I just purchase two Chinese cymibidium from a local vendor who might
have imported from Taiwan. One is an ensifolium and the other a
sinense. Both are in spagnum moss only in a tall pot. I am a little
uncomfortable with moss alone as the medium. Can anyone give me
advice or should I repot them both in a bark mix which I am more
comfortable with? Thanks.

Wink

In Taiwan and several places I've seen in the PRC, the most common medium is
a combination of soft pumice and something akin to tree fern. It's
constantly moist but airy.

I have always grown them in semi-hydroponics for that reason, and they do
great! (I always kept them too dry or rotted the roots in bark.)

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

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"Wink" wrote in message
om...
I just purchase two Chinese cymibidium from a local vendor who might
have imported from Taiwan. One is an ensifolium and the other a
sinense. Both are in spagnum moss only in a tall pot. I am a little
uncomfortable with moss alone as the medium. Can anyone give me
advice or should I repot them both in a bark mix which I am more
comfortable with? Thanks.

Wink

Thank you Ray. So it is true that in Taiwan they use mainly moss. I
know that some vendors grow their orchids in moss because when they
are sent for retail, moss probably allows the orchids to be watered
less often. Now moss decays relatively fast. I wonder if they repot
these cymbidiums once a year?

Wink

No, I said nothing about them using moss.

What I said was a mix of pumice and tree fern.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"Wink" wrote in message
om...
Thank you Ray. So it is true that in Taiwan they use mainly moss. I
know that some vendors grow their orchids in moss because when they
are sent for retail, moss probably allows the orchids to be watered
less often. Now moss decays relatively fast. I wonder if they repot
these cymbidiums once a year?

Wink

Sorry, I guess I am not good in telling moss from fern. Moss is the
only "green looking" medium I have encountered so far and I assume all
green looking medium must be moss. I will look for fern next time I
am at the orchid shop to find out how it looks like, if just to tell
whether my cymbidiums are in moss or fern!

Tree fern is nothing like moss. It is the chopped-up trunk of a tropical
tree fern, which looks like a bunch of small, brittle sticks all stick
together.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!

.. . . . . . . . . . .
"Wink" wrote in message
om...
Sorry, I guess I am not good in telling moss from fern. Moss is the
only "green looking" medium I have encountered so far and I assume all
green looking medium must be moss. I will look for fern next time I
am at the orchid shop to find out how it looks like, if just to tell
whether my cymbidiums are in moss or fern!