will peat moss work for bog and terrarium?

[cpbobby]

I was thinking about putting a little competition in both my outdoor bog and indoor terrarium. I spy alot of peat moss growing wild on the outskirts of my yard; mainly want it as a garnishing and it is free! Will it play nice with the smaller/shallow-rooted drosera and will it play nice with nepenthes?

As in not invading the other plants and not getting them sick? i figure if so it should also reduce soil acidity as well as make it look better.

 

[Heli]

I think you mean sphagnum? It will actually increase acidity but it is fine for cps. You can use it but I would rinse it thoroughly and spray with pesticides.

 

[Steve Booth]

Hi cpbobby

Heli is quite right, but what I would also watch out for is, if it is grown in favourable conditions such as your terrarium it will grow fast and lush and will out compete and innundate any small plants or seedlings you have growing. Also outdoors in a bog, the birds love it for nesting so rip it up with gay abandon, thereby ripping up small or shallow rooted plants too. Never mind that the rest of the yard is covered in the stuff, you put it in a pot in the sun and it becomes the most desirable moss on earth for some reason.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cpbobby]

I think I will wait a bit until my terrarium plants are more established but I live in a rural area so quite a bit of predators in the trees. Perhaps I will put some in it's own pot and to test the waters and see if the birds go after it.