An easier way of removing sphagnum from fine roots

[cluelessmidwesterner]

Ok. As a newbie I know sphagnum moss as "stand alone" media only last a year or so especially when dealing with an Ocidium orchid that needs its roots moist. So when I purchased my Oncidium Heaven Scent 'Sweet Baby' two weeks ago at a booth sponsored by a local Orchid society at a garden show, I knew I'd be repotting it. The label stated it had been potted up in May of last year. It had started dropping it blooms (change in enviroment) so I knew that should get my "big girl" panties on an get on with the job.

I had already decided that I would be moving it to s/h since my other NoID Oncidium Inter-generic is making the transition fairly smoothly. So I gloved up, put down newspaper on my work surface, had my cutting tool and a pair of needle nose tweezers disinfected. I squeezed the pot to loosen the roots and gave a gentle pull on the plant to remove it from the pot. After several more squeezes and gentle tugs it finally came out of the pot. The root ball was one **huge** tangle of roots. I started to massage the bottom of the root ball but moss was wrapped up in the roots that nothing much fell. So then I started with the tweezers figuring once I got passed the roots ringing the bottom of the ball the center roots would dead and that would make removal t easier. Nope. I spent three hours with tweezers plucking bits of moss from the roots, de-tangling roots, rinsing roots under the tap and tweezing out more moss. The center was a mass of viable roots (white, firm). Very few dead roots.

My question for more experienced growers is for the next time I come across a similar situation (if I should ever be that lucky) what would be a better and more efficient way of removing sphagnum moss from so many roots with minimal damage?

[Dollythehun]

Hose end sprayer on your sink.

[mere_dog]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Hose end sprayer on your sink.

I'm only a junior member, but what she said.

And you don't have to hand pick out every tiny bit of old media

[DeaC]

For me, submerging or soaking the moss first makes the task more doable and less traumatic on roots. Picking out each remnant is not needed but oddly enuf is therapeutic for me.

[HailStarscream]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Hose end sprayer on your sink.

If our tap is hard and high in chlorine would this still be ok to do?

[Dollythehun]

Yes. Mine is hard also.