Difference in sphag?

[sunset360]

I'm getting ready to repot my phal - hoping to use a sphagnum/bark mix. "Green Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss" (see pic) was the only option available at my local store. I've looked on other sites (repotme.com, tindaraorchids.com, etc.) and their sphagnum moss is a more golden color. Is there a difference? Also, what websites has everyone had the most luck with? Thanks!

[Ray]

The green stuff is probably domestic moss, and may be dyed green.

There are a bunch of better sphagnums for orchids, the 5-star stuff from NZ being considered the best, followed by those with fewer stars, those same species cultivated in Peru and others originating from Chile.

I sell the 5-star NZ and Peruvian moss, and can probably beat most others' prices.

[flexdc]

I would steer clear of this moss. Looks to me it is for decorative use. I pot phals in medium soaked bark in plastic pots. And they do just fine.

[james mickelso]

Agree. I'm not a fan of moss unless you are very careful with your watering schedule. I've seen too many dead or dying phals because of moss. The NZ is the best though. What you have pictured is dyed moss. Not a good media to plant anything in. Talk to Ray if you are going to plant in moss. Also there are some folks here who are successful planting in moss. I'd elicite their suggestions.

[sunset360]

Thanks all! I went ahead and ordered some quality moss from a supply website.

I agree that moss isn't the greatest - it drives me crazy how unevenly my phal dries out right now. However, I've been pre-warned by the (fantastic) store where I got my phal that repotting directly into a bark mix may not work out well. (The store specializes in orchids and other tropicals and has been a wealth of information...unfortunately they don't sell potting media ...) The batch of phals that mine came from were potted in moss - there were a few that didn't sell, so the store tried to repot some of them in a bark mix after the blooms fell...the phals did terrible. My plan is to do a 50 bark, perlite, etc./50 moss mix this go-round and ween it off the moss.

[flexdc]

I have some phals in moss and bark mixture too. The trick is don't water until the moss is crackling dry. Or you can do moss in clay pots, which is a much safer bet, because clay pots allow more air circulation and the moss dries out faster. But plastic or clay, you don't need to water until the moss is crackling dry.

Potting in bark is completely fine. The orchid only suffers because the bark has not been broken in. To aid that process, I put the bark in a bowl of water and microwave it for two minutes. It seems to aid in breaking the bark in.
Also, after repotting in bark, make sure the environment is more humid or you can mist spray in the morning.

Here are some pics of my Phals in bark and moss mix...
Andrew

[calypsoB]

Well, I am not sure about the one you are looking at but I prefer not to use the NZ sphagnum because it doesn't dry fast enough in my environment. I use a local sphag variety which is green when I buy it but usually turns golden as it dies. My plants love it! I would be wary if the stuff you've shown is dyed green as it might not be good for your orchids. But I am usually game to try new things, as who knows what will work for you!

[nenella]

Yes the green stuff you've shown ...I wouldn't use either! I'm an absolute fan of NZ long fibers.. one with the most stars.
Sphag will dry up at a differing time lapse depending on your growing conditions.
I believe that you need to wait until it is on the drier side (for most orchids, planted in sphag) before watering.