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Carnivorous Plants/Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss
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Question
Are there any advantages (or disadvantages) of using long fibered sphagnum moss vs "regular" baled peat moss in growing carnivorous plants? We've been using baled Canadian peat moss, and much of it seems to be fine particles, almost "dust", and even mixed with perlite, it seems to "settle" to a fairly tight heavy mass that water takes a while to filter through. Our Drosera and Venus' seem to be doing "OK" as far as we can tell, but some websites advocate LFS. Is this another one of those mis-informational recommendations by supposed experts you talk about?
Hi Christine,
The primary advantage of peat moss is cost. Long-fiber sphagnum moss is about 4 times more expensive, and often more difficult to find. Certain plants benefit more from the course nature of LFS, such as Nepenthes, since it is more open and drains well. When sitting in water constantly, however, such as for Sarracenia, sundews, and Flytraps, it breaks down rather quickly and looses that porosity. Some sundews seem to grow a little better in LFS.
I don't recommend Long-fiber Sphagnum for Sarracenia or Flytraps. I personally think they grow better in peat moss. Same for North American sundews. They benefit from the tannins in peat. To get better porosity in the mixes just add more perlite, or combine perlite with clean sand.
Having said all this, it's important to keep in mind that what works well in one situation may be a little different in another. I would guess that those recommending LFS for Sarracenia and Flytraps may be growing in greenhouse conditions as opposed to outdoors like we do.
Also, I want to be clear that I'm not including live/living Sphagnum in this discussion. That is an entirely different creature, and many cp do very well in living Sphagnum. Live Sphagnum creates a dynamic environment, and acidifies the media. Unless you live near bogs, live Sphagnum is difficult to find, and very expensive.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
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Answers by Expert:
Sarracenia Northwest
Expertise
If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!
Experience
With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.
Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.
No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.
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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION: We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?). Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?) For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website: http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets For business questions: http://www.cobraplant.com/contact |
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