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sphagnum moss questions

Hello,

i jus got my VFT and i've seen alot of people with sphagnum moss in there VFT pots i would like 2 know

where i could get this sphagnum moss could it be found in walmart?

How does the sphagnum moss help my VFT's
 
Get it from Lowes, it comes in a rectangular bag and on the front it will say " Long fibered Sphagnum " The bag is clear so you can see the dried LFS.

People use that stuff because it acts like a sponge, holding in water while also giveing the roots lots of air and room. Nep's love it the most, but VFT's do fine in it also.
 
yea i heared that but my pot already came with soil 2 the top i jus saw that some people have it alive livin around there VFT in the same pot and i wondered how could that benefit the VFT are the good partners do they help each othjer out some how u know?
 
Sphagnum moss has some antibiotic, antifungal properties that CPs really like. I think it also sucks up nutrients in the water, making a good media for CPs to grow in. The best way to get live sphagnum is to buy some from a nursery - orchid and CP nursuries are good places to look, especially online. PetFlytrap here may have some themselves. Once you have some, you can propagate it easily on the tops of pots and en masse in larger containers. Basically, you just take some dead LFS, fill an undrained container with it, put the live stuff on top, and keep it kind of soggy. With enough light it will grow like crazy.
Best luck,
~Joe
 
i couldnt find this stuff in walmart, kmart, home depot, or anyplace like that im only 17 i cant buy anything online
 
Somebody can probably send you some live strands to start a stock with. I would, but I repotted recently and I'm out myself. You should make a post in the trading forum, perhaps.
~Joe
 
yea i would but i got nothin 2 trade back with i only have 1 vft that a new born almost died a few days ago in a little pot it came in i jus started or you think they would send for free?
 
Alphy your Home Depot should have the stuff. I think almost everyone has it. You need to look by the soil aditives or by the orchid supplies. I would buy a bag of the one that is near the orchid supplies out in the Greenhouse sections. The covered section with plant stuff before you go outside. Its normaly by the orchid bark and such. It may just say orchid moss or something like that. Thats what you need to get started. That itself will come back alive, but it could take some time. Thats why Joe said to get that and start with a few live pieces its a little faster. I have some LFS that is starting to grow from the peat that I have some dews planted in. Since moss gives off spores and the spores are resistant they can stand being dried and last a long time. When conditions are right they start to grow again. So what you can do for the mean time is get some peat moss and fill a 3 inch pot with it. Then place that 3 inch pot in another bowl type container and then fill water till it is almost to the top of the peat and keep it that wet. If your lucky in a few months you will get some greening on the top layer and then after a while you will get some LFS growing. Oh it needs to be in a good amount of light for this to happen too. Since the spores need to be in adiquate growing conditions before they will germinate. Now you can do this while your working on aguiring some live stuff. Just look at Home depot and lowes again they have LFS you may just not be looking in the right spot. Walmart has had orchid bark before here anyways. I cant remember about LFS. I would send you some, but I only have a little growing myself. The peat method I describes is how I got the little I have.
 
great thx i'll try wat that other guy said 2 post in the othere forum maby some 1 ther could help me out
 
  • #10
I'm sure someone would be willing to return some live strands in a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE.) Josh there is right though, you should be able to find the dead stuff at a nursery or hardware store and if you're patient you can start live sphagnum from the dried stuff alone, just keep it moist and lit.
~Joe
 
  • #11
Sphagnum moss is a great medium for sarracenia and some sundews, but VFT's will eventually be totally covered with it as it grows continuously. There will be a ton of trimming to go along with the growing. Be prepared.
 
  • #12
oh really so am i better off without them or i really am better off with them but it jus more work cuz of the trimin?
 
  • #13
There is only one thing you can do. Put one in straight peat moss, and put the other in live spagnum. See which is an easier keep. Just so you know, I grow mine in straight peat.
 
  • #14
no i mean more like would the moss benefit my VFT? or not cuz if they dont they i wont bother
 
  • #15
Hi Alphy420, Welcome to the forums. You can get more info and answers on growing mediums in www.sarracenia.com/faq go to the chapter on growing carnivorous plants and read the articles on peat and sphagnum. Sphagnum is a species a moss. Basically, Peat moss is the decomposed version of long-fibered sphagnum moss which is the dead for of live sphgnum moss. I hope that helps. You don't need to live sphagnum to grow perfect cps but if you want to get lfs then www.mosserlee.com has it. I've seen lowes carry this brand of LFS, that's the only place i've seen them sell it locally. They used to sell this chilean form that was really good(like the New Zealand form) But i have'nt seen that anywhere anymore, not even online. Anyone know a source of the Chilean type, Pft used to sell it themselves.
 
  • #16
Yes antibacterial and anti Fungal i beleive... i have tons of the stuff! Check it out! (this is an old photo its alot neater and better handled now)
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and hears some sarr's with it!

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I will send some to you free PM me and we can discus some stuff allright?

Cooks sells the Newzeland Sphagnum moss if thats what you are talking about i bought like 5 cards of it.

Cheers
 
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