FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Has anyone planted there flytrap in 100% premium, bright green, and moist live sphagnum? If so how do they do in it? I know people use LFS so I was wondering if the live stuff is even better

They grow just fine in live sphagnum. You’ll just have to trim the moss once it starts to overgrow the plants.

Sphagnum has worked fine for years for me, just don't pack the moss too tightly or it will degrade to a mush, you need to keep it growing.
Deep pots are best, if you can get long toms or similar.

Cheers
Steve

Doesn't the moss in the pot that's not exposed to the light die anyways? I would imagine you would only be left with a live top layer, at least that's what my Heliamphora and D. schizandra potted in live sphagnum turned into so I stopped bothering to get live sphagnum.

Hi SundewWolf, yes it does, but if you have it loosely packed, the hydrogen ion production prevents it rotting quickly so you have an open, acidic very moist growing medium. The long strands stay alive under the growing surface, very gradually dying back due to lack of light as the top growth progresses. In full sun the light penetrates a good few centimeters into the Sphagnum. I have pots of pure Sphagnum for years, that when emptied do not look anything like peat at the bottom, the decay takes a long time.

Cheers
Steve

With a whole pot of live moss, I have a problem with algae. It seems the live moss does stay alive even deep into the pot - at least for some time.
Lately I have just been buying and using the lfsm orchid moss and having fine luck with it. But I still top dress my pots with live lfsm. I have found that if even a little piece of live lfsm is touching the fly trap rhizome, that plant will grow faster and healthier than one without the live lfsm.
Like KK said, the moss will overgrow the fly traps and they will need hair cuts.
And dang the moss is so pretty.

FlyTrap Hunter wrote:With a whole pot of live moss, I have a problem with algae. It seems the live moss does stay alive even deep into the pot - at least for some time.
Lately I have just been buying and using the lfsm orchid moss and having fine luck with it. But I still top dress my pots with live lfsm. I have found that if even a little piece of live lfsm is touching the fly trap rhizome, that plant will grow faster and healthier than one without the live lfsm.
Like KK said, the moss will overgrow the fly traps and they will need hair cuts.
And dang the moss is so pretty.

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I’ll definitely be putting live sphagnum by all my vtfs now!

I have a quite a few vfts and neps in live lfsm. My neps are not full lfsm, but half. But that grow great. I have some yellow lfsm towards the bottom, but most if it is all green and no mush. I don't pack too tight. I kinda wrap it which so that it contacts the edges and sticks. I bottom water usually.

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SundewWolf wrote:Doesn't the moss in the pot that's not exposed to the light die anyways? I would imagine you would only be left with a live top layer, at least that's what my Heliamphora and D. schizandra potted in live sphagnum turned into so I stopped bothering to get live sphagnum.

Sphagnum can also live for a long time without light. I've used live sphagnum for stratification before, and it's survived being in the fridge in the dark for a couple months.