My Phal's roots were drying too much in the bark mix, even with two waterings in a week. When I originally got it, most of the roots were rotted, and only the aerial roots were alive. But they were wrinkled and dry, so I soaked them. After a few hours they were plump and green. But they seem to dry out easily. So I decided to add some moss in the mix to help it while it is regrowing roots. It is in a 50/50 mix now- 50 percent coarse bark mix, 50 percent moss, loosely packed. It is in a small container inside of a glass loaf pan for decorative and humidity purposes. If this moss isnt sphagnum, will it still work for the purpose? If not, can you direct me to some affordable sphagnum online?

Yes, they're totally safe. I've been using them for a couple of years on all my orchids during the winter months. They really work too, if you remember to use them regularly. Kevin

Karma, I can't remember where I saw it, it seems like it might of been on a brugmansia 101 website. There is a new website for that now and I didn't see it on the new one. I wasn't a DG member that far back (2001)so it prob. wasn't there lol. I might have saved the pictures/illustration somewhere-have to check my old computers...I don't think I could legally post them but it might say the website on them. Gee8ch, I am doing Hawiian Ti logs not brugs. I tried to do brug logs this way but I think it was too humid. It does work good on the really green ones but not on semi-wood or hard wood the way I am doing it. I am taking a small tray and placing the moss in the tray, pre-soak the moss, then drain well. Lie the Ti logs or very green brug cuttings on the moss and put it all in a ziplock bag on heat, under lights. They sprout right up. After getting enough roots you can divide the logs and plant in well draining soil. For the woody and semi wood brugmansia, less humidity is better so you would root as Jim stated above. I think once the roll was done they stood it up and had the bottoms of the cuttings sitting on pebbles with water in them. They had placed them all in a black nursery pot with holes in the bottom and set that on the pebble filled tray so water would only come up so far. Very hard wood (brown bark) brug cuttings can go straight into soil. Make sure there is some perlite mixed into your soil and that it is draining immediately after watering. Let it dry out about an inch on top of the dirt before watering again. I put all mine under grow lights. Make sure your lights are at least a good 3 inches above the tips to help prevent drying from the top down.

I have traded for Bulbophyllum with a fellow in Washington state. He grows them in a native sphagnum moss which he finds in the hills near his home. Once a year, he tells me, he trecks to a place he discovered and returns with all the moss he can carry. He has a huge collection of Bulbos which he repots in fresh moss once a year. This yearly trip provides him with the moss he needs. I have quite a few plants growing in New Zealand sphagnum moss and occasionally the moss begins to grow. I tried to encourage this but have been unsuccessful. Tom Miranda (spelling ?) who writes irregularly for the AOS magazine told us that if watered with pure RO water WITHOUT fertilizer, SM will grow. One of these days I plan to try this. I also repot all plants in moss once a year and it can get expensive. If your moss is fluffy like sphagnum moss, I would try one plant in it and see how it does. The usual moss found in North America is probably not suitable for orchid culture. Nick