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Thinking of going long fibered sphagnum

I've read about the antibacterial properites and it stay loose and spongy (good for aeration)  I have a dente' planted in this and it's thriving and doesn't seem to be vulnerable to the leaf rot I've experienced with the others.  Also, when I use the conventional mix of sphagnum peat, it seems no matter how much sand/vermiculite I add, it seems to compact too much over time making the mix anerobic.

What are your thoughts on this.

By the way, sphagnum moss is kinda hard to find; anyone know where I can get a bale?
 
IF you live somewhere near where orchids are grown in large supply you can get bales from the orchid growers. (about $22 with tax for a quarter of a bale but that makes about 30 gallons of sphagnum) (you have to pour boiling water on it to losen it up though. Quite a few gallons of boiling water (it will be about a day's worth of running around with boiling water
 
i like to replant everything yearly, anyways. try to mix 1/4 of your mix with sphag. or you could go all sphag.
 
The dried LFS in bags are sold at Lowes. Though I expect it to be sold at Home Depot, I haven't actually seen it there.
 
I have bought it at Home Depot,
in small rectangular cubes, makes plenty of moss..

why boiling water?
never heard of that..I take the dry moss from the cube, grab a handfull (do this outdoors! its very dusty) and squeeze a handfull of moss under water in a bucket..squeeze it under water a few times like a sponge, this saturates the moss very quickly and its ready for use immediately..

looks like its way more expensive if you get it packaged for "orchid use"
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here is a "one cubic foot mini-bale"
http://store.quarteracreorchids.com/spmo1cfmi.html

TWELVE bucks?!?
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the exact same size bale is about $4 at Home Depot..
I guess Orchid growers like to pay more for things..

I have been using just LFS for years..works great!
I also use peat and perlite 50/50 for some sarrs too..
not seeing a difference..
I still like pure LFS best.

Scot
 
Thanks for the tips, all.

I may use it in the mix as suggested; it may be to early for Home Depot to have any in stock, but we're close to the season.  Anyway, could one use the LFS the top inch or so for the crown and regular sphagnum peat mixed with sand, etc. below that?  Will that mimic its natural environment?  What do you all do? Maybe it's just me, but it seems the dente' planted in pure sphagnum moss traps last longer, I'm not always cutting dead off of it like the others.

I'm guessing here, but maybe the dead peat has a higher acid content than the LFS so maybe the VFT'S would benefit to layer like stated in the above paragraph; you know, to have both. (or maybe, it doesn't make a hoot n' hollar difference).

I don't know, I might be over analizing things, but it just seems that using the peat mix makes for a dense, black, tarry medium in a matter of a few weeks.
 
Gold,
yes its fine to use a peat mix below, and a thin layer of pure LFS on the top, I did exactly that with this mini bog:


CPdormancy01.jpg


the bog is filled with a 50/50 mix of peat and perlite, the plants are planted in that, and then I spread a thin layer of LFS around everything on top..mainly to keep rain from splashing the peat all over, and for looks too..I didnt want all those white grains of perlite showing..so the LFS keeps everything neatly down underneath where it belongs..
the layer of LFS isnt more than 1/2" thick..as thin as possible and still cover everything.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Anyway, could one use the LFS the top inch or so for the crown and regular sphagnum peat mixed with sand, etc. below that? Will that mimic its natural environment?

I dont think that really mimics the natural environment..
yes living spagnum eventually becomes peat, but only when the LFS is buried DEEP does it eventually turn into peat..
I have dug down into living LFS a few feet with my hands in Sarracenia purpurea bogs, and the LFS goes down a LONG ways..
sarracenia in the wild are basically in pure LFS..you dont get peat until a long ways down..
its still fine to grow in a peat mix with a top layer of LFS!
nothing wrong with that..but I dont think it really "mimics" the wild at all..
Scot
 
Thanks, Scott

I have some Big Mouth's coming and just wanted to do it right. Maybe I'll have to send you one (after established) just for helping me.

Very Nice bog, by the way; very inspirational.  I may have to do something like that this Summer.  I moved into another house with ample Sunlight hitting our backyard.  Is that a little freeform pond you used as a container?  If so, did you have to cut holes in the bottom of it?

Man, I love this hobby!

I'm actually thinking of selling CP'S in my jewelery store on the side in the Gift Section. Seems I've become popular since giving some to a guy in a Muffler shop ( I bartered for some plants for a muffler for the R.V.) His customer's see them and he sends them to me. I've left messages for Phil, but haven'
t heard from him yet.
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thanks G.S.,
I would love a 'big mouth'!
never had one of those..I will trade you something else for one!
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yes, the bog is one of those plastic pre-formed ponds, meant to go in the ground..
this is about the smallest size I have ever seen,
its 22" long X 17" wide X 5" deep.

contains about 40 VFT's (all typical)
one S. wrigleyana
and two S. leucophylla 'titan'

I didnt put holes in the very bottom, I drilled holes about half way up the side, in the back..
so standing water is always in the bottom, to keep things swampy, and when I fill it with water I just dump on water until it drains out the holes.
has worked well so far.
I cant tell when the water level gets low, but I fill it often enough thet im not worried about it ever drying out.
and when it rains, the drainage holes prevent the bog from OVER filling all the way to the top..
its basically always 50% full, or slightly less than that as water evaporates.

when I have it out on the balcony for the season, I have wood cedar strips that I place around the outside, just for looks..
I just bought some cheap cedar "shelf liner" from Home Depot and cut it up into strips of the right height.

(I thought I had a picture of that..but cant find it right now..
I might have it on a CD at work..)

scot
 
  • #10
Yea, Scott

They claim 5cm traps when fully matured.  These are 2 years old; probably out of vitro though, so probably the same as a 3 to 3 1/2 maturity.  They are sent bare root, so will give them time to acclimate, and will send you one potted.

Quick question; do you have to 'flush' out or flood your mini bog periodically so it won't 'sour' or is that something you don't have to worry about because of the medium? Or maybe you water it so that some of the stagnant water drains out the holes, keeping it fresh; I don't know.

p.m. me with your mailing address; note that it will take about 6 to 8 weeks for the plant to be stable enough to ship.  I bought them from a reputable source.  I took the last 5 they had as I missed out last year.  They are from Cook's.

I buy all my plants here, but this is one variety they don't carry.
 
  • #11
Boiling water instantly wets the moss and has the advantage of kiling any alge, bacteria, fungi in the moss (expecially if you have a large bale that seemed to get wet at some point.
 
  • #12
Okay, thanks Treaqum.

I'm gonna check home depot tomorrow
 
  • #13
I like to grind it up in a blender, and mix it with peat and sand. I mix it 2:1:1 lfs/peat/sand. It seems to work pretty well for me. I would like to try planting something in pure lfs too though. Good luck!
 
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