Sphagnum

[Ambellina]

So I ordered some LFS. Which came dead. I think I read somewhere about just laying it out in a tray of water and it'll grow/come back to life? Is that true? How much water, if so?

Also, 150 grams turns out to be a whole lot more than I expected and I know I'm not even gonna put a dent in this bag - what can I do with the rest of it, if anything?

 

[PlantAKiss]

You probably bought dried LFS which is usually what people get unless you ordered live somewhere.  I always had my dried LFS regenerate when I used it inside my tanks.  I put the dried in the bottom of the tank, wet it and after a few weeks/months, it would start growing.  My tanks are under fluorescent lighting. So keept it wet, give it light and it should start growing again.

But you don't have to have live moss for your plants unless you just like the look of it.  They are fine in dried moss.

As for excess...don't worry.  You'll probably end up needing it as your plant collection grows.  

 

[jimscott]

Dumb question: was it intended to be the live LFS? Stores like Lowes and Home Depot normally sell it in small bags for ~$3-4. LFS is like gold. It has the capacity to hold water and yet allow for drainage and root development. The living LFS has antisceptic qualities.

Our moderator, Plantakiss, has suggested to add water, seal, and place in the light. Eventually, the spores within become alive. LFS is great for starting pots for new CP's and is the best when shipping plants and cuttings to other forum folks. And surely you will want to expand to sundews and butterworts and bladderworts and... A little bit goes a long way.

The dried material that I have topdressed for pots has become alive, after several months. I also keep a couple plastic trays of it, on top of sphagnum peat, at a window sill. I sometimes use that as a triage, for incomimg plants. I also use it to sprout VFT & Cephalotus leaves.

This is great stuff... better than duct tape!

 

[jimscott]

Suzanne: I think we were replying simultaneously. I am using a library computer and this thing is "slower than mollasses in January"! I'm still waiting for Photobucket to boot up!

Anyways, here's an example of what the dried LFS did:

This container of sundews:

became this in time:

Here's a tray of it:

 

[PlantAKiss]

That's funny. We must have posted at the same time. But I beat ya!

I used to have a beautiful carpet of live moss in the bottom of my tank. Looked really pretty. Until I let it get too dry.

 

[jimscott]

Quote[/b] (PlantAKiss @ Nov. 08 2006,4:55)]That's funny.  We must have posted at the same time.  But I beat ya!  

I used to have a beautiful carpet of live moss in the bottom of my tank.  Looked really pretty.  Until I let it get too dry.  

LOL! gotta love the updated emoticons! These are much better than the Amish ducks! Yeah, those library computers are always taking forever to boot up. They lock up and the Refresh tab has become my new friend.

See... I was paying homage to ya and I didn't even know you were posting!

From the other Photobucket account.... more live sphag:

D. 'Ivan's Paddle'

It's upposed to be D. rotundifolia, but the sphag has engulfed it!

 

[dlybrand]

Quote[/b] (jimscott @ Nov. 08 2006,3:38)]This is great stuff... better than duct tape!

That's blasphemy!

I, too, grow trays full of this stuff to put in my Nep pots. A plastic tray lined with dry LFS and placed in 100% humidity (with good light, of course) will eventually yield a carpet of the live stuff a couple of inches thick.

And, while not necessarily better than duct tape (what keeps my terrarium together), it really is like gold.

 

[Ambellina]

I'm like 99.9% positive that what I bought said, "Live New Zealand Sphagnum Moss." But it arrived tan-colored, packed into a small bale, and the website I bought it from revamped in the few days since I bought it, and now the exact same thing says it's dried. Grr.

I know it doesn't need to be alive. But. So pretty!

I'll get to pulling a Frankenstein on my LFS, then.

Thanks guys

 

[glider14]

ok...i have at least 3 different types of sphag...new zeland and 2 unknown others... ill see if i can get pics later on.
Alex

 

[jimscott]

Quote[/b] (Ambellina @ Nov. 08 2006,5:56)]I'm like 99.9% positive that what I bought said, "Live New Zealand Sphagnum Moss." But it arrived tan-colored, packed into a small bale, and the website I bought it from revamped in the few days since I bought it, and now the exact same thing says it's dried. Grr.

I know it doesn't need to be alive. But. So pretty!

I'll get to pulling a Frankenstein on my LFS, then.

Thanks guys

You could try fighting it. Afterall, the product offered was NOT the product received. It also doesn't seem to be a coincidence that the "fine print" has changed. Do you still have the bag from whence it came? There's also the Better Business Bureau if they don't stand by their product.Then there's 60 Minutes and 20 - 20.....

If'n ya need the live stuff in a hurry, I'm sure that we who have it can send ya some.

Personally, I liked Young Frankenstein better! "Wasn't that hump....?" "Abby something..... Abby-normal..."

 

[Drosera36]

I have some wild live LFS collected from NY if ya want some of that. It's kinda "dormant" now, but it should be fine.

-Ben

 

[Ambellina]

I think when this stuff doesn't become green and mooshy, I'll come begging, haha. Right now, though, my tan-ish LFS is turning into black LFS, I think my light might be too strong.

 

[Drosera36]

LFS likes lots of water, the more they get, the greener they are. And full sun is no problem for it.

-Ben

 

[Ambellina]

How do I keep the LFS well-watered without putting too much in for my D. capensis? Or will the moss just suck it all up before most of it gets to the actual media?

 

[Drosera36]

D. capensis doesn't mind being waterlogged, so I don't think there would be a problem, I'm just saying that the moss likes it wet, and so does the D. capensis, but don't flood them.

-Ben

 

[jimscott]

Can you have a pot for the capensis and a tray for the LFS?

 

[vraev]

lol...its funny...I love sphagnum.....here is a latest pic of some spag growing with my B 52......I hope to have a green carpet sometime soon....I got this from rick keehns at keehnscarnivores....he says its probably new zealand sphagnum.



I don't know how to get some of this live stuff anywhere....its soo hard to find live green sphagnum

..especially to buy it in canada. Consider the irony though, canada is one of the biggest producers of peat moss....lol! 100% canadian sphagnum peat.

 

[JMurphy97]

My next project is to put a layer down on my tank. That should keep the humidity up too so I don't have to keep using a humidifer then huh?

 

[PlantAKiss]

The reason I started putting LFS in the bottom of my tanks was to increase humidity. I poured about 1/2 inch of water in the tank and let the moss wick the water up and provide humidity. My tanks were semi-sealed. It worked well AND I ended up with a thick green carpet on the bottom which sometimes ended up with little round-n-sticky-ums growing the moss below from stray seeds.

(I was looking for a "cool" smiley but sometimes a plain ol' smile one will have to do). hehe

 

[glider14]

Quote[/b] (JMurphy97 @ Nov. 09 2006,3:01)]My next project is to put a layer down on my tank. That should keep the humidity up too so I don't have to keep using a humidifer then huh?

somthing like this

thats an older pic...there is more in there now... i can send you some for a trade if you like!

: i can send you enough that you could have a nive sized mat within a few weeks-months. PM me if you are interested!
Alex