It is nice to read a thread where people actual find sphagnum moss a suitable substrate to grow orchids! Some folks have such a dim view of sphagnum moss that they appear to have some sort of emotional breakdown when they see a plant in moss. Anyway....
In my experience, I have tried Upper mid-West from Wisconsin and Minnesota--live and dried. I have tried genuine Chilean moss, and have eventually settled in New Zealand (NZ) Sphagnum moss. The reasons:
1. I grow Neofinetia falcata. These plants are potted and mounded, and are expected to grow in the same media for at least two years (or more). NZ lasts far longer than the other moss.
2. All the other moss I have purchased have a lot of twigs and other detritus. I have spent a lot of time cleaning up the moss before I start using it.
3. NZ retains moisture a lot longer than other moss.
It is expensive compared to other moss. However, I'm using NZ to grow my expensive orchids--skimping on potting material doesn't make sense. The product available from FirstRay's is what I use...FirstRays seems to be the least expensive.
Last edited by MattWoelfsen; 09-11-2014 at 10:45 AM..
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