Page 1 of 2

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Thu May 14, 2009 10:30 pm
by Steve_D
mlrtime99 wrote:That is a moss that shipped with the HO red dragon, I'm really hoping it establishes itself.
Don't worry; it will. And then a couple years from now you'll regret you ever felt this way. It looks so pretty in the beginning. :lol:

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:16 am
by mlrtime99
Does it get that bad? It won't go over the sides of the pot will it? No competition with vft?

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:22 am
by kevinqwe
?? what do u mean competition? venus flytraps dont fight.

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 3:33 am
by Steve_D
mlrtime99 wrote:Does it get that bad? It won't go over the sides of the pot will it? No competition with vft?
There are many species of these "carpet mosses," but in general they form a very dense and crowding mat that sucks up all the water of the first couple inches of growing medium and strangle any seedlings both by crowding them from the sides and squeezing them, and by growing much faster and taller than the slow-growing Venus Flytrap or Darlintonia californica seedlings, for instance.

Carpet moss propagates very quickly. You will notice after a while, if you look closely while you are watering from above, that dozens or hundreds of tiny little green specks float on the water and are deposited all over the surface of the planting medium when you water. These all grow into new moss colonies.

Once it catches hold in a few pots, it seems to become an ineradicable problem in the greenhouse. I have even begun to sterilize growing medium in a pressure cooker to use as a top dressing (about an inch or 2.5 centimeters thick) when I transplant, to try to suppress the moss growth as much and as long as possible.

Yes, it's pretty. But it is a demon weed! :evil: :lol:

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 6:32 am
by mlrtime99
Well I have way too much moss and perlite so if it gets outta control I'll replant. I've read that the moss can only handle "partial sun" at the most, maybe Phoenix will get the best of it? But thanks for the warning Steve. What are you talking about Kevin??? They are just like male beta fish, I asked that all of my vft were males so when they get large enough they will fight with eachother. :D

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 7:58 am
by NZL
mlrtime99 wrote:I asked that all of my vft were males so when they get large enough they will fight with eachother. :D
It's not a pretty sight. It's like cock fights but with traps instead of beaks and claws. Last year's world final was a B52 vs a Low Giant, in which the B52 won because he had a bigger swing range :D

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 2:28 pm
by Matt
NZL wrote:Last year's world final was a B52 vs a Low Giant, in which the B52 won because he had a bigger swing range :D
:lol:

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 4:37 pm
by mlrtime99
Weird, I thought with the low giants center of gravity he would have been a shoe in.

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 4:56 pm
by Budukai
Steve_D wrote:
Carpet moss propagates very quickly. You will notice after a while, if you look closely while you are watering from above, that dozens or hundreds of tiny little green specks float on the water and are deposited all over the surface of the planting medium when you water. These all grow into new moss colonies.
So that's what that stuff is, I was going to make a post asking if I should be worried about algae or something. 2 of my pots have these green specks all around the top part, covering the perlite, and leaking into the tray at the bottom. Does long sphagum moss actually come back from the dead or is this a different moss?

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 4:10 am
by kevinqwe
and how long are the battles? like a year?

Re: Will my trap grow in Phoenix, Arizona

Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 1:53 pm
by NZL
Budukai wrote:So that's what that stuff is, I was going to make a post asking if I should be worried about algae or something. 2 of my pots have these green specks all around the top part, covering the perlite, and leaking into the tray at the bottom. Does long sphagum moss actually come back from the dead or is this a different moss?
Sphagnum moss can come back from very far yes.