substitute for shagnum moss

[David]

What arvin says about s. moss is correct. They are almost always found where CPs grow. The other reasons why s. moss is used in cultivation is:

- It retain water which is what CPs love

- It allows air to the roots

- It is acidic which is what CPs like

- It is sterile and clean

- It has an entibiotic effect that prevents mold or fungus. Perfectly preserved human bodies over 100 years old have been found burried in sphagnum/peat bogs

- It does not decompose easily especially in cooler climates

However, like what Arvin says, there are other media that you can use for CPs as long as it provides similar conditions as s. moss. These conditions are:

- it must retain water
- it must alow air into the roots
- It is acidic (depending on the species, but most CPs prefer acidic media)

To answer your second question, yes, CPs do grow in dead s. moss in the wild but most of the time it is mixed with live s. moss. As S. moss grows, it becomes longer and longer and the old strain dies off and turn brown. So usually when you see them in the wild, the top part is green and a live but below this layer is dead s. moss. And below this dead brown layer is sphagnum peat with is decomposed s. moss. CP's grow in this media.