Wetting agent for sphagnum on small mounts?

[Another_World_Terraria]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I have lots of mounted plants that grow outside, get watered by misters each morning, overhead sprinklers every other day. By afternoon, they're bone-dry. And they are growing and blooming happily. Actually, the only ones that have any moss at all are those that need a bit more moisture, like the Pleurothallids and some of the Oncidinae. Cattleya-tribe and vandaceous ones have no moss, just roots on a bare mount.

I also suspect that the humidity in your terrarium is a lot higher than in my back yard (I have been living through about two weeks of humidity that is 15-20% or lower for most of the day... on a good day, maybe 50% in the middle of the day)

Epiphytic plants have evolved to handle some drying out - it doesn't rain ALL the time. And even with high humidity, they will still dry(That's why leaves have a waxy cuticle, which helps to conserve water... and is also the reason that foliar feeding is useless) I think you're trying to solve something that isn't actually a problem.

Thank you, this is really good info. Definitely something for me to think about.

I enjoyed browsing the website links you have in your forum signature.

[Waterdog111]

Roberta, I have been using a small bottle that miracule grow puts out thats pink color, it says to spray it on the folage(which I have been doing. I like the results Im getting with it. If the leaves have turned very light to close to yellow Ill spray them several times and they get much better. It says on the bottle its .05x.05x.05 very low strength.
I know Ive only kept orchids a short time in comparison to yourself and many of the others here. Im just trying to learn. And you people have taught me a bunch. It is greatly appreciated.

[Roberta]

WD, When you spray the leaves, little or nothing will be absorbed by that route. But of course when you water, what you put on the leaves will wash off into the medium where it can be absorbed by the roots (the REAL route into the plant) It's more efficient to go for the root zone in the first place.