Sphagnum moss?

[kentosaurs]

You guys too much money la...I just use the most ciplak moss which i assume from china..I see those they sell for RM 4 per packet in jusco and so far not much side effects...

[hornydevil]

Originally Posted by paphioboy

Say, is that the average price you get for sphag in KL..? RM36 for 500g..? Half a kilo isn't much is it..? The ones i get in Penang are cheaper.. hehe :D

No lah bro. You read wrong. Got 2 bags for RM 36 means RM 18 per bag! Actually the cheapest sphag moss I found were those white ones from China packed in 12L blocks retailing at RM 6.50.

Read somewhere that the China type is not recommended and I could not afford the NZ sphag retailing at RM 27.50 at Ace Hardware so have to settle for the alternative Chilean variety!

[hornydevil]

Guys,

Another newbie question.

Since perlite or silica sand is used to provide air pockets for drainage and the roots to breath, is it possible to substitute with coarse aquarium pebbles (approx 8mm dia) instead?
Have buckets of this leftover from my previous aquarium venture! Just thinking out loud since reading about the use of florafoam in one of the threads.

[NepNut]

As long as the pebbles are inert and contain no dissolvable mineral, it's shd be ok.... I think

[bactrus]

Second cpnut's opinion. Soak those rocks first. Try reading the burnt earth thread somewhere on the forum. Pretty interesting and don't have detrimentat effect on neps.

[hornydevil]

Well, another option should be glass marbles then!

[poweramps]

Originally Posted by hornydevil

Well, another option should be glass marbles then!

Theoretically, yes, it would work. However, the weight of the material would crush new developing roots should the marbles or pebbles move. Hence a heavy dense material is bad. Perlite or expended silica is good as it is light, and won't crush your plants roots.

[hornydevil]

Gotcha! Thanks for the input!

[edwardyeeks]

NZ moss is great, but super expensive. I buy from ace hardware store, since i barely use sphagnum, most of my plants are small.

China moss is NOT good, in a short time, it tends to harden if you don't water it properly. It doesn't absorb water well and of course, it decomposes fast.

Cheers