Sphagnum moss (one of 380 or so species of Sphagnum) is often used to grow carnivorous plants, or to pack around fragile plants in postage, and a bunch of other uses. It is expensive to buy dead sphagnum moss, and difficult to find for sale live.
Years ago I got a strand of it while on a field trip with university. I grew it in a little glass cup on my window sill along with pygmy Drosera that I also collected on the same trip. It grew well for a few years, and looked amazing, I eventually lost in moving house.
Strangely enough I haven't seen live sphagnum moss since then.
A while ago a very generous person posted me some plants, and wrapped the carnivorous plants in live sphagnum moss. I figured it would be a waste to let the sphagnum moss die, so I wanted to grow it.
I don't know the best way to grow this, so figured I would try a few different methods.
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| Sphagnum moss - growing well and ready to divide |
I also put a damp little peat moss in an empty punnet, and 'planted' some live sphagnum moss on top. All of these punnets I put in a tray with a little rain water, much like how I water carnivorous plants.
So far both methods appear to be working and the sphagnum moss is growing.
I have given them part sun. From memory full sun makes it grow slowly, but I may be wrong. Some species are ok with frost and can be frozen solid, I think others may die off if hit by frost. I am not sure what species this is, so I will protect most in winter and probably leave a little unprotected to see how it copes.
I also put a little live sphagnum moss on top of pots of peat moss that I am growing various carnivorous plant in, hopefully it grows well in there as it looks nice.
I don't know how well this will go longer term, but for now it is growing well for me. I hope to find where is best in my yard to grow sphagnum moss, and how to grow sphagnum moss, and then once I have enough I plan to use it for carnivorous plants.
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| Sphagnum moss - one live strand |
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| Sphagnum moss - one live strand did some growing! |
I have been growing sphagnum very successfully for years now, and seeing pictures of it in habitat I can now tell pretty well what it needs. The main factor like most carnivores is low nutrients, low salt levels, low pH and consistent moisture. Like a lot of CPs it doesnt like to be soggy- In habitat sphagnum often grows where water is trickling past it in a shallow sheet. I grew it well on the floor of a humid greenhouse with plastic flooring that was uneven, so 1-2 cm of water would pool here and there, but the excess would drain away. I now grow it outdoors in a raised bench which can only fill to 1-2 cm deep at most. I let the water level drop to zero between waterings. The bench overflows several times each year as well during rainy spells, which is important for flushing excess salts/minerals from the system. During dry spells the surface of the moss becomes crispy and brown, but greens up again instantly when rain returns. Like most plants sphagnum is a lot tougher than people realise as long as its key requirements are met.
ReplyDeleteSphagnum moss: nature's water retention superhero!
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