How do you water plants in sphag?

[Lady_Vamp]

I have a solution for the "not small enough plastic pots", even though it isn't the most aesthetic one. You know small yogurt cups, some are transparent once you take off the label, it'll be practical until you find real transparent plastic pots. The snack packs are good too! (If you happen not to like yogurt )

[wuness]

orchideya: I have 20-some phals growing in sphagnum. All but two are in green or black plastic pots. I can't see how they would grow any better in clear pots. (I do have two that are in clear pots as an experiment. So far I can't detect any difference.) I have heard great things about clear pots, but for me, opaque plastic pots work just fine.

wuness

Lady_Vamp - what a great idea! Going to check grocery store. How do you poke the holes on the bottom?

wuness - I think for me they have to be clear so I could see the roots. I am an overwaterer and killed a lot of phals before. Now I have my adult noid phals in clear pots with chc and I disciplined myself to water them only when visible roots become grey. They started to survive since then. The moment I find suitable small clear containers - I will move my seedlings there too. Just feel more comfortable when I see what is going on below the surface in the pot.

[Lady_Vamp]

Depends how hard is the plastic, but a knife and a pair of scissors are generaly required for lateral lines and for the bottom.

My methods are : X with a knife (does not provide good aeration, it's more for terrestrial orchids) or poke a small hole with the blade of a scissors (or a thick sharpe knife) and twist it until desired hole size attained and for the side , if required, use the knife to make a line and cut the other side with the scissors.

If you find a more effective method, please share

[Ray]

The primary issue with sphagnum is it becoming compressed and in time turning into a soppy, suffocating mess that kills the roots. it will happen with all sphagnum, but the time between necessary replacement can be extended by:

• Use top-quality moss. It is far more forgiving of misuse than are lesser grades. 5-star NZ sphag is by far the best.
• Learn to water lightly, merely moistening the moss, rather than "smashing" it down with heavy overhead watering. One trick I've learned is to place a 1"-2" layer of LECA at the bottom of the pot, with the plant and moss on top of that, then only water from below. The LECA absorbs and wicks the water up to the moss, which becomes uniformly moist without ever being mechanically disturbed.
• Consider blending the moss with more "rigid" components. I have had success with coarse strands of coconut husk fiber, interwoven with the strands of moss, as well as perlite or charcoal - anything that helps the sphagnum "stand up" under its own wet weight.

[wuness]

orchideya: We have to develop a technique that works for us in the situation we have. From my experience, it is nearly impossible to over-water phals in plastic pots, clear or opaque. Water the pot until it drains out the bottom. Then take note of the moss surface and/or pick up the pot every day or two. Don't even think about watering until the pot starts to feel light (=dry). This works for me. When I repot two years later, the pots are always full of roots.

For aeration, I always use pots that have at least eight holes in the bottom (for the larger pots, anyway). I also take the time to strategically place a layer of styrofoam peanuts in the bottom so that they don't block the drainage holes.

wuness

[WhiteRabbit]

I have some very small orchids potted in sphag in clay pots - I use styro pnuts in the center for more even drying and aeration. In 1.5" pots I might use half a pnut, 2" pots a whole one. Place styro in center of pot side-ways, rather than lying flat. Set the plant on top of the styro, arranging any roots around the styro, and tuck sphag in around that. To water, just run the water through. Sphag (and chc), are very absorbent, and really don't require soaking.
I use skewers in all my orchid pots, to determine when the media is dry.

[Eyebabe]

In this month's "Orchids" magazine, there is a section where they talk about phals potted in sphag.
Specifically the ones that come tightly packed from orchid houses.
The commentary is very enlightening!
It states that although the plants are packed tightly, they actually hold LESS water than if packed loosely due in part to how they are watered with this media.
It seems when the sphag is almost dry they fill the pot with water from the level of the media to the rim of the pot and that is it. The water is allowed to seep into the media, wetting it but not over wetting it.

Definitely a help for me as I LOVE sphag for my phals

[Lady_Vamp]

I support what's been said!

I use stryo peanuts too, for my sedirea and neofinetias, that way it's harder to overwater them.

For others, I like to mix sphag with bark and LECA (at least in the bottom) so it breathes but stays moist.

[wuness]

In my last post, I suggested that in my experience, it was nearly impossible to overwater phals in plastic pots with sphagnum. I was just in the greenhouse watering and I thought, "Oh-oh, I better clarify that or I'm going to get flamed."

I noticed that orchideya was in Zone 5, as am I. I should have qualified my statement by adding "in our zone." Someone growing orchids like that in areas of high rainfall could easily develop root rot with sphagnum and plastic pots. Ray's comments about precautions also make a lot of sense.

wuness