Methods and Experience of Growing Orchids in Sphagnum Moss

Sphagnum moss, also called white moss, belongs to the bryophytes. It often grows in mountain forests on high mountain cliffs or beside streams and springs, in white-green or bright green or cotton-like form, densely interwoven into patches, with stems creeping along the ground, irregularly branched or branched, with stems and leaves nearly the same shape. When dry it is extremely loose and pale white. After collecting sphagnum moss, washing it clean, removing impurities and drying it in the sun, it can be used for planting. Growingorchids in sphagnum moss is very simple; before use, just fully soak the dried sphagnum moss and wring it out slightly. Growing orchids is difficult, and one of the difficulties is the choice of growing medium. In recent years I have chosen sphagnum moss to grow orchids, and have grown manyCymbidium goeringii and summer cymbidiums with large flowers, bright colors, lush foliage, well-developed roots and full charm. From my orchid-growing process and cultivation experience, growing orchids in sphagnum moss has three major effects: The first is the environmental optimization effect. Sphagnum moss is clean, disease-free and sterile, and is a naturalorchid growing medium. In particular, processed sphagnum moss does not contain any pathogens; orchids grown with it arevery robustand can also reduce the harm of pests and diseases. The second is the heat preservation and moisture retention effect. Using sphagnum moss as an orchid substrate or as a surface covering on the orchid pot can not only prevent soil from polluting the leaf surface when watering, but also reduce water evaporation and maintain a constant soil temperature, playing a role in heat preservation and moisture retention. The third is the root protection and bud promotion effect. Orchidrootsare fleshy roots and require a substrate with good ventilation, air permeability and water permeability, while dried sphagnum moss is very loose and very suitable for the growth of orchid plant roots, thus avoiding root rot caused by water accumulation in the pot soil. In addition, sphagnum moss as a growing medium has a constant temperature and is rich in nutrients. It contains abundant organic matter and various nutrient elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. After drying in the sun, sphagnum moss slowly decomposes in the pot when moist, and the nutrients it contains are also slowly supplied to the growth and development of orchid plants, which can both save on fertilizer application and promote orchid sprouting. Under normal circumstances, the sprouting rate oforchidsgrown in sphagnum moss is higher than that of those grown in ordinary growing media. From the situation of growing orchids in sphagnum moss, growing orchids in sphagnum moss also has the characteristics of being economical and practical. The dried sphagnum moss sold on the market generally costs about 20 yuan per kilogram. If a 20 x 25cm flower pot is used to grow orchids, 1 kilogram of sphagnum moss can grow at least 15 pots of orchids, and the cost of sphagnum moss growing medium per pot of orchids is only about 1.3 yuan, significantly lower than the cost of other growing media.