Wendy wrote:

Just guessing Joanna, but moss is a natural element so I would say no?????
Also, my mentor grows paphiopedilums & his pots are full of moss.
Will ask him.


Moss (the short fuzzy kind with the little spore stalks) is more of a
tag along than an actual medium. It is ubiquitous on the forest floors,
and anywhere where it is damp and humid, with a bit of light. That is
pretty much idea conditions for many orchid species. Spores float
around in the air, and germinate wherever conditions are good. You may
also have a little live sphagnum moss growing, but that is a bit less
likely.

So, you see that short moss (I'm sure there are dozens if not hundreds
of species) a lot in greenhouses, where conditions are optimal for moss
growth. You will also see green algae (on the walls, and sometimes on
the potting mix or outside of pots). I personally think that if you are
getting algae on your pots, you are probably watering too much, unless
it is a really water requiring species you are trying to grow. A little
green moss is ok.

Sphagnum moss is a different critter. It is harvested from peat bogs
(sphagnum breaks down into peat!) and then usually dried and compressed
into bales. That is the most common form you see used for potting
orchids. It works pretty well, but I'm told you can't really fertilize
a lot when using it as a medium, and that it breaks down after about a
year. You can also pot in fresh sphagnum, if you have a bog nearby.
Sphagnum is great for bringing plants back from 'the dead' (or almost).
It actually has antiseptic qualities and was used as a wound dressing up
until maybe WWI. Kind of neat.

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit