Thanks Missann

[jay]

Missann sent me some of her extra sphagnum moss to try to grow. I must say that it is growing like a weed! I just trimmed this one to chop up and use as a dressing for some Drosera seed sowing.

The first picture is of the sphag. It is in 1:1 peat/peralite. It is kept very moist with R/O water and receives high light.

The second photo is of a Drosera capensis seedling that has just germinated. I sowed these seeds about 3 weeks ago. It is hard to tell from the photo, but those "plants" are about the size of a pin head.

[fred]

Jay regarding the sphag are you going to try and grow the sphag
if so sphagnum moss does not like to much bright light one thing to remember is it grows on the slopes of mountains here and is always in a cool climate 99% shade always gets watered with melting snow and rain.

[jay]

I have the sphagnum moss in a container with a layer of peat and kept very moist. I am growing it like an open bog, mostly for carnivorous plants. It is getting a good amount about 6 inches below 3 T5 bulbs, although it really is directly below one T5.

Over the past few weeks it has nearly doubled in size already. It is a little pale, but very fluffy and healthy. Maybe it is a different species of sphag than what you have in Australia.

I might try to reduce the light and temp a little to see if will respond even better. Thanks for the tip Fred.

[solay]

I got some moss too from Missann for trade for some Cym. bulbs a while back. Mine doesn't look like yours Jay. Mine is more green and less fluffy. I'll post a pic. tomorrow. So far they are still green and growing new shoots.

[fred]

sugar I don't remember who told me this but there are about 6 different species of sphagnum moss

your welcome Jay
fluffy and healthy is good.

Solay
growing new shoots is also good

what are you both going to do when it gets long hmmmm I have seen sphag up to 3 feet long.

correction collected sphag that is that long the longer the sphag the easier it is to use
one you have a good amount of sphag to harvest just remember it takes up to 12 months to re grow.

[jay]

I am part of a carnivorous plant forum as well and one of the members is well versed in species of sphagnum. He says there are nearly 350 species that vary in color, texture, size and so on. Here is a small list of species he named:

Sphagnum affine
Sphagnum antarense
Sphagnum apiculatum
Sphagnum auriculatum
Sphagnum balticum
Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum compactum
Sphagnum cuspidatum
Sphagnum cuspidatulum
Sphagnum cymbifolium
Sphagnum efibrillosum
Sphagnum fallax
Sphagnum fuscum
Sphagnum girgensohnii
Sphagnum junghuhnianum
Sphagnum leucobryoides
Sphagnum luzonense
Sphagnum magellanicum
Sphagnum majus
Sphagnum molle
Sphagnum novo-caledoniae
Sphagnum novo-guineense
Sphagnum palustre
Sphagnum papillosum
Sphagnum perichaetiale
Sphagnum platyphyllum
Sphagnum riparium
Sphagnum robinsonii
Sphagnum rubellum
Sphagnum russowii
Sphagnum sericeum
Sphagnum squarrosum
Sphagnum strictum
Sphagnum subnitens
Sphagnum subsecundum
Sphagnum warnstorfii

[solay]

LOL!!! That is a lot. Now how do we know which one we have???

[fred]

lol jay that 6 different species must just be for here in Tassie
please don't ask me what species we have here
I only go for the long fluffy ones

I hear the mountains calling me lol

[jay]

I have a hard enough time identifying my orchids and CP's, I don't think I am going to worry what species of moss I have.

Nor do I have any idea of how to find out what type I have. I will just call it Sphag.

[solay]

Good idea.

[fred]

I guess the best way to sum up the sphag is the fluffier the better
the really thin fine sphag is not quite good enough