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sphagnum peat moss?

i bought some soil and it says "sphagnum peat moss" on it. is it suppose to look like pencil sharpenings? cause its really fine and it doesn't look like the one in my venus fly trap pot...

also, its really hard to get it moist. its like putting water on baby powder. am i suppose to mix this or can i use pure sphagnum peat moss to plant new bareroot fly traps?

oh, and what would be the best method to get it moist?
 
Sphagnum peat moss is pretty fine, pencil sharpenings is about right.

To moisten I usually mix it in a large bowl with pure water and sorta kneed the water into it. There is some debate as to if peat needs to be rinsed, (personally I rinse and sterilize mine, but you dont "have" to do that).

Also my personal preference is not to use pure peat for my plants as it can lead to root damage if it doesnt drain well. My VFT soil is a 50/50 ratio of peat and sand (pure silica sand is recommended check your local pool supply store its commonly used in the filters)


Good luck
Steve
 
TBGuy,

As 'vft guy in SJ' suggested, using sphagnum peat only might restrict drainage of water which will cause the roots to rot. You can use a mix like he suggested or 50/50 (peat/perlite) or even 33/33/33 (peat/perlite/silica or quartz sand).

To expand on washing/rinsing/sterilizing your medium, it helps to cut down on algae growth and reduces any undesirable trace elements. I use a peat/perlite/sand mix 'straight up' and haven't had any problems (except for some algae here and there). Look into Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss as a growing medium. This too is widely popular as a CP growing medium. Maybe that's what your vft is potted in currently?

As for wetting the peat... use your hands and mix it like you're making mud pie!

Final word on using silica/quartz/perlite/sphagnum, I recently found out that there are diseases related to the usage of these mediums (Silicosis, Sporotrichosis). Though the chances of contracting are very slight, you should wear gloves, a mask and work in a well ventilated area. For more info on these diseases, visit Barry Rice's webpage:

http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq3880.html

The pictures made me laugh!

Happy growing!
smile.gif
 
thanks! i got it moist now... i mixed it with perlite... i did half and half but
the instructions that i got with my roots said to mix 70% peat with 30% perlite or pumice...

would that make any difference if i mixed 70/30 instead?

if i find some long fiber sphagnum, could i just use that without mixing it with anything? i heard it was hard to find but i haven't tried looking for any
 
There's actually no such thing as the 'perfect' mix. Everybody here uses a different combination; some even unconventional mixes. Finding a medium mixture that works for you takes a bit of time and experimentation. But to answer your question, my experience tells me that though the vft will still grow in 70/30, the 50/50 will help with aeration and drainage. Plus it's easier to measure by eye. The key is to make sure that the medium is loose enough for water drainage regardless of your mix.

Long Fiber Sphagnum (LSF) can be used without mixing anything to it. I find it more suitable to a wider range of CPs as it's great for drainage.

I tend to like to sow my seeds and grow seedlings in peat/perlite/sand while I like to use LSF for more mature plants.

smile.gif
 
One note of caution. Be sure to check the label on bags of sphagnum peat, perlite, and other materials used for your CP. Some companies are adding nutrients and fertilizers, which will not be good for your plants.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (cchang @ Dec. 31 2003,05:53)]Final word on using silica/quartz/perlite/sphagnum, I recently found out that there are diseases related to the usage of these mediums (Silicosis, Sporotrichosis).  Though the chances of contracting are very slight, you should wear gloves, a mask and work in a well ventilated area.  
I licked the peat moss cause I was curious, I'm pretty sure I swallowed some but is that diseased too?

I really wish some one told me that before I decided to taste it.

I bought Scott's perlite and sphagnum peat moss...
 
uh oh.... Not good..

First sign of swallowed peat moss is your tounge will swell and your hair will fall out.

I'm just kidding..

Just to let you know I had some problems with Scott's Peat Moss. It could of been just a bad bag of peat.

Happy New Years
Lenny
 
  • #10
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]....I licked the peat moss cause I was curious, I'm pretty sure I swallowed some.....

TBGuy,
There are tastier ways to get some fiber in your diet
laugh.gif
!

BCK
 
  • #11
Uhm , why the heck did you lick it , i'm sure theres nothing wrong with the peat so don't worry about mushrooms growing out your head
biggrin.gif
 
  • #12
I picke up the same "pencil shavings" peat at the Depot. Didn't see any LFS, there, but maybe they just didn't have it in stock. I DID see what I believe to be the LFS at Lowes.
 
  • #13
can lfs be shreaded if so how is this done
 
  • #14
Joe, a food processor is good for that. Just pop it in the cuisinart!

Incidentally, I just boght a giant bale of peat moss at OSH (didn't know how big the bag was going to be till I picked it up around back of the store.) Anyway, it's pretty bad peat moss. When I put it in a bucket of water, it separates into about half good stuff floating, and half black sludge that sinks to the bottom. Some good bags of peat I've had are pretty much all good stuff.

Capslock
 
  • #15
Hi,

I've used alot of different brands of peat moss over the years for spawning soil breeding killifish. I have found that Premier Peat Moss from Canada is always an excellent product. I am about to try Sunshine brand Peat Moss from my local organic garden center as I have heard it is excellent too.

Bobby
 
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