Hi.
I was at the Montreal Botanical Garden this past weekend and they have a lot of their paphs in a 50:50 spag perlite mix. It wasn't to tightly packed.

What is everyones thoughts on this?

I have a few plants that don't have great roots and I can see that any new roots have been aborted before they got longer then a cm. Not sure if this is because I am a underwaterer or becasue the CHC has to much salt in it.

I moved a smal spicerianum into spag perlite. It will be a couple months to see if its doing well.

Anyone else use spag?

Kyle

I have one of my Paph wardii in a mixture of #4 perlite and sphagnum. It seems to be doing fine.

Paphman

How long has it been in that mix? Do you do anything to deal with the lower pH of spag?

You will want to frequently change the sphag as it will deteriorate in a wet pot. I used it to save rootless wonders in tight pots. Eventually it will compress real tight so it will need to be changed. Should work!

sphag does not work with me because i like to water alot so the roots get too wet

Hi Kyle:
The paph wardii have been growing in it for 6 months. I didn't worry about the acid problems with the moss because I add dolomite lime once a year. Another plant that I forgot to mention was my Paph roebellini. It has been growing in the same mix without repotting for over 3 years. It is doing great in a four inch pot and has two new growths. Leafspan is 16 inches. I water it once a week and the leaves are thick and succelent.

Paphman

Silly question - where does one get dolomite lime?

Thanks!
Heather

You can get it at your local hardware/ outdoor center. I think it is that same thing as lime you spread on your lawn. It is powdery.

Oh, ok thanks Tadd, that's what I wondered - if it was the same as regular lime from the nursery. You know, there's lime, and then there's lime. :confused:

I don't think they are. I read on the internet somewhere.....

You will find reference to at least four kinds of lime in agriculture: crushed limestone [Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)], dolomitic lime [Calcium-magnesium carbonate (CaCO3--MgCO3)], burned or quick lime [Calcium oxide (CaO)], and slake or hydrated lime ]Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2)]. Of these, dolomitic lime appears to be the best additive to raise pH and promote growth.

This is because dolomitic lime includes manganese and because dolomite lime acts slowly and continuously, and hydrated lime acts almost instantly. Use hydrated lime instead of dolomite lime for faster results, but don't use too much; you can create toxicity problems, which won't arise with dolomite lime, by using too much hydrated lime. Always use fine dolomite lime, since coarser grades take years to have a substantial effect. Dolomite lime is available at most nurseries.


Paphman

Ok, thanks. So, it will be labeled Dolomite lime? Not just lime, right? I'm not really planning on adding it now, I have recently added oyster shell also. But, for future reference...

In my country it is always labelled as dolomite lime. I think crushed oyster shells are good also.

Paphman

Still learning there ya go. Ignore any posts where I give information!

Sphagnum is a great mix...but it keeps you busy. It becomes "toxic" after about 6 months and if you don't repot you can lose all your roots. I especially love it in a very loose layer at the bottom of a ziploc gallon plastic bag. I soak it and squeeze out all the water I can and then throw rootles plants on top of it. I have a couple that I could have potted a year ago, but they grow so well I leave them in and just change the moss. Just don't keep it too wet and don't pack too tight and change it regularly and it is a wonderful mix.

A local grower here uses vanda baskets with sphagnum for all his caudatum types and has been doing very well with it. I will probably try it on a couple when I repot them.

As for the lime, it is sold as Dolomite here and only says lime in small print at the bottom of the bag. Hope this helps.

Jon

I find that my seedlings out of flask do well in it for the first 6 months. My adult plants don't like it. You need to watch the watering; and as Jon said the sphagnum will deteriorate after 6 months.

As far as dolomite lime; Antec has an paph article on which paph species grow well with dolomite lime. Also, Lance Birks new book "The Paphiopedilum Grower's Manual" also mentions this in the "Habitat" section of each species. I also learned this from Mr. Paul Moore (God rest his soul) 30 years ago one day while visiting him in Wayland, MA.

spag usually means death for my plants

Sphagnum moss as a potting medium is fine for people who are able to restrain themselves As posted earlier it breaks down reasonably quickly. This is generally due to high levels of fertiliser and/or dissolved minerals, etc in the water.

I can't use spahgnum moss as I overwater - I dote too much.

Either way, "the book" (my knowledgable society mates) says if you're using sphagnum moss you halve everything - except for sunlight. So yeah - keep the moss mix loose and repot every 6 or so months.

Hey, just adding my 2 cents :-)

Stephan

Sphagnum moss as a potting medium is fine for people who are able to restrain themselves As posted earlier it breaks down reasonably quickly. This is generally due to high levels of fertiliser and/or dissolved minerals, etc in the water.

I can't use spahgnum moss as I overwater - I dote too much.

Either way, "the book" (my knowledgable society mates) says if you're using sphagnum moss you halve everything - except for sunlight. So yeah - keep the moss mix loose and repot every 6 or so months.

Hey, just adding my 2 cents :-)

Stephan

Welcome Stephan

Either way, "the book" (my knowledgable society mates) says if you're using sphagnum moss you halve everything - except for sunlight. So yeah - keep the moss mix loose and repot every 6 or so months.

Stephan

I think that is excellent advice!

Kyle

I use allot of sphagnum for all my orchids, but in very different ways.

All of my pluerothallids and bulbos are in straight sphagnum (usually in baskets). Most of these are constantly moist, and the moss tends to become "live" and self sustaining.

Some of my phrags are in straight moss (in baskets) or in high percent moss mixtures with CHC and other stuff. Again kept constantly moist and usually the moss turns live.

With paphs I often use the sphag and bag with good results like what Jon said. Sometimes I don't use the bag and it works good too. Because it breaks down fast (or gets consumed by milipedes) I don't use it in all my paph mixes. I may use it at the rate of 25% in my mixes for Barbata types in conjunction with Antec like CHC mixes. I use some oyster shell for the mixes for "calcereous" species (instead of moss). In general I'm on a big campaign to promote live moss growth in all my paph pots, and I think its making a difference.

Either that or the growing conditions that promote moss growth are good for paphs too. :confused: :confused: :confused:

Well here in Brazil chinesse people used just sphagnum with pice of clay cover the roots , its so good for 1 year after this you have to repot !!! For Brachypetalum is so good cause it is all the time wet , they hate salt in the roots for anothers paphios like a hibrids I prefer Birk's misture 8 parts bark, 2 parts sphagnum, 1 parts perlite , 1 part sandy.

I use the long fibered spag as an additive to almost everything. I make a bundle of it that looks like a spread out group of roots and intermix CHC, charcoal and perlite throughout the mix. Species that like greater moisture like phrags, get larger bundles.

In my view, touching the visible areas of the spag on top give me an idea of the overall moisture of the media because of the wicking action from bottom to top of each strand. It's a pain to repot but so far it's been successful for me.