The world is full of different species of moss, and one of the most famous and useful is sphagnum moss. It can be purchased live or dry and in bulk and grows in swamps and bogs. But it can also be easily grown at home. How to grow sphagnum moss and how to use it, read on to learn!
Sphagnum moss is commonly referred to as peat moss and consists of a genus of approximately 380 species of moss. Live and dead sphagnum moss can store large amounts of water. It is called a habitat manipulator because it is capable of changing the landscape wherever it grows. It can store up to 26 of its weight in water, allowing it to create a swampy area in an arid landscape. Sphagnum moss can grow 0.75 to 4.75 cm per year.
How to Grow Sphagnum Moss?
Sphagnum moss can be grown both outdoors and indoors, and growing it is fairly easy. It thrives best at temperatures between 15 and 21 degrees Celsius. While the exact originthis mossis still unknown, many believe it evolved in North American forests. If you plan to grow the moss at home, you should follow the following guidelines.
Grow indoors
Here's how to grow sphagnum moss indoors:
- Fill a bowl with a growing medium.
- Add live pieces of moss to the substrate. You can also use dried moss, but it takes much longer to grow.
- Fill the bowl with rain or spring water up to the top of the growing medium.
- Spray the moss regularly with rain or spring water to keep it moist.
- Place in a shady, moist place.
- Spray with foliar fertilizer once a month to promote growth.
How to Grow Sphagnum Moss Outdoors
Many people prefer to grow Spgahnum moss in the garden. Follow these steps:
- Choose a location that has plenty of water. The moss can grow anywhere under the right conditions, but it does best in a bog-like environment.
- Cut your live moss into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in size.
- Plant the moss in a ratio of 1 to 10. Use one piece for ten square meters.
- Mulch lightly,to retain moisture, but not so deep that the light cannot reach the moss.
- Water regularly with rain or spring water. If the tips of the moss look brown, it's time to water.
More tips for growing your own moss culture:
- Give your moss high humidity. Live moss crops work well on sunny windowsills in a covered plastic food container - add some ventilation holes to the lid or sides.
- Use a container with drainage holes and add a layer of large format perlite, Leca clay or washed gravel on the bottom for drainage.
- Use distilled or reverse osmosis water and mist your new crop every few days - extremely clean water is key.
- Sphagnum moss is slow growing. Be patient. Under optimal conditions, the moss will grow into longer strands over time. To propagate, cut off the heads of the longer strands and replant them in a different location in the same container. After a few months they will be large enough to cut them off and repeat the process.
How can you use the moss?
There are numerous ways to use sphagnum moss harvest in the indoor and outdoor garden.
Dried sphagnum moss
The classic method is to dry sphagnum moss thoroughly. Lay your sphagnum pieces between paper towels and press them down to remove as much moisture from them as possible. Repeat the process with fresh towels until no more water is removed. Lay the cuttings out evenly on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area.
Allow the moss to dry for several days. Once it is completely dry, place it in a sealed container. You can leave them long-grained or tear them into smaller pieces. Dried sphagnum moss is a perfect substitute for peat. You can use it whenever you want to improve drainage and water retention. Mix equal parts compost, perlite and peat moss to make the best potting soil.
Earthless media
Dried peat moss is light and airy and makes a great soilless optionSubstrate for orchids, bromeliads, succulents and carnivorous plants.
Insert for the hanging basket
Leave the fibers long and use them as a base for your wire hanging baskets. Start at the bottom and work your way up the sides until it is at least two inches thick.
Topdressing for container gardens
Sphagnum moss is perfect as a ground cover for houseplants and other garden containers - and it also retains moisture.
Growing seeds
Fill your cultivation pots and seed trays with finely chopped sphagnum moss. Then moisten it and sow your seeds. Sphagnum moss is a fantastic seed starting medium because it not only retains moisture andprovides drainage, but is also airy, low in nutrients and has a neutral pH value.
Protect flower bulbs
Keep stored bulbs dry and prevent rot by storing them next to dried sphagnum moss. The moss also prevents the bulbs from being damaged during transport.
Living mulch
Another great way to use peat moss is to keep it alive after harvest and use it as a living mulch for your moisture-loving plants. Orchids, ferns, sundews, pitcher plants, Venus flytraps and other plants with high moisture needs benefit from a living layer of sphagnum in the pot.
