Where can I find live angel moss?

[CariC]

Thanks, everyone, for the info. I've only had orchids for a little over a year, and I'm trying to grow my first masdies. I saw a post by RJSquirrel about these jar worlds that keep the roots moist all day and have been very successful for a lot of growers. The post mentioned using live Angel Moss, which I believe is a brand name of NZ sphagnum. I've never used live moss, so I'm trying to learn all I can.

I'd love to hear the pros and cons of using live moss. Is it true you can't fertilize it? Will it easily overpower my orchids? Is there really a benefit to using live moss over dried? Thank you for anything you can tell me!

[Stray59]

I've never heard of live moss overtaking and orchid, but perhaps if the orchid is a micro-mini type it would; I suppose anything is possible, which I find truer with orchids than any other plant! And you are right - there is a post here showing container growing - Semi-hydro, I think - that someone has posted pics of their container with a lot of moss growing in it.
As far as pro/cons of live vs. dried moss - Looks are a definite pro in my book - the green surface really sets off the looks of the plant that is growing in it; there may be some symbiotic relationship in nature between some mosses and some orchids - perhaps the moss gives off sugars as a waste that the orchid uses - don't really know, but again, anything is possible in this hobby. But for the plants grown commercially the moss is not necessary, that I know of. The grower that I purchased my Sophronitis from stated he always induces live moss to grow on his pots, but he really did not state why. From what I've read, in nature you never find Sophronitis growing without moss at it's roots, but then they have to have a lot of air movement, so the moss acts like a moisture barrier in that environment. I killed the moss on mine immediately and the plants are doing great, so it obviously it isn't that necessary to their survival in home culture.
Interesting question - I like the looks of the moss, but there will be others that have varying opinions - that is a given in orchid culture! It will be interesting to hear what others think.
Thanks for posting the question -
Steve

[Pilot]

I'd love for moss to be alive!!!! Mine turns green and grows other green plants along with the orchid but never noticed any moss coming back to life.

How does one re grow seemingly dead moss?

[Brooke]

If there are spores in the moss and the moss is kept very wet, the spores will germinate.

I line many of my net pots with sphag to keep the media inside the pots. Right now I have one Bulbo, one Dendrochillum sitting in saucers of water. I also have a Coelogyne that used to sit in a saucer but has been hanging for about a year and it has moss on it. I do not know when the moss appeared on it.

The baskets do not have the entire surface covered in sphag but there is a big space with the live. I even gave a start to a friend who grows under lights and she has kept the live sphag and one of my other types of live moss alive.

I saw a picture of someone who grew live sphag in a 10 gallon terrarium.

Brooke