Happy I tried moss!

[Stray59]

There are definitely differences in moss, depending on where it was grown, ect. What are you growing in it? Few epiphytes like the lack of air movement, so adding lava rock would help immensely in avoiding rot and fungal infections.
Steve

[Ana Rodrigues]

I'm a newbie in what comes to orchids, but my mini phaleanopsis came with moss and from the very beginning I noticed it took too long to dry after watering. Since my friend offered me the plant happily saying "I've watered it every day for the last week!", at first I thought that was the reason. Also my office does not receive direct sunlight, so maybe that was also the reason.
Now 6 months have passed and I've only watered it three or four times, only when almost completely dry, in hope I could stop the rotting, but still most of the roots are lost... So I need an SOS idea! Should I repot? In what medium? I think the little one is too fragile now... Even the leafs got rough, probably due to lack of proper root oxygenation. Somebody please give me a hand :-(
Thank you!
PS - I'm sorry if my English isn't quite right, I'm actually portuguese :-P

[cbuchman]

Your English is perfect. Indeed I would repot. If there are not healthy roots, then I'd try putting it in a very humid environment and treat with seaweed extract or other rooting stimulant. I've found that the moss is packed so tightly around the roots on commercial plants that no air is getting to the roots. Consider repotting into a clear plastic pot so you can monitor the root progress without disturbing the plant.

Good Luck!

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Ferns Daddy

How would moss work out in areas with high humidity in the summer, we can have 3 or more week of high humidity in the summer, if I keep my orchids in the house all summer I wouldn't worry but I like them out on the patio in the summer

As long as moss is not packed too tightly, it should be fine even in the humid summer. Even better, mixing in some bark or other more open ingredient will help a lot.

I am really lazy with some of my phals that were bought potted in moss, quite tightly packed in. had it over a year and growing fine. The trick is careful watering.
I wait until the pot feels very light, then pour in some water or mist heavily until the pot feels a little heavier.
repeat the process, which is about once or twice watering a week.
This applies to the ones in clay pots only. The ones in super tight moss in plastic pots, I do repot within a year or a lot sooner.

If you have a lot of plants, then loosely wrapping around the roots with moss or using mix of moss and other stuff will be better with less worry and stress.

I love moss for water retention and still quite airy.

[plucker]

I grow catts in moss that thrive. The FS plants only have a fine layer in the top part of the pot but the seedlings live in it all the time. Summer time they stay wet from rain for 3 months and thrive!
However they need drier conditions when it is cool.
Spag is far from the cheapest ingredient on the media list, but it will do the best, which is why nurserys use it.

[Ana Rodrigues]

Thank you cbuchman! I've repoted my mini Phaleanopsis. Still haven't added the rooting fertilizer, but I'm planning to. The poor thing only has 2 very small healthy roots :-( Let's see if she's strong enough to survive...