Kinda Dumb Question! Sphag Moss+Hydrating...How?
 

Ok I know sounds really dumb...but I've never hydrated sphagnum moss before or actually used it period besides unpotting a plant from it! So now I have some nice AAAA NZ moss I need to use it for a sick Phal.

So obviously, you soak it in water. I want just enough to wrap around my Phals rootball who was potted in only a 3-3&1/2" pot and many roots had to Be trimmed away so not a huge root ball. How in the world do I know how much I need? Is it safe to somewhat compare a dry clump to a hydrated clump or would that give me way to much? How long does it normally take to be fully hydrated approximately? Are we talking days of soaking or just a few hours or like 30 minutes?

Also, I came by an article talking about needing to sterilize your moss so other plants/weeds don't become active and grow in it but that will also kill the beneficial bacteria too..Do I need to sterilize AAAA NZ moss? Is this something I should just always do with all moss no matter how high quality or should it be ok??

Lastly, when soaking my moss is it ok/beneficial to soak it with water and like kelpmax or another type of boosting supplement? Especially since this is for a plant that is struggling to grow new roots??

I know silly questions! I am just sitting here with this dry chunk of moss and wondering the best way to go about it!

If I do hydrate it and end up with too much...is there anyway to store it without it becoming moldy or bad? Is my only option to try and find a use for it?

Cover sphagnum with boiling water. You can squeeze most of the water out when room temperature. Take a handful and loosely wrap around your Phal roots and place bundle upright in clay pot. Mist daily - to the point of keeping moss moist. Roots should grow rapidly if kept above 70f.
You can baggie the rest of the moss. It'll gradually dry. I keep my sphagnum in my garage overwinter, no problems.

Just soak it in water, It won't take long, I'd guess a half hour is plenty. Guess at the amount. If you have too much, just let it dry out again, no harm done. I have never sterilized sphagnum moss, so I am clueless on that.

SaWEET! Excellent....I heard it holds up to 20 times in water and suddenly became very worried I was either going to be hydrating a few strands at a time to not get to much and be doing it all day or end up with like a cubic foot of sphag moss when I only needed a handful!
So knowing it can be dried back out and stored is super helpful!

Also, so good to know it doesn't take all night! It seems pretty stupid simple but I just wanted to make sure!

And Orchidsarefun, that's exactly what I heard to do in a recent AOS webinar! Wrap the roots, keep it moist and put it in a clay pot that will evaporate quickly or in an open airy basket! Keep warm I will definitely do! Plus, she is on a heat mat so that will help! I think the sphag moss will definitely help to make the conditions for root growth perfect however. Or that's my hope!

Oh and! I guess the fact that you haven't ever sterilized spag moss tells me at least that it doesn't HAVE to be sterilized to use so Fishmom, you still have answered my question for today!!! I am wondering if this is more so for low quality sphag moss or maybe deflasking seedlings...I don't know if there are other applications for sterilizing sphag moss but I could see it possibly needed for those two at least.

Thank you guys!!!!

I use boiling water to kill bugs that may be lurking. I had a plague of tiny mites, very mobile and size of pin head one year that I struggled to control. Since using boiling water - mite free.

Oh so good to know Orchidsarefun! I had found that warmer water helps it to hydrate faster and Then when I saw you say boiling water I wondered if it may help with things like ensuring no bugs without killing any good antimicrobial properties.

So you don't actually boil the water and add the sphag moss while it is boiling right? You said pour over the moss so I am guessing you boil the water and then just use super hot, boiling water to let the moss soak in right?

If you really feel the need to sterilize long fiber sphagnum, just hydrate it with 3% hydrogen peroxide from the drug store.

Good to know Subrosa! I don't really feel the need for such high quality sphag moss...maybe if I were deflasking seedlings but I more so just didn't know if it was standard practice TO sanitize sphagnum moss before use on orchids!

I know you can also use the microwave to sanitize it I don't know which one is better or does a more thorough job. BUT I'll have to cross that bridge when it is deflasking time!!

My main worry with "sanitizing" is that I know NZ sphagnum moss possesses a natural antibiotic called Tropolene and I'm wondering if both of these sanitizing methods ruin this antibiotic...but once again, definitely not something I HAVE to know right this moment but IF anyone knows the answer, I would love to know before deflasking time does get here!!!!

From what I understand Sphagnum is already classed as a sterile medium (which is why they can ship "bare root" plants from abroad wrapped in sphagnum), so I do not think it is necessary to sterilize (I never have). I just throw some in a bowl of tap water. The only bugs I have ever had issues with in sphag are springtails, but they don't harm the plants and are barely even noticeable. The moss will expand somewhat, especially if it came vacuum packed (in a brick shape), so hydrate a little and if it isn't enough add a bit more. It takes less than a minute to hydrate!

