FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

So far I've only used New Zealand Spagmoss, but I'm wondering if there are any brands that are comparable to Spagmoss. I'm also wondering what brands I should avoid.
Sphagnum

Great Sphagnum mosses for carnivorous plants:

• *New Zealand Spagmoss- The only sphagnum moss I've used, but I've never had any issues with it.
  *Better Gro Orchid Moss- I've heard it is just as good as Spagmoss, but it is also a little pricier as well.
  *Searles brand Sphagnum moss- Can be bought in Australia.
  *Bunnings Sphagnum Moss- Can be bought in Australia from Bunnings Stores

Mosses to avoid:

• *Gardman Fresh Sphagnum
  *Mosser Lee Super Moss- Not Sphagnum moss. Actually is sheet moss.

Peat Moss

Good

• *Greensmix Premier Peat Moss- Can be bought in USA- 100% Sphagnum Peat with very few twigs.
  *Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss- Can be bought in USA- 100% Sphagnum Peat
  *lambert peat moss- Can be bought in the USA
  *Culterra Canadian Peat- Can be bought in South Africa
  *Bunnings Peat moss- Can be bought in Australia from Bunnings stores
  *Searles Peat Moss- Can be bought in Australia

Bad

• *Canadian Peat Moss- Can be found in many US nurseries. This stuff is literally full of debris.
  *Miracle Grow Sphagnum- Can be found in stores in the USA- Do not, I repeat do not use this stuff. It is loaded with fertilizers and will kill your plants.

Hi raistlarn, definitely AVOID! Gardman fresh sphagnum! It's dead!! I got some cheap today and off ebay freshly picked and really nice green colour. And when I put it in bowl of rain water there where insects, ants beetles and spiders coming out, even a queen ant lol. That's how fresh it was.

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Avoid Mosser Lee, be careful about Super Moss (their Mountain Moss says it's Sphagnum but it's not.) Better Grow orchid moss is close to the quality of Spagmoss.

I think I'm going to make this into a list. To help me and other people looking for this info.

So Better Gro Orchid Moss is good, but what about the Better Gro Long Fiber Sphagnum. The orchid moss says premium the other stuff doesn't.

So I put the word out on Facebook, and received many responses. More than a few were from people out of the US, so I am going to make this an international list. I've also received many peat moss recommendations, as well as other soils. So I will expand this list that way as well.

Better Gro Orchid Moss and Besgrow long fiber sphagnum moss is good stuff. can buy bulk on Ebay or Amazon some hardware stores too.

I'm using the Canadian Black Gold Peat Moss for seedlings as well. But the vft seeds that I started in the long fiber sphag moss are doing well and nothing stayed alive in the Black Gold peat. Something is off. idk what.

Fly Trap Hunter wrote:Better Gro Orchid Moss and Besgrow long fiber sphagnum moss is good stuff. can buy bulk on Ebay or Amazon some hardware stores too.

I'm using the Canadian Black Gold Peat Moss for seedlings as well. But the vft seeds that I started in the long fiber sphag moss are doing well and nothing stayed alive in the Black Gold peat. Something is off. idk what.

Probably needs to be rinsed. It's hard to find peat that doesn't need to be.

nimbulan wrote:

Fly Trap Hunter wrote:Better Gro Orchid Moss and Besgrow long fiber sphagnum moss is good stuff. can buy bulk on Ebay or Amazon some hardware stores too.

I'm using the Canadian Black Gold Peat Moss for seedlings as well. But the vft seeds that I started in the long fiber sphag moss are doing well and nothing stayed alive in the Black Gold peat. Something is off. idk what.

Probably needs to be rinsed. It's hard to find peat that doesn't need to be.

Thanks. I will try that. I cant imagine how to flush that fine soil but I will try something. maybe a fine mesh 5 gallon bucket paint strainer? it might work. that might be why some seedlings are dying as well because I just started the seeds in lfsm but I planted them on top of peat and perlite. Thanks. I better rinse that was well.

Fly Trap Hunter wrote:

nimbulan wrote:

Fly Trap Hunter wrote:Better Gro Orchid Moss and Besgrow long fiber sphagnum moss is good stuff. can buy bulk on Ebay or Amazon some hardware stores too.

I'm using the Canadian Black Gold Peat Moss for seedlings as well. But the vft seeds that I started in the long fiber sphag moss are doing well and nothing stayed alive in the Black Gold peat. Something is off. idk what.

Probably needs to be rinsed. It's hard to find peat that doesn't need to be.

Thanks. I will try that. I cant imagine how to flush that fine soil but I will try something. maybe a fine mesh 5 gallon bucket paint strainer? it might work. that might be why some seedlings are dying as well because I just started the seeds in lfsm but I planted them on top of peat and perlite. Thanks. I better rinse that was well.

I generally soak the peat in a bucket then pour it out onto an old window screen to drain. I'd like to find a faster way though.

[/quote]I generally soak the peat in a bucket then pour it out onto an old window screen to drain. I'd like to find a faster way though.[/quote]

I will let you know how the strainer works. There are mesh screen funnels that you can pour medium into and strain them. re: like paint

I soak my peat in a bucket, and put in an empty worm trays from one of the worm tower things triple lined with either cheese cloth or once with window screen. I also pour pure water over it while it's on the screen too. It makes it easier to clean the peat.

nimbulan wrote:I generally soak the peat in a bucket then pour it out onto an old window screen to drain. I'd like to find a faster way though.

I can't remember if it was an old thread on here or just on a random website or facebook group I'm in that I read it (think it was an old post here)

they suggested to take an old t-shirt wrap it around the peat you are trying to rinse, and rinse it in a bucket squeeze it out within the shirt, repeat, until you have sufficiently rinsed it then its just in a ball in the shirt

guess that would limit how much you could do that with at once depending

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Elastic-O ... PTTP9AC0V8
5 gallon paint strainers. You can wrap on top of 5 gallon buckets($5) and put dirt in bag and rinse. I have a 55 gallon water barrel. I could hand dunk and rinse the peat also. and they are reusable. Just an idea.
was thinking a misting or slow drip could rinse out the peat over time.

Fly Trap Hunter wrote:https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Elastic-O ... PTTP9AC0V8
5 gallon paint strainers. You can wrap on top of 5 gallon buckets($5) and put dirt in bag and rinse. I have a 55 gallon water barrel. I could hand dunk and rinse the peat also. and they are reusable. Just an idea.
was thinking a misting or slow drip could rinse out the peat over time.

That looks great, thanks for the tip!

You can also line the bucket with a pillow case. Pull it out and hold the top and spin the bag until it sinches up and squeezes the water out.