FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

As live sphagnum moss is kind of a hassle to buy and comes in too large quantities I though - what if I cover the pots with regular (growing outside in the yard) moss? Of course they would get a washing to dispose of any soil that would be attached.
Would that have any effect on the substrate for my VTF, Sar. Eva and Nep. Ventrata? They're all planted in peat...just peat. They get enough water (collected rain water) that let's the substrate dry out and not be waterlogged - hasn't caused root rot in any plant.

Native moss will end up in your pot whether you want it there or not. It doesn't really help the plants, but it can control soil erosion from rain/watering. I have noticed it tends to make the soil surface a bit more solid, so plants can have a hard time pushing shoots up from underneath the soil, such as when a Sarracenia has a new growth point just under the surface.

nimbulan wrote:Native moss will end up in your pot whether you want it there or not. It doesn't really help the plants, but it can control soil erosion from rain/watering. I have noticed it tends to make the soil surface a bit more solid, so plants can have a hard time pushing shoots up from underneath the soil, such as when a Sarracenia has a new growth point just under the surface.

So...other than "hardening" the surface of the soil, it won't affect the growth of the plant - except make it difficult for new shoots to emerge? I'm planing on repotting my plants come spring and want to add a touch of moss to it just to give it a more lively look than just regular brown under the leaves.

kartupelis wrote:

nimbulan wrote:Native moss will end up in your pot whether you want it there or not. It doesn't really help the plants, but it can control soil erosion from rain/watering. I have noticed it tends to make the soil surface a bit more solid, so plants can have a hard time pushing shoots up from underneath the soil, such as when a Sarracenia has a new growth point just under the surface.

So...other than "hardening" the surface of the soil, it won't affect the growth of the plant - except make it difficult for new shoots to emerge? I'm planing on repotting my plants come spring and want to add a touch of moss to it just to give it a more lively look than just regular brown under the leaves.

Yes, and when you want to repot, the hard prt of the moss, will dislodge other plants, if you are not carefull. Just before the repot, break the moss around the plant you want.

I asked this also at a chilli forum and they said that the moss leaches some nutrients and water from the soil (duh! but I didn't think that far). Would that also be a concern for carnivorous plants - would the new "neighbor" really consume that much?

i would not recommend it... some mosses i think can mess with the soil PH or somthing, form muck on the surface of the soil and not really be good for the plants