should i put moss in this? will my plant be unhappy with ...
2ft to light, direct
5” pot with drainage
Last watered 3 days ago
3
I'm not expert but I honestly only grow my orchids in orchid bark.
I do start with a little bit of lecca at the very bottom of the orchid pot and sometimes a couple of horticultural charcoal pieces. But you don't have to use either of those. Moss has the tendency to hold too much moisture and could cause the roots to rot. But the choice is completely up to you.
When I water I put my orchid pot in a tub and then use distilled water to water them and I let them soak.ehich you should really only soak them for no more than 30 minutes maximum. And even that might be too long. When I live there is a dehumidifier running constantly so I let mine sit in water for a very long time.
I hope this helps. And by the way Oscar looks pretty good!!
I do start with a little bit of lecca at the very bottom of the orchid pot and sometimes a couple of horticultural charcoal pieces. But you don't have to use either of those. Moss has the tendency to hold too much moisture and could cause the roots to rot. But the choice is completely up to you.
When I water I put my orchid pot in a tub and then use distilled water to water them and I let them soak.ehich you should really only soak them for no more than 30 minutes maximum. And even that might be too long. When I live there is a dehumidifier running constantly so I let mine sit in water for a very long time.
I hope this helps. And by the way Oscar looks pretty good!!
Orchids should never be planted in moss; it holds moisture and will rot the roots. However mine are planted in spanish moss / air because they have no actual soil. I’m using the fluffy spanish moss to hold moisture near the roots in between waterings ever other day. I would recommend spanish moss on the surface of the orchid bark pot to help retain humidity around their aerial roots though
Erhm, never is a bit strong in my opinion. I have several of mine in 100%moss and they love it. And it's many nurseries medium of choice and they should know what they are doing. *however*, that's exactly the point. Nurseries have ways to control almost all important variables. And those I keep in moss, I know how to water.
The decision which medium works for you relies heavily on your surrounding and your watering schedule and style. I for example could answer that for most of my orchids 100% (fresh) bark is an absolute no-no for me and wouldn't work because I don't like to soak my orchids and cannot be bothered to water them daily in summer. I almost always mix in at least one or two strands of good quality moss. If you place those strategically, you can even build a quick from the bottom of the pot too the top and throughout. That way - if you tend to water from a can, like me - it won't just run through and it even will wicked up from the bottom and be dispersed evenly throughout. As for "too much moisture" that isn't the issue exactly. It's only the root of the problem. If you work with organic medium and moss and that moss keeps too moist for too long, without drying or, it's a perfect storm for bacterial and fungal growth. That rots the medium faster, leading it to compact, turn acidic, and attack the roots and/or suffocate them. *that's* the problem. So: If you a) don't pack it too tightly (it takes up ridiculous amounts of water and can compact fast), and water in a way or live in a climate where it stays wet for not more than a little more than a week, and then let it dry out regularly, I don't see a problem even with 100% sphagnum moss. You can just as easily say, bark is bad, because many people tend to *under*water (and kill) their orchids with 100% bark setups as well.
Oh, btw, those setups that give me the most joy, and least hassle are the 100% *live* sphagnum setups. I have one or two young phals and a cattleya in those. It looks great, it doesn't spoil, it's even antibacterial and antifungal and I just have to take a look from time to time that the moss hasn't expanded to much and suffocates the roots. That's all. 😉 hope that helps.
The decision which medium works for you relies heavily on your surrounding and your watering schedule and style. I for example could answer that for most of my orchids 100% (fresh) bark is an absolute no-no for me and wouldn't work because I don't like to soak my orchids and cannot be bothered to water them daily in summer. I almost always mix in at least one or two strands of good quality moss. If you place those strategically, you can even build a quick from the bottom of the pot too the top and throughout. That way - if you tend to water from a can, like me - it won't just run through and it even will wicked up from the bottom and be dispersed evenly throughout. As for "too much moisture" that isn't the issue exactly. It's only the root of the problem. If you work with organic medium and moss and that moss keeps too moist for too long, without drying or, it's a perfect storm for bacterial and fungal growth. That rots the medium faster, leading it to compact, turn acidic, and attack the roots and/or suffocate them. *that's* the problem. So: If you a) don't pack it too tightly (it takes up ridiculous amounts of water and can compact fast), and water in a way or live in a climate where it stays wet for not more than a little more than a week, and then let it dry out regularly, I don't see a problem even with 100% sphagnum moss. You can just as easily say, bark is bad, because many people tend to *under*water (and kill) their orchids with 100% bark setups as well.
Oh, btw, those setups that give me the most joy, and least hassle are the 100% *live* sphagnum setups. I have one or two young phals and a cattleya in those. It looks great, it doesn't spoil, it's even antibacterial and antifungal and I just have to take a look from time to time that the moss hasn't expanded to much and suffocates the roots. That's all. 😉 hope that helps.