Where can i buy fresh sphag?

[wickidgrrl]

Hey guys. Hope everyone had a great new year!
Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone knows a good site, or a place in
general that i can buy fresh sphag. I want to give this a try since i have
heard some good things about the fresh green stuff. Oh, and by the way, i live in Central Florida, so if any of you Florida geeks know of a local place, that would be great too! Any reply is greatly appreciated, Thanks!!
-Joan

[FLBob]

I'll keep a eye on this thread, cause I'd like to know a source for fresh sphagnum.

[fred]

that would be good to know a source for fresh sphagnum moss in the States but I think the only way you are going to get fresh sphagnum moss is to grow your own

myself I have always found fresh sphagnum moss to be really good medium for some of my "chids"

I wish you luck finding fresh sphag

[florchidlvr88]

Originally Posted by FLBob

I'll keep a eye on this thread, cause I'd like to know a source for fresh sphagnum.

Bob I get mine from the panhandle in Fl. It grows like weeds in the ditches up there.Will be making trip up in the spring glad to bring extra back if you like.

[FLBob]

Originally Posted by florchidlvr88

Bob I get mine from the panhandle in Fl. It grows like weeds in the ditches up there.Will be making trip up in the spring glad to bring extra back if you like.

Serious business???? I'd love to go on a sphag hunt myself. I never would have imagined that sphagnum grew in Florida.

[florchidlvr88]

I think it likes the cooler winters up there.I have not seen it any farther south than that. It does stay green as long as its kept moist.

[jay]

I have seen it listed on Ebay before.

[cassier]

Very interesting, in Florida Uh?!

[FLBob]

I googled "sphagnum moss northern Florida" and found two articles on swamp snakes that burrow down into sphagnum moss! So harvesting sphagnum may be exciting...

[florchidlvr88]

I found it looking for salamanders.

[amersault]

just curious - what would you do to rid the moss of any stragglers before adding to your orchid collection?

or are these generally pest free in your area?

[jay]

Another method is to take some dried "dead" sphagnum that you can get at any big box store. Finely chop the tips where the spores would be and sprinkle it over some very wet peat moss. Keep it humid and in bright light. Over time you will see sprouts of live sphagnum. This is a slow process, but will eventually get you there.

[Brooke]

I have some of my pots topped with sphag that germinates and also have some of my mounts where it germinates. It doesn't seem to make any difference if the pots/mounts are in sun or shade, it germinates in both situations. I would think the addition of a fertilizer in the moist humid conditions would speed the process?

I am considering setting up a small aquarium to see if I can get it to grow before I deflask my next lycaste flask.

Brooke

[jay]

Fertilizers will actually hurt the sphagnum. This is why I love it. It can tell you very quickly if there might be a problem in the pot before it hurts the actual plant.

[Brooke]

OK I'm confused now. Do you mean you can't fertilize plants grown in live sphag? If fertilizer hurts live sphag, why does part of my reconstituted sphag turn into live sphag when I fertilize it?

Brooke

[rodcuda]

I go up to Marrianna Florida pretty often, is there sphag in that area?

[jay]

Brooke, sorry I missed this question when you first posted it. But sphagnum is sensitive to salts that are in the fertilizer. If it builds up at all it will die quickly. I am not sure if it will kill it right away, just what I have been warned.

[Brooke]

Not a problem Jay. I guess there isn't anything I can do about the live sphag I have created on many of my mounts or in some of my pots because they have to be fertilized.

It wasn't live when I mounted the plants so no big loss if it dies. Maybe the fact the mounts are always watered first before fertilizing them makes a difference but since I didn't buy live moss, I won't worry about it.

Brooke