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Discuss water requirements, "soil" (growing media) and suitable planting containers

Moderator: Matt

By 3foot2011
Posts:  3
Joined:  Tue Jan 01, 2013 1:16 am
#161510
I want to know about using charcoal in the soil mix to keep bacteria down or maybe just adding a small layer at the very bottom of my tank above the rocks but above the soil mix
By Vern
Posts:  232
Joined:  Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:51 pm
#169384
Has anyone heard or used sphagnum moss from Mosser Lee?
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By Matt
Location: 
Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#169401
Vern wrote:Has anyone heard or used sphagnum moss from Mosser Lee?
Yeah, I've used the stuff. It's horrible. Don't bother with it. Spend a little more and get some of the good New Zealand sphagnum moss. You can usually find it on the shelf next to the Mossier Lee. Or you can purchase it from the FlytrapStore:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/store/new-ze ... agnum-moss
By Vern
Posts:  232
Joined:  Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:51 pm
#169421
Matt wrote:
Vern wrote:Has anyone heard or used sphagnum moss from Mosser Lee?
Yeah, I've used the stuff. It's horrible. Don't bother with it. Spend a little more and get some of the good New Zealand sphagnum moss. You can usually find it on the shelf next to the Mossier Lee. Or you can purchase it from the FlytrapStore:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/store/new-ze ... agnum-moss
Oh really? Why was it so bad?

I wonder what made it so horrible.
By Vern
Posts:  232
Joined:  Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:51 pm
#169584
Matt wrote:
Vern wrote:Oh really? Why was it so bad?
It had lots of sticks and grass in it, if I recall correctly, and it fairly quickly turned to green mush. It never had the "airiness" that the good NZ stuff does.
oh that doesn't sound appealing at all.

Matt, how do you selectively sift though media components? Did you make your own sifter?
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By Matt
Location: 
Posts:  22523
Joined:  Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:28 pm
#169588
Vern wrote:Matt, how do you selectively sift though media components? Did you make your own sifter?
I don't "sift" media at all and I'm exactly not sure what you're asking. Do you mean how do I remove unwanted stuff from the peat? If so, I've never found it necessary.
By parker679
Posts:  1642
Joined:  Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:34 pm
#169605
Matt wrote:
Vern wrote:Oh really? Why was it so bad?
It had lots of sticks and grass in it, if I recall correctly, and it fairly quickly turned to green mush. It never had the "airiness" that the good NZ stuff does.
There is a brief article about the different LFS on the ICPS site.

If you think of the Mosser Lee stuff as a "high class peat substitute" it has its uses. Since it's much cheaper than the Chilean/New Zealand LFS I like to use it to line my containers to keep the peat/sand from washing out. I also use it for mixes that I want to be just a little bit airier. I've also potted some stuff in 100% Mosser Lee and they do great, but this was before I tried Chilean LFS.

I say if you can afford it get both, the ML definitely has it's uses. But if the only thing you need it for is top dressing the soil or as a soil amendment for a plant that really requires quality LFS than get the better stuff.

When you see them side by side and actually work with them the differences are clear.
parker679, parker679 liked this
By Kevonicus
Posts:  595
Joined:  Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:55 am
#191524
This is a really great post. I have been trying out different soil mixes for different pot sizes and have found large pots (3g or more) do very well with straight chilean long fiber sphagnum moss. I don't even use a tray and in summer my pots stayed nice and moist for 3-4 days before needing to water. Pots smaller then 6" in LFS would dry up almost daily in direct sunlight so the better option without a tray method for smaller pot sizes would be sand/peat. I feel as though with larger pots, LFS seems to be a better choice because it gives you more control with letting the media "dry out" a little faster as my large pots with sand/peat stay moist for long periods of time.
By PeachHawk
Posts:  23
Joined:  Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:07 pm
#323031
This is helpful, do people usually grow their own sphagnum when they get a bigger collection?
By bananaman
Posts:  2059
Joined:  Sat Jan 01, 2011 2:54 am
#323039
PeachHawk wrote:This is helpful, do people usually grow their own sphagnum when they get a bigger collection?
A lot of people do grow their own sphagnum, but I don’t think all that many grow enough to use it as their only soil.
By Proudfather77
Posts:  56
Joined:  Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:56 pm
#335164
Matt wrote:
Vern wrote:Has anyone heard or used sphagnum moss from Mosser Lee?
Yeah, I've used the stuff. It's horrible. Don't bother with it. Spend a little more and get some of the good New Zealand sphagnum moss. You can usually find it on the shelf next to the Mossier Lee. Or you can purchase it from the FlytrapStore:
http://www.flytrapcare.com/store/new-ze ... agnum-moss

I just saw this - I had bought some Mosser Lee dried LFSM from Home Depot late today and was disappointed at all the dead weeds and stringy brown roots. Had to pick through it- ok but would not buy again, even at the $4. I paid.
Low quality but ok for the Byblis seeds I want to get started and make the sandy-peat more loose in my B52 pots.
New Zealand LFSM is the way to go I see.


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