# Phals in sphagnum



## BobR (Jul 7, 2011)

I have several Phals aquired from someone who was going to throw them out.
They're all in pretty good shape,in fact three are blooming. A few are in sphagnum, the rest bark. I'm much more confident using bark. Is there any problems in changing them?


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## Hera (Jul 7, 2011)

Change them to what you are comfortable growing in. Watch them closely for awhile as they adjust to the new medium, not too wet and not too dry. I have most of mine potted in a bark, coir, sphagnum mix.


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## W. Beetus (Jul 7, 2011)

I have never had luck growing Phals in sphaghnum, so I always repot them into bark whenever I get them. The plants in sphaghnum always rot out on me within the first year. When moving them to bark, you just really need to watch out for the plants getting overly dry; I've lost a few because of that.


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## Rick (Jul 7, 2011)

It's definitely a matter of what works good for you. Personally I can't get phals to grow good for me in pots regardless of what the substrate is, but they do awesome for me mounted and in baskets of moss.

A major phal breeder (and AOS judge) near me has run the gammet of bark and sphag, and after many years is going back to sphag with better results than ever. He showed me a plant in moss that hadn't been reppoted in 2 years, and the moss still looked new.

I believe the major phal growers in Taiwan all use sphagnum.

In general if you are stingy on water and stingier yet with fertilizer than sphag is better. But you need high air humidity to do this.


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## Hera (Jul 7, 2011)

Two schools of thought on Sphag. One is pack it tight and water infrequently, the other is pack it loose and water more frequently. There are some very good discussions on this topic on Peter's Big Leaf Forum site. Those that like sphag swear by it, but it takes a different approach than bark. For my environment and watering style, I only use it for seedlings. I find this discusion very interesting. It leads into the different types of roots that orchids can grow. Which is why some do so well in s/h.


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## SlipperFan (Jul 7, 2011)

I don't usually have very good luck with plants in sphagnum. Exceptions are mounted plants and plants with no roots.


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## goldenrose (Jul 7, 2011)

Hera said:


> Two schools of thought on Sphag. One is pack it tight and water infrequently, the other is pack it loose and water more frequently. ...


Packed tight did not work for me but pack loose does very well!


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## Rick (Jul 8, 2011)

goldenrose said:


> Packed tight did not work for me but pack loose does very well!



Tom (the Phal grower in TN) is packing tight, but since he's always out on speaking and sales engagements, he hardly waters.


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