FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey all,
I've never really dealt with live sphagnum moss before, but several of my pots that I've topped with LFSM have suddenly sprung to life over the past few months out of nowhere (dormant spores, I guess!)

One of the pots looks like a happy in a sundew pot outside, but the one pot I have inside with my sundews under a Yescom225 doesn't look too happy. The indoors pot is turning kind of brown with brown tips. Too much light from the growlight?

Is there anything I should be doing to take care of the LFSM better? I'd love to grow a bunch of it.

Outdoors pot:


Indoors pot:
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/ ... e95198a11d&

The browning is probably humic acid build up from the moss being on peat. Yellow color is probably from the high light. I've noticed that in my grow tent. It has been said that you can treat the humic acid buildup by pressing a paper towel to the moss and leaving it there, but I have never done it.

Nikson wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 7:09 pm Is there anything I should be doing to take care of the LFSM better? I'd love to grow a bunch of it.

Spray it regularly with maxsea, and it will grow like crazy, burying your plants, so you will never see them again. Okay, I exaggerate a bit but not as much as you might think.

I used this method and it has worked out quite well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhrQLUQxL7M

I had my worst results when using a peat moss beneath my live sphagnum. The best I’ve been able to do is by not using anything as a substrate only dried LFSM. This is a shallow tray with only sphagnum moss in it. The filiformis is from a leaf that broke and I cut it in sections and stuck in the moss. The tray is probably less than 3” tall.

Panman wrote:The browning is probably humic acid build up from the moss being on peat. Yellow color is probably from the high light. I've noticed that in my grow tent. It has been said that you can treat the humic acid buildup by pressing a paper towel to the moss and leaving it there, but I have never done it.

Hmmm, that's weird, that entire pot is just LFSM. I guess humic acid can still build up anyways? Is it going to be ok from it being brown? Like it's not dead, right, just brown? haha

Huntsmanshorn wrote:

Nikson wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 7:09 pm Is there anything I should be doing to take care of the LFSM better? I'd love to grow a bunch of it.

Spray it regularly with maxsea, and it will grow like crazy, burying your plants, so you will never see them again. Okay, I exaggerate a bit but not as much as you might think.

No wonder it's growing like crazy, I mist my sundews with Maxsea every once in a while and it gets over the LFSM!

Intheswamp wrote:I had my worst results when using a peat moss beneath my live sphagnum. The best I’ve been able to do is by not using anything as a substrate only dried LFSM. This is a shallow tray with only sphagnum moss in it. The filiformis is from a leaf that broke and I cut it in sections and stuck in the moss. The tray is probably less than 3” tall.

Can I just pluck out the moss and put it in its own tray with some LFSM and grow it that way? How much light should I be giving them so they stay just green?

Nikson wrote: ↑
Can I just pluck out the moss and put it in its own tray with some LFSM and grow it that way? How much light should I be giving them so they stay just green?

That sounds like it would work. I’ve grown it inside during the winter with it sitting in front of an east facing window and with it sitting to the side of a weak grow light. It does like good light, though, but not hot conditions…warm and humid with water in the container. I let mine get flooded when it rains and let it sit for a day or two before pouring out the excess water. Ya gotta keep it moist to wet. I’ve been toying with the idea of trying some with a mix of silica sand and a touch of peat in the bottom of the container…kind of mimicking the local conditions.

My experience is similar. Growing sphagnum on peat doesn't work well and frequently results in staining and slowed growth.

The important factors seem to be bright light, constant moisture but not submersion, and moderate temperatures.

I've found the best way to accomplish this is in trays with a dead sphagnum base and just keep some water in the tray.

I use live sphagnum as top dressing for my sarracenia and it does a great job there. I also use it for my flytraps but it requires pruning back so the flytrap doesn't get overwhelmed.

Hope that helps!

@Nikson , have you tried taking a white napkin/paper towel and wiping the darkened spots on the sphagnum moss? If it is humic acid it should come off onto the napkin. *Some* moss can turn a dark color...usually a really dark burgundy/red...otherwise, shades of green.

I’m also trying to grow some sphagnum. My cousin gave me a small strand of moss. I waited for it to grow to about an inch. Then I laid it down horizontally. The original piece has died but I now have more growth points. I plan to do the same with the other growth points when they get large enough. My only question: is this genuine sphagnum that can be used in the future to topdress my plants?

That's the real thing.

I agree about the peat possibly staining. This is my first attempt. I have a layer of peat on the bottom, LFSM and then Live Moss tips. The green took off like crazy. That tray has been about 2 months worth. The red is a bit slower and has been going about 2 weeks less. The live red moss starts out the same as live green moss and then will turn color as it ages.
My intentions are to add it to black lava rock for use in terrariums, etc.

I’m thinking of taking some of my live moss and trying a small tray with something like a 9:1 mix of sand to peat moss in the bottom an inch or so deep. Maybe even go heavier on the sand than that. Then add an inch or so of BetterGro LFSM, and then top that with the live moss. That would kind of replicate the local growing conditions that I’ve seen around here.

Best growth is obtained in temperatures above 12C but below 26C, it is non vascular so doesn't need soil for roots, taking nutrients directly through the leaves, and thrives when wet in direct sunlight to dappled shade. It is greener in shade.
Hardy zones 3-9.
Wet, warm and sunny does the trick, I put a lot of emphasis on wet.
Cheers
Steve