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What is sphagnum moss, and why is it so special? Can I use ordinary moss?


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Most of the CP info seems to recommend sphagnum moss as one of the options for potting the plants.

 

Is there anything special about sphagnum moss as opposed to any other kind? I can go outside and find moss all over the place, on walls, on tress, on stones, etc. Can I pull some of that up and use it for my CPs, or does it specifically have to be sphagnum moss? If I want to buy sphagnum moss, it's not cheap, and a lot of it doesn't look so fresh or alive. I've seen plenty of comments about it arriving brown.

 

I would be grateful for any elucidation (you can tell it's past my bed time, I'm using fancy words!).

 

Thanks

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as I understand it you cant just use any moss. sphagnum moss grows in peat bogs and is actually what turns into peat over a very long time. this is the natural habitat of most carnivorous plants. I've been trying to cultivate sphagnum with not a lot of success as you've said sometime the live sphagnum you buy is not as alive as it should be. I think the more experienced members will probably have a better answer.

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Thanks Fred, that's an absolutely brilliant link. If I could click the "Like" button twice, I would!

OK, looks like I'll have to risk buying some, and hope it arrives alive. I have about 2 or 3 little moss plants growing in a pot with my D. Binata, and was hoping they would spread out to cover the rest of the surface, but they haven't. Judging by that link, it doesn't grow that quickly.

Thanks again!

Edited by Yossu
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Just as a follow-up, I also have some in my VFT pot. can I just pull some off and place it in the other pots, or won't it take that way? I can't imagine it would be very easy to get a whole plant out.

Thanks again to everyone.

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There are no conventional roots. Just snip off what you want. The tops will grow and the bottom will grow new tops

Brilliant! That should make life easier.

How quickly will it spread? As I said, the three plantlets in my D. Binata haven't spread, although they've grown a little taller.

Thanks again.

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I had to cut short my posting as one of the girls in the office needed the computer.

You could use coir in place of the peat. D.binata grows in anything. If you use peat, you will probably find that sphagnum grows on the surface eventually anyway.

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David,

You're right, I don't need the sphagnum moss, I just think it looks nice. Sorry, should have made that clear. The plants are already potted correctly, I just like the way the VFT looks, as you can only see moss below the plant.

Thanks for the reply.

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