Tillandsia usneoides around vanda type plants?

[cday2inflorida]

I posted the following under Vanda's in glass vases and thought it might need to be moved here?

Not to make this thread confusing nor take away from vandas in vases which I find totally fascinating....
I was at a friend's house and he has many vanda type plants. He grows Tillandsia usneoides (spanish moss) around the roots for added humidity. It actually looked GREAT! He told me has grown this way, always.
Just wondering if anyone has grown with this culture and the pros and cons.
I wish I would have taken a picture of his massive plants surrounded by the Tillandsia. I did find a link after coming home and trying to research it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...a-coerulea.jpg

[epiphyte78]

My high school biology teacher always said..."increase (or decrease) the surface area!". A clump of live Spanish Moss around the Vanda roots provides quite a bit of surface area...which equates to greater humidity via evaporation after you water. It's how I grow all my Vandas.

Not sure what the cons are. Here's a link to a photo of a Vanda with Spanish Moss around the roots.

[got ants]

The cons are thrips. They love to live in spanish moss, so keep an eye out for rings on the roots (thrip damage), and treat accordingly.

[david68]

I use spanish moss for all my vandas and others in baskets

[cday2inflorida]

Thanks for the photo and the trip warning. I bought a few Mokara off a bench. Very few roots, fairly large plants. I think I'll try moss on a two and leave two without and see which does better.

[Gage]

I use spanish moss on my vandas, and it definitely increases humidity around the roots, and root growth. It even looks like the roots that begin growing outward tend to come back and grow inwards towards the spanish moss. Works for me.