Mesh baskets/pots and spaghnum moss?

[rocio]

I agree with some of the comments! It's more important to understand the waterings than the media they're growing in. I found this article online and I think it's very illustrative about the combination of pots, media, weather... and waterings. "How should I water my orchids?"

[james mickelso]

If you plant in moss but the interior still stays too wet, you have just packed the moss in too tightly. It only needs to be placed as little wads of moss in between the roots and outside the root zone. Just tight enough to keep the plant from falling out of the pot. Here. This is how I pot mine in moss. And small pots.

[DeaC]

Such great growing tips from all. But if anyone grows on mounts,would you still change sphag yearly? I rarely fertilize plants in this medium since it does seem to break down quicker, but I'm noticing moss getting darker and I'm not even sure if it smells as fresh as it once did.

[james mickelso]

When just mounted, you can place the orchid on a small layer of moss just to help it acclimate. Once the orchid has started to anchor itself to the mount, no further moss is needed. Older mounts rarely have any moss left. And none is needed.

[CariC]

I agree with James. Once the orchid is established, I let the moss fall away (or take it away if it doesn't). I've had problems with old moss that's darkened causing root rot.

[DeaC]

Thanks James and Cari. Most of the mounts are attached with that fishing line. If the orchid seems established enuf on its mount,I can cut it off as well as remove as much of the old moss as possible?

[Fairorchids]

I am sort of puzzled by the comments about not packing spaghnum too tightly into the pot. Traditionally, spaghnum & bark mixes were tamped into pots with a potting stick (piece of broom stick), as tightly as possible.

While I do not use a potting stick, I pack the medium as tightly as I can with my fingers, and it works just fine for both Paphs (in pots smaller than 4" size) & Vandaceous under my growing conditions.

[james mickelso]

You are correct in that folks do tamp their media into the pots. And damage the existing roots. And make a pot full of densely packed media which for most folks here who are beginners, will create a nice wet environment for fungus to take hold. If you have grown orchids for years you have figured out how to water correctly and created a good environment for your conditions. I too started out packing the media into pots when I would repot divisions. I had some problems. I went to just placing the media into the pots slowly around the root masses or placing small wads of moss into and around the roots with just enough pressure to help keep the plant in the pot. I often use wire plant stakes attached to the sides of the pots when I plant in bark to help stabilize the plant. I have no issues with damaged roots now. I also use a medium size media when using bark based or leca based mixes. I adhere to the concept of lots of air movement through the media. Most of what I grow are epiphytes and normally in their native habitats grow on tree trunks, branches, or rocks. Although nearly all of my collection (if you want to call it that) are rescues with some sort of fungal/bacterial problem when I acquire them. So I am always fighting some alien intruder which makes it difficult sometimes to grow great looking plants. But they always flower. And through the years I've been able to rid some of them of whatever evil thing has infected them. When I used to watch the guys at DeHans nursery repot divisions of cattleyas/laelias, saphronitis, broughtonias, oncidiums, and numerous other species of orchids, they would use tree fern pieces and jamb those pieces down into the pots with sticks. So it's not a new practice. And if it works for folks, by all means do it. For newbees, I would learn how orchid roots and new growth grows, how different media works in their environments, and then repot accordingly for their environmental conditions.