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Sphagnum Wont Colonize

Hello all!

I've lurked this forum for many months and just gotten around to posting, I actually have a question that I hope someone can answer. Like many of you, I enjoy the look of live Sphagnum in a pot, and have a pretty nice culture going on (which just sprouted some mystery Drosera, would love to post pics of anyone has an eye for IDs), but I can't seem to get them to be healthy in my pots. Whenever I transplant some new cuttings, their tips turn black/brown and they eventually stop growing. I'm trying to get them to colonize a standard peat/sand substrate. Thanks again!
 
Mine usually get going if the peat it's on is really flooded. What are your growing conditions for them?
 
It sounds like your newly transplanted Sphagnum is drying out. When you're trying to get a top dressing established, take a large wad of Sphagnum and compact it so that it isn't too loose. Mist it regularly so that the mat doesn't dry out. Laying single strands on the soil surface without extremely high humidity will almost never work, especially on a sand/peat mix.
 
Keeping a close eye on the sphag you're trying to introduce and keeping it well-watered is necessary if the soil is not extremely moist, but in some cases you might be able to take a mid-length strand and bury half in the medium. Or, like half my pots you can just wait for sphag to magically appear on its own.
 
Wow, thank you all for the prompt responses. Firstly, I'm using the tray method on a D. Binata and a now, sadly (dead) Spatulata, I have a single T-8 Fixture that's on a timer. Should I be misting daily, or perhaps even more than daily?
 
Sphagnum moss does well with high humidity and moist media. I keep them either in bog conditions or completely enclosed in a terrarium. Very clean water and nothing less. Cheers!
 
A single T8 is pretty low lighting for most Sundews.....
 
Whenever I transplant some new cuttings, their tips turn black/brown and they eventually stop growing. I'm trying to get them to colonize a standard peat/sand substrate.

Of the 120 species or so of sphagnum, some readily develop a deep carpet-like coverage, while others remain sparse under the same conditions; but usually it is an issue of lower than ideal humidity and insufficient watering . . .
 
Once sphagnum takes off, it can handle lower humidity and water. Until then, make sure you keep it moist.
 
  • #10
Would it be an okay idea to put some sphagnum peat in a Tupperware container and lay the clumps down, cover with Saran Wrap and set it under CFLs? Or does it need good air flow?


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  • #11
Wet, well drained and humid at all times. Quite a lot of light as well, especially when cold, including some direct or dappled sunlight, but try to keep it cool. It seems to do well under the leaves of my nepenthes. If you keep highland species, the sphagnum seems to appreciate the night time drop in temperature. If it is well drained, you can't water or mist it too much!

In dry air conditions you might want to leave the pot standing in water, unless you are growing nepenthes.
If it is standing in water, you have to be careful not to water it too much, as it will turn soggy and brown, but a daily or twice daily misting should suffice.

Covering with clingfilm will help to stop the tips drying out and will increase the humidity considerably.


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  • #12
Would it be an okay idea to put some sphagnum peat in a Tupperware container and lay the clumps down, cover with Saran Wrap and set it under CFLs? Or does it need good air flow?


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I wouldn't put the peat in and I'd flood it. No need for any cover then.

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  • #13
Another thing to keep in mind may be the media conditions/water purity. Sphagnum is almost always an indicator plant in carnivorous plant conditions. It enjoys acidic conditions and pure water. Heck... when my RO water filters degraded, sphagnum was the first thing to start showing dying off signs and started getting overrun with algae. If you notice any green slime mould/algae on your soil...that may also be an indicator that there may be a lot of nutrients in the soil. Sphagnum hates that.
 
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