I have never sterilized sphag... I get big bales, put them in a (dedicated) trash can, and add water, flip the bale over and spray with hose a bit until it gets wet enough to fall apart. And have not had any problems with weeds. It probably helps to start with good moss... I use Sphagmoss Premier (or Supreme when I can get it), nice long fibers, and very clean.

I pour kettle boiled water over the moss. I have in the past sterilized it in the microwave for deflasked seedlings but no longer do. Unnecessary as moss is a natural antifungal.

So helpful guys!! Roberta! Long time no see! Totally loved the picture in my mind of you using your waste departments 32 gallon, curbside trash can to put sphagnum moss in to soak! Ha! Just your distinction that it was a clean, dedicated trashcan put that picture into my mind!

So helpful everyone! And Lacie, it is true that it is considered sterile already isn't it?! Oh and Roberta....I feel like I got quality sphagnum.....Besgrow AAAA sphagnum which is like Supreme I think?? The highest grade before costing a fortune for a small bag of like individual strands!

And Orchidsarefun! Very helpful to know! I knew it was naturally an antimicrobial so That is precisely why I was questioning if it's necessary or does more harm then good. Besgrow's site actually brought up the fact that sterilizing any of their "already sterile" media is a bad idea because it kills the beneficial bacteria in the media and this allows for a sterile source that is very easily infested by other unwanted bacterias....something along this line and how keeping the good bacteria assists to prevent this. Deflasked seedlings just seems so scary to me and when they say sterilize everything I worry that it means EVERYTHING so hearing everyone's opinion on it not being necessary for this specific media is very helpful!!!

Thank you guys so much!!

Actually, I have a 20-gallon trash can for my sphag. I get it in 500 g or 1 Kg bales. When hydrated, a 1 kg bale fills it about 2/3. (for the 150 g bales, a 5 gallon bucket is big enough, but the bigger quantities are more cost-effective, I use quite a bit with plants in open baskets, especially Oncidium-tribe and pleurothallid species)

That 4A is fine - the 5-A individual strands are mostly used for the final wrap of traditionally-potted Neos. The Spagmosss (I think Besgrow is the brand) Premier grade is sort of 3A-plus, the Supreme is more like 4-A. That is excellent. I usually pack pretty loosely, just enough to hold the plant firmly. So in the basket, there is plenty of air and rapid drying.

YAY I chose well on my spag moss then!!!! I put in a large order of potting supplies and found a place selling the AAAA Supreme Spagmoss 150g packs for just like $1-$2 more then you can get the AAA 150g Spagmoss from Amazon and it didn't change my shipping price at all so I decided to go for it!

I will admit...kinda expected the bale to be bigger. But I am shocked to here it could expand into even half of a 5 gallon bucket!

The stuff expands... I always hydrate the whole bale, of whatever size. Then I don't break fibers ripping off pieces. And besides, you should always work with it wet, I have heard from several sources that one can get lung issues from the dust and fungi that it may carry. If it is wet, that's not an issue.

Oh! Well that's very interesting and good to know Roberta! I have enough lung issues to begin with! And I too thought about if your ripping off small pieces to use, how are you suppose to have long strands...so have you ever not used all the moss that you hydrated and just let it dry back out like others too??

Would you suggest that over ripping off small chunks at a time to hydrate I guess is my big question?

I just hydrate the whole thing and put in in a container that I can cover (for the 125 g bale, a Home Depot bucket with cover works fine) A black bucket is best because, not letting light in, keeps algae from growing. The orange ones aren't bad, especially if you can keep it in a shady place. Avoid white if possible, lets too much light through. Leave it wet... mine stays wet just fine for 3 months or more that it takes me to use it up. If it smells a little musty, I have never had any problem... if you're worried,, a little Physan sprayed on the what you're using will solve that. I don't bother, in use it dries out anyway.

Well that sure makes life easy! And I can definitely keep it in my storage room! It stays blacked out constantly, heaters are never running (although hopefully I will get to turn all heaters off soon anyways) but it's a nice, dark, cool place where I store my fertilizer and what not for now!

I kinda was curious if that's what you did but just wanted to make sure! 3 months should be plenty of time...Plus, I am sure you use more just being able to go and grab a handful of it as needed. Although hydrating isn't hard and doesn't sound very time consuming, it's just probably really nice to have it ready to go at all times!

It's very convenient to just grab and go... whether I'm potting in a basket or mounting, easy to get either a lot or a few strands.