Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Tried doing a search about how to propagate live sphagnum moss, but couldn't find any on the forum.

Okay might be a simple question for some, but I have very little experience with Live Sphagnum. Except that recently I have a pot of drosera that came with some nice live sphagnum moss medium.

Now I use dried Sphagnum moss as my medium in my droseras, VFTs and Sarracenias (I don't use them on nepenthes though). I was hoping to propagate some of those live moss into the pots of other plants.

Would like to request for tips on how to do it.

I already tried my first experiment by just pulling out a bit of the live moss at a time and "planting" them on top of the dried sphagnum moss medium. Would this work?

How can I make them multiply faster and cover the whole pot quicker?

Thanks in advance!

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Arvin, I have had limited success as well. from what I know, yes, planting them on top of dead lfs will work. but they grow painfully slow. i do know of others growers but have never heard them mention any techniques to speed up their growth. only complaints on how slow their growth is/ was.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

The only place my sphagnum 'grows' is in my seedling boxes. I assume because of the extremely high humidity. I'm keeping a couple of my old boxes going just for the sphagnum even though all the nep seeds germinated and were transplanted months ago!
Most all of them were either 'regenerated' dry sphagnum or possibly from spores within the dried stuff. Good luck and if you find the key, let us know!

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

It is fastest growing when given very high humidity, good light and cool temperatures. 20C-25C would be good.

My ampullaria pots have got it growing. During the hot months, the moss slows down too. Maybe because of the lower humidity. I keep some in boxes on my balcony floor in bright shade. Seems that different forms respond differently. So far, the one we got from Australia (Tasmania) is doing pretty good in higher temperature.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Thanks guys, so it really isn't just me then. :( Yes I will do some experiments and will report back. I use dried sphagnum moss, but my source probably had them on stock a long long time and maybe spores might not be viable by now, luckily I was able to get some in a pot with a drosera, the pot is full of them so can afford a bit of experiment. Will try the high humidty high light, but unfortunately Cindy, difficult for us to get that low temps :(

I have collected Java moss for my nepenthes in a mountain resort, those are doing okay, but also slow, they do look nice, but not as nice as Sphagnum.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Try to do a search @ GSC http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/...p?showforum=54 Cindy and others have posted many thread for cultivating LSM

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

I don't actively cultivate live sphagnum for use, but I do have several pots of it. From my experience, good light is a yes, but there is actually an optimum humidity level, beyond which the sphagnum will grow long and stringy instead...which is not really that healthy. Now temps are NOT necessary if you get a nice friendly heat resistant strain of the stuff. Most of my sphagnum grows outdoors and grows faster than the stuff which grows in my room and gets nice cooling. It may take a while to establish from a single head, but once it gets going, its pretty okay. For me I just chuck a head onto either the dead sphagnum or peat, either way works decent.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

I have a few pots of sphagnum moss in different locations and growing conditions. Generally they grow pretty well.

I have two pots that I put in my garden under direct sunlight for the whole day, they grow exceptionally well despite the hot burning sun. I watered them twice a day, is this the trick?

There are another two pots (from two different sources) I hung under the orchid shade netting where I grew my neps in, they grew into two different pattern, one grew long, another grew in lumps. They are next to each other but appeared differently.

Another pot I placed under bright spot only receiving two to three hours of direct morning sun, this one appeared bushy too.

I think sphagnum moss grow pretty fast, it's just that the incorrect temperature, lighting and humidity that stunt the growth. High humidity, temperature not exceeding 35°C & good lighting should do the trick. Once they adapted to our condition, they'll grow quite fast and steadily.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

OK, I've taken some pictures of my sphagnum moss.

This one getting a few hours of morning sun.
Attachment 402

This two pots under the shade clothes.
Attachment 403

This is the one I put under direct sun receiving whole day sunlight.
Attachment 404

It seems those getting more sunlight are greener.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Wow... very nice looking LSM, I wish I can grow LSM like you, what media did you use for the LSM only pot? Mixture of peat, sand and LFS?

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Hi TS,

Your LSM looks ggrrrrreeeeeaaaattttt!!!!!!!....And im not being sarcastic here.To me the ones under shade cloths are the best looking but the others look very good too.Maybe LSM do best in that condition.

