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Shagnum moss burning?

G

garz

So, I've been making sure to mist my plants daily and I have a top bedding of New Zealand Sphagnum Moss (dead). I make sure it's moist before I leave to work, by the time I come home I notice the tips of some of the moss has black tips as-if it's burnt. The tempt in my towerarrium is 76-81*F and the distance from my bulb is well over 6 inches from the plants. Humidity at around 20-35%.

I am just worried my plants will burn if the wet moss is drying out like that and the tips are burning. Any ideas/suggestions to a fix?
 
http://culturesheet.org/sphagnaceae:sphagnum

Sphagnum grown in full sunlight evaporates so much water that a brown crust can develop on the crown. The evaporation creates a small current of water which drives the dissolved ions (mostly Calcium) to the surface, where they accumulate and crystallize. Wash it away with a generous dose of rainwater and running your hand over the cushion of moss.
Click to expand...
 
The black tips are a sign your moss is a reproducing sexually, rather then asexually. As most are familiar with the latter. The spore capsuls are housed there.
 
Smitty said:
The black tips are a sign your moss is a reproducing sexually, rather then asexually. As most are familiar with the latter. The spore capsuls are housed there.
Click to expand...

So wait!? If i am understanding this correctly. My dead moss that I purchased, can have the possibility of reproducing and grow live moss?

Cause, dude. It just looks like I am burning it.. lol.
 
Sorry mang..I thought it was live moss..I speed read through the first part!

But give your dead sphag lots of humidity and keep it moist..it will eventually start to grow new moss. Lots of humidity makes sphagnum moss happy.
 
Aside from the advice on how to instantly grow Spagnum moss,
I believe your black deposits are caused from humic acid deposits perhaps.

I have had this happen occasionally too. IME It doesn't seem to cause any harm itself (from what I have seen),
but sometimes seems an indicator of something that isn't ideal.
Perhaps too low of humidity, misting the moss, old media that needs renewing, or other such situations.
Unlike others, I have not had good luck flushing it out, so I usually just re-do the media.
If nothing else, it looks ugly & I don't like it.
I may also try moving the plant to a different location, or perhaps watch the misting &
keep it off the moss.

I know this doesn't help much, but you are not alone in getting this.
Good luck,
:water:
 
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