on the Austin greenhouse tour? We're always looking to highlight growers that keep their collection inside and not in a greenhouse!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Maybe don’t call it the greenhouse tour then, Steve hahaha

[vegetalmatter]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Wow, cool set up! When the world is COVID free again, maybe we can get you on the Austin greenhouse tour? We're always looking to highlight growers that keep their collection inside and not in a greenhouse!

Thanks! After attending the orchid show back in early March, I was just about to mail in my HOTOs application then COVID happened. Would love to be apart of the Austin greenhouse/not-greenhouse tour when this is all over

[Ray]

Since you used a non-contact, infrared thermometer, you only know what the surface is and not what the temperature is like inside the moss and root mass, where it counts.

[vegetalmatter]

Thanks Ray and good point. I just stuck a meat thermometer into the center of the pot and it read 71.8F. I watered this morning. Seems like it's still a bit cooler than I'd like but hoping that since the moss is allowed to dry out between waterings it won't be an issue.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

Maybe don’t call it the greenhouse tour then, Steve hahaha

Fair enough!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by vegetalmatter

Thanks Ray and good point. I just stuck a meat thermometer into the center of the pot and it read 71.8F. I watered this morning. Seems like it's still a bit cooler than I'd like but hoping that since the moss is allowed to dry out between waterings it won't be an issue.

I would not be the least bit concerned about that internal temperature.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by isurus79

Fair enough!

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