Ken

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

TS, great looking sphagnum moss!

Arvin555, in addition to the above comments about bright lights & cool temps, you can try adding some dilute ferts to the moss, like seaweed emulsion or slow-release osomocote. but do remember that you'd need to flush the moss every once in a while if you use ferts.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

:1thumbup: Wonderful and pretty LSM....so green and healthy..envy:wub::wub:
Actually where can buy the LSM?? The normal garden shop get sell LSM?? :confused:

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Is it bcoz of the algae built up or high level of fertilizer actually impete the growth of the LSM??

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

i had problems with algae over taking the moss when i neglected to flush.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

I think the cooler temps help the sphagnum. A lot of the worlds LFS comes from cool temperate regions, e.g. New Zealand, Tasmania, Canada etc. I am in a temperate zone and I can't stop it from growing. The LFS that I have in pots grows really well similar to the photo's posted earlier. Mine are outside during winter (under cover) and temps can drop to almost 0 celcius, but the moss keeps growing. I just keep it moist (top water daily in summer, every few days in winter) and it keeps growing.

If you maintain high water levels you should not have too many problems. It can take a while to get going initially so you need to be patient but once it gets going it can quickly outgrow soem of the smaller CP's that I have in it.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

I agree with strath76. Even the tropical sphagnum moss where N. tentaculata grows in is from a high elevation. Cooler temperatures keep it growing very fast but that does not mean it cannot grow under heat. Just slower. :smile:

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Guess you guys are right. I usually started to see signs of LSM starting from about 700m-800m ASL in tropical moutains, where you'll start to feel the cool breeze.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

wuw great sphagnum moss TS have .. admire la ...

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Recent cool and humid weather is helping the regeneration of LSM from LFS. ;)

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t..._regnerate.jpg

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Hi cpnut, sphagnum moss grow in any CP media mix, mine grow in peat + perlite, pure LFS and even pure peat. Provide it with high humidity or else the tips dry out very quickly.

Agreed with what Strath said, once they get started (acclimatised), they grow pretty fast. And those from cooler places are much difficult to cultivate in the tropic. One of my sphagnum moss came from Europe, it is so hard to grow, I have to cover it with a piece of mesh in order to provide the suitable growing condition for it. It's still growing but very prone to dried out in hot days.

Haha Cindy, some of my sphagnum moss came from LFS too. :2thumbup:

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

TS,
Thanks for sharing the growing tips for LSM, appreciated. :1thumbup:

Cindy,
I'm using those LFM from Chile (supposably) but never witness any regeneration. Are you using NZ moss?

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

That strand of moss is the Tasmanian form.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Hi Cindy,

My ventricosa seems to be growing in some sort of moss which doesn't look like the ones you guys are cultivating but i have LFS though which is getting greener not sure if its algae or its growing again.And also this few days raining in the afternoons so temp hardly reaches the 30's only during the late mornings.Its like suddenly very hot and direct sun for my sarrs,VFT and neps and then suddenly cloudy and rains...So cindy does it fell hotter in singapore or in KL just asking since both are covered with buldings humdity is slightly lower than those without much buldings.

Ken

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Yeah after checking out the really nice photos and nice Live Sphagnum mosses you guys have, I realize that what I have is actually not the same, either not the same species or completely different type of moss. :(

I guess I'll be looking for some members if they can send or trade some with me. I love the looks of those that were posted.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Ken, I have got no idea if KL is really hotter or Singapore. But it feels hotter when I was in KL. 'Cos S'pore is so small so air ventilation is pretty. In fact, the void decks of the government housing are always very breezy. Most of the time more breezy than the units above the ground. Probably the land breeze.

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth...=visualization

I'll take photos of the different forms of sphagnum moss I have and post them up.

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

As promised...

Type A - very likely sphagnum cristatum; compact growth in more light
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...um_moss_a1.jpg

Tends to elongate in low light but continues growing
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...um_moss_a2.jpg

Type B - noid; didn't grow in very low light and stays about the same shape in different light intensity
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...um_moss_b1.jpg

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...um_moss_b2.jpg

Type C - noid; distinctly different from the first two; not the fastest growing
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...num_moss_c.jpg

Re: Propagating Live Sphagnum moss
 

Thanks Cindy for taking the effort to take those pictures...