FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

My two containers of sphagnum moss seem to be doing ok over the winter They're in the area with the rest of my plants in the old trailer. There's ambient light from the windows and also stray light from some of the grow lights hitting them (though that is a weak light). It might be better if I moved them closer to the windows...?

I'm trying to determine how to best harvest it. In the past I've used a small amount of it where I'd take an entire plug of it from brown bottom to green top, place it in a container and start leaf cuttings in it. But, should I do that...removing an entire plug...green top to brown bottom? Or, would it be better to trim the green top off, remove the bottom brown part, and replace the green top to grow on? Or, vice-versus?

Also, the consensus seems to be that it doesn't need substrate to grow. If I'm wanting to propagate another container from my existing container should I take some entire plugs out, leaving gaps for the remaining moss to grow into and space out the plugs that I remove in a new container so they can spread out, growing to fill the gaps between them? Just keep maybe 1/2" to an inch of water in the bottom?

One container of the moss is looking really good and the other one isn't too shabby...just a little thinner than the other one.

It really doesn't matter much to be honest. When you cut even a single strand, multiple new heads will typically sprout from the cut piece and the remainder left in the original tray. The way to increase the mass of moss faster is to basivally chop up the long strands so you have 5 or 6 small strands instead of one long one. They'll all sprout new growth points and grow about as fast as the one long strand, just now you have multiples.

The brown parts of the sphag are still very much alive and they'll green up if taken from underneath the current green stuff and exposed to light again.

As far as growing in a new container I'd say just repeat what's been working for you. IMO, comfort when growing is more important than "the general consensus." Sphag doesn't technically need a substrate but if that's how you've had success growing it and you're comfortable with it, just do that.

If you want to experiment then yeah, you can just spread some in a new tray, give it light and water and that's that. I usually like to cycle flooding the sphag to where it's all submerged and then letting it dry to where there's no more standing water. Seems to stimulate growth in my experience and encourages nice, compact growth.

Thanks for the feedback. What you're saying makes sense. I'll try a small amount cut up and spread thin in a small tray with some water in the bottom and see how it goes. I should be able to shoehorn a small plastic container beneath my lights and see how it goes. If I decide to go with a substrate I think I'll go with just a sand bottom...probably will just go bare bottom, though. I'll cut 1" to 1-1/2" pieces.

During the summer we'd get a good rain and basically flood the moss in the containers. I'd leave them for a day or two but then empty them down to around 1" deep water. Maybe I should have just let them be? I was afraid that the moss would drown. The moss did seem to perk up a good bit after the floodings.

Disclaimer: not an expert, follow my advice or suggestions at your own risk.

When I cut up small pieces to start, I usually put them in a plastic baggy or a sealed container or a glass jar with sran wrap over the top. Seems easier for the sphag to start in 100% humidity. After a month or so I start to open the container or poke some holes in the saran wrap. Then just get it into the flood and dry rhythm.

As far as leaving your trays over summer, I would have, but I'm lazy

Sphagnum is really cool because some species are almost 100% aquatic and rarely grow with more than a couple centimeters of their uppermost growth exposed to the air whereas others are nearly 100% terrestrial and will rarely grow in areas where they're flooded at all. But most sphagnum species are intermediate to some degree and what you end up seeing is faster growth when they're inundated but more compact growth when exposed to air. Thus the flood and dry cycle allows some of the faster "easier" growth when submerged and more compact, denser growth when exposed to air. It encourages the sphagnum to grow in hummock, like a muffin top.