Guest jeffnyc Posted November 23, 2009 Report Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hello! I have recently started growing a Nepenthes and Butterwort in a terrarium (Chopped moss mix, plenty of charcoal, plenty of peanuts and charcoal at the bottom). I always leave the lid quite a bit ajar for air circulation. The new leaves are beautiful, perfect, but it seems as they touch the sphagnum moss mat (that they are growing on top of) the leaves are rotting (see attached link for images): http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DcF07dFodQ8/Swqj...Q/Nepenthes.jpg Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tranchette Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Hi, I think that is sphagnum moss. nepenthes I see the good, the oldest leaf dries. The Pinguicula, I think she has humidity problems, because the soil mix is not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-Rah Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 That moss looks like it is not sphagnum. The close-ups in the second pic show that the leaves are growing in a branched, flat-plane way. Not sphagnum. Are the plants planted straight into the mix? I'd be more inclined to plant into pots, with media more suited to individual plants, then disguise the pots with moss. What ping is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) it seems as they touch the sphagnum moss mat (that they are growing on top of) the leaves are rotting I don't see any sphagnum moss in that pot, like Rob-Rah wrote before. Where did you get that moss from? Is it collected from the wild? And what you mean by "peanuts"? Edited November 24, 2009 by jesse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoxy Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Looks like 'lawn' moss. I have lots that needs getting rid of! Ok for hanging baskets but it doesn't hold water like sphagnum. It looks a bit dry. Can't comment on your Nepenthes but the Pinguicula (do you know which it is?) looks like it is going into its 'Winter' state, probably because the moss at its base is dry. When this happens the bigger leaves die off. I can just make out some smaller 'bud' leaves at the centre - these should persist over Winter. I've no idea how it would perform in this moss long term - probably ok. Keep it reasonably dry over Winter and then start giving it water again early Spring, with longer daylight hours. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jeffnyc Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 (edited) The moss is sheet moss. I think it may be too acidic for the plants as the only parts of the plant's "burned" are the parts touching the sheet moss (bought from a nursery). I lined the terrarium bottom and sides with the sheet moss (Hypnum) (wanted to hide the ugly tan dead-looking Nepenthes soil mix), then filled it in with a soil mix of sphagnum moss, broken-up styrofoam packing peanuts, and long-fiber sphagnum. New leaves and cups are growing profusely. I'm thinking, that since mosses (like the Hypnum sheet moss I am no longer using) love acid soil, they too are acidic and were causing the leaves to die??? Thoughts? Edited November 24, 2009 by jeffnyc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimfoxy Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 For the Nep, if new growth is good then have you considered that it might just be old leaves dying off? It has to happen at some point, especially if the plant is given new conditions to grow in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 looks like natural dieback as said above. Not sure the Ping will be happy in a terrarium though along with Nepenthes, very different requirements! Be careful with polystyrene (styrofoam), I have had plants react badly to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jeffnyc Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 No. It's definitely the sheet moss. I lined the terrarium bottom and sides with the sheet moss (Hypnum) (wanted to hide the ugly tan dead-looking Nepenthes soil mix), then filled it in with a soil mix of sphagnum moss, broken-up styrofoam packing peanuts, and long-fiber sphagnum. New leaves and cups are growing profusely. Out with the sheet moss!! Now... are there any ground covers that will grow on the chopped sphagnum, etc. medium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 No. It's definitely the sheet moss. I lined the terrarium bottom and sides with the sheet moss (Hypnum) (wanted to hide the ugly tan dead-looking Nepenthes soil mix), then filled it in with a soil mix of sphagnum moss, broken-up styrofoam packing peanuts, and long-fiber sphagnum.New leaves and cups are growing profusely. Out with the sheet moss!! Now... are there any ground covers that will grow on the chopped sphagnum, etc. medium? how about sheet moss.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 No. It's definitely the sheet moss. I lined the terrarium bottom and sides with the sheet moss (Hypnum) (wanted to hide the ugly tan dead-looking Nepenthes soil mix), then filled it in with a soil mix of sphagnum moss, broken-up styrofoam packing peanuts, and long-fiber sphagnum.New leaves and cups are growing profusely. Out with the sheet moss!! Now... are there any ground covers that will grow on the chopped sphagnum, etc. medium? If left long enough enough, dead damp spaghnum often gets a layer of 'ordinary' moss, it looks ok and doesn't bother the plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RL7836 Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Jeff, While I don't know the exact cause of your problem (there are multiple possibilities that have been mentioned), actual live sphagnum (not the stuff you have) would not cause those problems - at least they don't in my growing areas. In addition to the utrics, neps & helis growing in LFS & LFS mixes with live LFS top cover, I use live LFS between my pots as both a growing medium for some dews (currently red filiformis & prolifera & the occasional schizandra) and as a humidity indicator & enhancer. I agree with the others that you should consider starting over with an uncontaminated media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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