My moss collection and some helis.

[TheFury]

There are some good threads on this forum for how to grow it. Avi8tor has a good one. I grow my helis in higher humidity so it is pretty easy and I don't do anything special for the sphagnum. The sphagnum in my nep pots is a little more of a challange. I typically leave an inch or two of space in my pots to create a mini environment for the spaghnum and mist it daily to maintain moisture. Given the right conditions, the sphagnum will grow to the rim of the pot. In my growing space, it doesn't grow above the pot line.

That's interesting about leaving 2" of space in the pot. Maybe that's why none of my LFS top layers have sprouted even after several months. I actually have been following the threads you mentioned as well as Avi8or's website. All very good information. I think I had some success even sprouting some dry LFS using swords' method (grinding it up first, maybe to loosen the spores?). I had some on a windowsill in an empty Chinese takeout container. It greened up a bit and I saw some sort of fuzzy growth that certainly wasn't algae and wasn't any kind of moss I had seen yet, so I figured it was young sphagnum. Unfortunately my cat tumped the stupid thing over so I may have lost all progress!!! Good thing I have a gallon of the stuff coming in the mail

[dashman]

Yes, I never had much success with my top dressing of live LFS until I started to leave a few inches of space for it to grow inside the pot and establish itself. Throwing some on the very top of the media never worked for me. It would always dry out and die. My conditions are just not humid enough I think.

[twigs]

dashman, that is some seriously great moss. I wish I could grow moss like that. My heli/nep pots are always covered in moss but it always has black tips. I'm thinking the space left at the top of the pot might be the solution I need. Thanks for the tip.

[TheFury]

I read on some eBay vendor's page that the black tips on sphagnum are actually the reproductive spores. Any validity to this?

[mobile]

I read on some eBay vendor's page that the black tips on sphagnum are actually the reproductive spores. Any validity to this?

Yes, this is true.

The spherical objects are sporophytes, which emerge out of the archegonium, the female part.

Source: http://camosunblog.blogspot.com/2010...gnum-moss.html

[dashman]

An update on my meager heliamphora collection. It's not much but I sure am proud of 'em.
Plus there is now a lower moss to heli ratio!!! I rearranged the lighting a little and they sure seem to be liking the changes.

H. heterodoxa x ionasii


Another H. heterodoxa x ionasii


Closeup of the nectar spoon


H. heterodoxa - making a mess of juvenile pitchers, but no sign of an adult one yet.


H. Tequila

(The big H. Tequila on the left is up for auction in the NASC auction right now if you want it)

[mobile]

I presume that the thin flared pitchers (on the left of the first picture and right on the second) were produced prior to you changing your lighting? These are what the pitchers on my windowsill grown Heliamphora look like in winter, due to lack of light.

[dashman]

You are correct. Those were the pitchers prior to my lighting adjustment.