Peat Moss (Sphagnum)

Peat Moss (Sphagnum)

ORCHITOP S +
PEAT MOSS

– ORCHID RESCUE MADE EASY

In the early days of orchid culture, peat moss (Sphagnum) was a commonly used additive to increase water retention and air volume. However, this field of application has long since fallen into oblivion. Since 2020, Sphagnum has experienced an unexpected comeback through the German orchid nursery Hassinger and through our own experiments in combination with our Orchitop S.

Orchid-nursery Hassinger approached us because they wanted to offer ready-cultivated Dracula orchids in the Orchitop – which, by the way, they are now doing. The surprising thing for us: this moisture-loving genus is cultivated entirely in (dead) peat moss. Because Sphagnum has some very interesting properties that, in combination with Orchitop, lead to particularly favorable culture conditions.

This makes peat moss ideal for orchids that

1. would like to have it moist in the entire root area like Dracula/Masdevallia, but also Phalaenopis.

2. Have suffered root damage and need to be rerooted.

The combination with the Orchitop S results in further advantages: the Sphagnum hardly decomposes because it dries up quickly again due to the open construction of the Orchitop. And the saucer makes watering much easier, because a complete filling of the saucer S is completely absorbed by dry sphagnum in a few minutes and ensures sufficient moisture in the entire root area. It is important to only use soft water.

PEAT MOSS + ORCHITOP S OFFERS THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS

Disinfecting
Effect

Ideal for Rerooting

Ideal for moisture-loving orchids

Low decomposition

High capillarity

Large water absorption
capability

Easy Watering

Optimal oxygen
care

HERE'S HOW TO RESCUE ORCHIDS

  1. Take the orchid out of the pot, remove the old substrate and use sharp scissors to cut off any dead roots.
  2. Wash the remaining roots under warm water and remove as much organic substrate residue as possible.
  3. Let the plant dry out overnight. This is how all wounds are closed.
  4. Soak the dry, dead sphagnum in warm water. Before potting, squeeze the sphagnum well so that it is only slightly moist.
  5. Pot the orchids with the sphagnum in an Orchitop S. Press the sphagnum firmly so that the plant can hold itself. The root neck must be above the substrate surface to avoid rot.
  6. Attach the saucer to the Orchitop S and place the plant in a bright but not sunny location with the optimum temperature and humidity for the plant.
  7. Once the substrate surface has become hard and dry, fill the saucer with soft, room-warm water to just below the brim.
  8. Spray the above-ground parts of the plant in the morning with soft, room-warm water. The plant must be dry again by the evening.
  9. Root growth should be visible after about 4-6 weeks.