How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?

How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439039

By kronos1996 -  Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:06 pm
Posts:  515
Joined:  Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:23 pm

- Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:06 pm #439039

I’m trying to calculate how much Sphagnum I need to order to fill my new pots as I prepare to restart my collection. Unfortunately most of it comes as dried, compressed blocks and there very little information on how much volume it’ll occupy wet in gallons or cu/ft.

I’ll be using 12x12x12 white square pots this time which hold ~6 gallons of media. I know sphagnum varies in mass so there’s some uncertainty, I just need a range. Starting with 6 pots but may get more. Gonna need lots of sphagnum. Trying to hunt down good deals.

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439041

By ChefDean -  Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:44 pm
Location:  Clarksville, TN
Posts:  9813
Joined:  Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:44 am

- Sun Aug 27, 2023 10:44 pm #439041

It varies with how it was processed by the supplier. I've seen it come vacuum sealed in plastic so that it doubles in volume when released. I've also seen it mechanically compressed so that a brick about the size of four iPhones (side by side, two deep) contains six liters when rehydrated. Maybe the packaging of whichever you're looking at will tell you.

Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that I make bad decisions.

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439042

By nimbulan -  Sun Aug 27, 2023 11:57 pm
Location:  Portland, OR zone 8b
Posts:  2401
Joined:  Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:03 pm

- Sun Aug 27, 2023 11:57 pm #439042

Yeah the amount the product is compressed will vary. Some brands do specify an uncompressed volume in liters though.

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439043

By optique -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 1:23 am
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1996
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 1:23 am #439043

this is 240L

Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439046

By kronos1996 -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:55 am
Posts:  515
Joined:  Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:23 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:55 am #439046

optique wrote:this is 240L

Ok cool, how much does it weigh? That seems to be the way most brands measure and sell it.

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439047

By optique -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:14 pm
Location:  Greenville SC
Posts:  1996
Joined:  Fri May 24, 2019 11:15 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:14 pm #439047

Spagmoss brand
Pack sizes available for standard dried moss:
150 gram = 12L / 3.17 US GAL when hydrated
500 gram = 40L / 10.57 US GAL when hydrated
1 kilogram = 80L / 21.13 US GAL when hydrated
3 kilogram = 240L / 63.4 US GAL when hydrated

Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439048

By nimbulan -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 2:34 pm
Location:  Portland, OR zone 8b
Posts:  2401
Joined:  Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:03 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 2:34 pm #439048

Keep in mind that the ratio of weight to volume for these packages may not be directly comparable to other brands, since there will be differences in both moisture content and the dry weight density of different Sphagnum species.

Growlist: nimbulan-s-grow-list-t27317.html

Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439049

By kronos1996 -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:17 pm
Posts:  515
Joined:  Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:23 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 3:17 pm #439049

Yeah I expect same variability. I decided to get a 4.4 lbs bale off Amazon. For $50 I won’t be too mad no matter what. Supposed to make ~21 gallons wet. I’ll evaluate it before getting more.

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439059

By davinstewart -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 9:35 pm
Location:  Chapel Hill, NC
Posts:  345
Joined:  Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:29 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 9:35 pm #439059

Just buy the $140 bale of Chilean sphganum moss from Josh's Frogs and you'll never have to buy sphagnum ever again!

[Edit] Oofa, when I bought this it was $80. Ouch.

- Davin
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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439060

By andynorth -  Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:15 pm
Location:  Federal Way, WA
Posts:  1658
Joined:  Fri May 12, 2023 9:08 pm

- Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:15 pm #439060

Bidenomics

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Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439073

By nimbulan -  Tue Aug 29, 2023 12:34 am
Location:  Portland, OR zone 8b
Posts:  2401
Joined:  Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:03 pm

- Tue Aug 29, 2023 12:34 am #439073

davinstewart wrote:Just buy the $140 bale of Chilean sphganum moss from Josh's Frogs and you'll never have to buy sphagnum ever again!

[Edit] Oofa, when I bought this it was $80. Ouch.

Yeah I'm really glad I'm still working my way through the huge amount of moss I bought a good 5 years ago. I'm not looking forward to having to buy more in the future.

Growlist: nimbulan-s-grow-list-t27317.html

Re: How Much Volume Does Dried LFS Take Up?#439115

By kronos1996 -  Wed Aug 30, 2023 2:42 am
Posts:  515
Joined:  Thu Sep 13, 2012 2:23 pm

- Wed Aug 30, 2023 2:42 am #439115

davinstewart wrote:Just buy the $140 bale of Chilean sphganum moss from Josh's Frogs and you'll never have to buy sphagnum ever again!

[Edit] Oofa, when I bought this it was $80. Ouch.

Oof Yeah, everything’s so expensive now. That’s about the going rate for Ebay sellers too.

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