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What's this moss at the bottom of my vft?

  • #21
Don't some mosses produce antibiotics like pennicillin.

I remember my biology teacher showing us moss in a field telling us that no plants can grow around the moss soil cause it puts chemicals in the soil.
 
  • #22
I don't know enough to answer with authority, but I have talked to other skilled growers who has likewise noted the appearance of these mosses also go hand in hand with decline of seedlings and some plants. It certainly is the case in my experience with Drosera seedlings. and not just due to choking. I don't know if it is a coincidence with the minerals present that support the growth, a PH relationship, or something the mosses put out. All I know is in my experience, these sort of mosses are not good news in pots of Utricularia or Drosera. Vft's seem less bothered, and my pings don't seem to react with the same negative results.
 
  • #23
I have my VFT's and sundews in a 10 gallon fish-tank with a 4 or 5" top layer of long fiber sphagnum it's semi green in a few spot's. think this will negatively affect the growth of my sundews?
(i recently washed the moss,lower layer of peat and the silica sand bottom layer)
my ppm count on distilled watter using water wise 5000 was 1-3 ppm. i notice the moss is coming to life but the run off water of the mix is less than 30 ppm is the moss surviving off the bright light or does its return to life show a mineral problem for me?

-Steve
 
  • #24
[b said:
Quote[/b] (LESLIEx317537 @ July 08 2004,10:42)]Don't some mosses produce antibiotics like pennicillin.

I remember my biology teacher showing us moss in a field telling us that no plants can grow around the moss soil cause it puts chemicals in the soil.
The Moss in the photo that started this tread is most deffinatly not sphagnum, but a few people have already stated that.

Pennicillin is actually a type of fungi, a mold to be more specific. Some mosses have anti bacterial properties, in fact native Americans used sphagnum as a dressing for wounds as well as a liner for baby "diapers".

I know of no bryophytes (mosses) that produce a substance to inhibit other plant growth, in fact many times mosses are pioneer plants, meaning they are some of the first plants to establish in disturbed areas. Many higher plants produce chemicals that hinder other plant growth around them. The first ones that come to mind are Walnut trees and spotted Knap weed. Maybe your teacher was refering to a plant other then a moss?

Steve
 
  • #25
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Tamlin Dawnstar @ June 07 2004,4:40)]endparenthesis,

LFS is a reliable medium if it hasn't been long watered with hard water (something garden centers are notorious for). If the plant is growing well, my inclination is to let it be. Even if it contradicts standard advice. There are so many considerations, it's hard to tell what variable may or may not be affecting the plants growth. My rule of thumb is if it ain't broke don't fix it, but be aware of potential problems, be observant, and act if it seems the plant is somehow declining in health.

I have this moss as well as about 30 others. As far as being a detriment in and of itself, it is fairly well behaved: a slower growing moss. The worst is a low flat growing long moss that is impossible to eradicate even going to bare root. It always returns around the base of the rosettes, making transplants mandatory twice a year, or else the plants will be buried.

My greatest success comes from using seasoned peat/sand that has sat in the rain for a season premixed in pots. These pots rarely get any moss growth.
Some stores don't even water them at all.
I have a moss like that in many of my pots in fact I was incouraging it's growth on my D.Dichotoma "giant" But the hellish sun of Bakersfield killed the moss off. I have it growing in a S.Flava that's infested (I don't use the term lightly) with D.Capensis, D.Intermedia, U.Bisquamata crammed in a 3" pot and covered with this moss and the Sarr and the tiny plants that get along with it couldn't be happier.
However, if it starts to decline I'll make a note of it.
 
  • #26
Just a quick update a month or so later... the plant is big and healthy but I've also noticed it seems to be the slowest growing of my VFTs. I think you guys may have been right about the moss being an indication of soil quality. I don't know if I'll repot it soon or after dormancy, but it'll happen at some point.
 
  • #28
oh god, i thought it was LFS and i transfered som from my D.capensis to 3 of my new vft's pots, they all hav a patch of about the size of a quarter, and i jus prep a pot and about to transplant som of to a seperate pot jus for that moss, it came from OSH(D.capensis and vft) they both hav the same moss in it,

it seems to b well, half of the moss from my capensis is on the other 3 pots,and im about to transfer som more to a sep pot, is that safe?

tell me how LFS grows, and wat does it take to grow it wen its dried, cuz im interested in growing som,

anyways heres som pix, tell me if thats algae on the perlite
smile_k_ani_32.gif


algae-vft.jpg

moss-vft.jpg

http://home.petflytrap.com/users....rge.jpg

sundew04.jpg

sundew01.jpg


thnx, oh yea, refer me to som place that sells live sphag moss, how long does it take the dried LFS to grow live?
 
  • #29
I also have moss in my VFT I got from Franks.
I just topped it off with some of my own mix when I got it and now it's growing again.
smile_k_ani_32.gif


Here's some pics:
moss1.JPG

moss2.JPG


I don't like perlite anymore. I use sand now with peat.
 
  • #30
y not? som of my perlite has algae,
confused.gif
is sand better? how much of it do u mix with peat?
 
  • #31
Yea, perlite seems like a algea rock to me.
smile_n_32.gif


I mix 50% sand and 50% peat.  Then I top it off with just sand now.  Looks cleaner and I think the moss has a harder time growing.
 
  • #32
Also you can top it off with LFS.
Get some dried and wet it down and lay it on top.
You can also chop it up and then put it down.
I think the spores or seeds from the dried spagnum will grow eventually after some time. I have this on my outdoor mini mini bogs.
 
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