Do you think that Sphag moss can be "reactivated"?

[dionysus]

ok, I'm not 100% certain where I heard this, but someone had told me not to buy living Sphag moss because you could get living moss from the stuff you buy in the store. He said that there were enough spores that if left wet long enough it would start growing again.

So i did some research on the Sphagnum plant and found out that there are explosive spore pods on the tips of mature sphags. I got the low quality kind, meaning it's got other stuff in it, stems and whatnot, so it's possible there were some pods exploded in it. Has anyone else tried this with good success?

If you've got anything on this, I'd like to hear it. =D thanks for the help and support!

[BluPeaches]

I remember reading a thread on here about someone doing this.
... maybe I can find it for you.

[BluPeaches]

Its in this thread, you have to scroll down and look for it.

My growing space

I hope this is what you are looking for.

[dionysus]

Actually that post was perfect! It tells me that what I'm doing is JUST right! =D Thanks so much!
*dances*

[BluPeaches]

I'm glad it helped.

Let us know what happens.

[dionysus]

Well, it's been in a wet baggie for a while... like a week+, but nothing quite yet. I've got another blotch of sphag in a bag with a pitcher plant coming. Hoping one of em yield the moss! =D I'll post if/when it becomes green.

[Ray]

You need to use very pure water and have patience. it can take 6 or 8 weeks for the spores to germinate.

[dionysus]

Oh, should I change the water? or would that not matter at this point? And I can wait! haha All I have is time... XD

[refu]

Hi, I've seen moss turn green after 4 weeks if you keep it moist all the time and in if you make the greenhouse effect.If I were I will wait and the results will come.

[dionysus]

Guess what! There is a live sprig of growing sphagnum! So I kept it in a warm bag with a Nepenthes(tropical pitcher plant) cutting, and after the roots had taken, I took out a lump of the moss and put it into a small bottle(milk bottle, pop bottle, anything works I guess. Mine is a glass Yoohoo bottle. =P). I kept only enough water in there to keep the bottom covered in water and it's had little sun. It's doing fine, very slow growth, but it's a moss so what do you expect? lol

Attachment below is the pic!

To be honest, it was pretty easy to do. Just gotta be patient. Oh wait, that has to do with all gardening, huh? haha

[nightqueen049]

I'm just going to share with you what I know about sphagnum moss in general, and hopefully it will clear things up even a little bit. When it dries out completely, it is difficult (but by no means impossible!) to rewet it without completely and thoroughly soaking it. If you have water with high alkalinity, it can kill living sphagnum moss and makes it toxic to the plant.

It naturally has antibiotic properties, so as long as you thoroughly wet it and keep it evenly moist, it will remain an excellent potting medium for phals and paphs, and for any orchid that is recovering from root damage.

[dionysus]

ah, that's pretty useful actually. And I totally get the dried out part. I should probably find out if my water is alkaline...

[Miranda321]

Great information! I think I'll try a moss baggie- can't hurt

[NeoOrchid]

We pluck dead and near dead orchids (and other plants) from stores and rescue them and why not? Why not try to grow sphagnum moss!!!

Brother, that's amazing! Bravo!
I am most assuredly going to try something like this; I'm so glad I joined this forum!