MOSS

[wintergirl]

I put my Vandas in pots with chunky bark and the rest have their roots in a plastic bag with open top and water in the bottom. I had to order larger bags off Amazon for the really big rooted ones. Then every day I spray the top andmove the bag around so all the roots get watered. I keep them in the bag, they get too dry in my home without it. I did buy some moss but never used it for the Vandas. I dunked my moss in the 1/2 water 1/2 rubbing alcohol and a squirt of Dawn dish soap, let sit then I rinsed with water to get rid of any mites.

[bil]

If you buy the stuff from a dealer it ought to be ok, but you can always spray it with an acaricide if you like.

[charlesf6]

Originally Posted by bil

If you buy the stuff from a dealer it ought to be ok, but you can always spray it with an acaricide if you like.

Would it be okay to soak as I do know (almost daily) with the MOSS wrapped around the roots or must I remove it before bathing regularly??

[estación seca]

Dude, people do stuff like put moss on the roots of Vandas because WE HUMANS ARE LAZY!!!! Nobody would go to the trouble of removing it to water!

When there's super good air flow it's fine to soak Vanda roots (or any bare-root orchids) daily. Pay attention to how long the roots stay green with the moss. It should be longer than they stay green without it. As soon as they turn white it is fine to soak them again.

I don't know what your humidity is, but I soak my Vanda seedlings in vases overnight almost every other day during warm weather.

[bil]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

Would it be okay to soak as I do know (almost daily) with the MOSS wrapped around the roots or must I remove it before bathing regularly??

Well, everything depends on what your regime is, your humidity, how you keep it, etc etc etc.

Me, my vanda hangs in the greenhouse permanently. The moss is on there permanently. Wintertime it gets sprayed down in the morning so that the moss is all wet, which only takes a minute or so, and I stick the nozzle int the centre to make sure that the roots are wetted.

That's all.

Come summer, it is sprayed every time I go into the greenhouse, so, 3-5 times a day, and on top of that when the misting system goes on in full summer, it gets wetted down 16 times a day.

Removing the moss would be a lot of work, and I simply can't soak it as I couldn't get the roots into a container.

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[charlesf6]

ahh!

[bil]

Originally Posted by charlesf6

ahh!

If it is hung against the wall, one side won't get much light. You might want to hang it further out and rotate it regularly, or the moss against the wall may die off.

Plus, what sort of light level is it getting. Mine clocks up 50% shade which works out at abut 6,000 foot candles. If there isn't enough light, the vanda will never do well, I'm afraid.

[Pattywack]

The moss looks nice, should help with humility. Is that baseboard heat below the window? Yikes, that will really dry things out fast.

[charlesf6]

How doe's one supposed to keep the MOSS alive if one takes it off of the Vanda?

[wintergirl]

You can hang it on a plastic coat hanger, no metal. Metal will kill spanish moss. Also mist well daily with rain/pure water and should dry before night. Should have light but not too bright.