Sphagnum - Loose or Packed Tight?

[Jmoney]

just my 2c, I am still experimenting with sphag. I purchased a few nice standard cattleya divisions from notable west coast growers Steven Christofferson and OV orchids and saw they both use sphagnum (and sometimes with plastic pots). I asked both of them since I had previously been using a standard coconut husk or bark mix.

Slightly different but overall similar take home message: I was told to wet the sphag and to really squeeze the water out, and then pack it tight. (Also never to overwater, when in doubt wait a day or two). I like the fact that, instead of watering at fixed intervals or guessing when to water, now I let the plant tell me. Yes conditions will dictate how fast the pots dry but their growth patterns really impact how quickly they dry out. (I only use clay pots).

I read a Chadwick article about the benefits of sphagnum on cattleyas although they caution about using it on pots bigger than 4".

Knocked a few plants out of their 5" pots lately, root growth seems quite good overall. The top was crusty and algae laden but the sphagnum on the inside looked remarkably fresh. I think it is a world of difference using squeezed sphagnum packed tight versus the loose sphagnum which really soaks up water imo.