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need opinions

blended (put through a blender) sphagnum moss vs peat moss

is there any difference other than the sphagnum being cleaner?
 
Peat moss is just decayed sphagnum.
 
pH is lower on peat
 
for whatever reason it wont let me thank the other two posts, so thank you!

The problem I have is I can only buy low quality peat from local places, this stuff rots fast. and regardless how much I rinse it I still find it molds easily and my plants get humic acid buildup on their crowns which is harmless for most but I feel might cause crown rot for some other plants just from the crown being wet. also its butt ugly.

My main concern about using sphagnum was it being too airy for some species but if i blend it enough , almost down to a powder it should be fine I assume and the same as peat. besides ofc the differences you guys listed... and I hope cleaner.
considering peat is decomposed sphagnum, if I flushed my pots out from the top every now and then could I get away with reusing the same media? by that I mean at the end of each year, remove the plants from the sphagnum rinse the sphagnum and re-pot them in the same stuff rather then giving them new media.. thus clearing out nitrogen and gas pockets.

i was also thinking this might be a good idea for rot prone plants like cephs and tuberous, using 2part sand 1 part blended sphagnum, any thoughts?
 
Concentrations of tannic and humic acids are higher in peat, also.

The deposition of same, in the crowns (which I've noticed are common with Drosera aliciae and sometimes other varieties), can easily be remedied by a little periodic top watering, also planting the affected species in LFS (long fiber sphagnum) instead of peat based media, works.

One of the things I do to improve conditions in situations such as you describe, is to innoculate the rinsed/slightly damp peat moss with RootShield®, a brand of Trichoderma harzianum. Within a week or two prior to using it for planting. This helps control undesirable mold and fungi, though it also will eat/decompose cellulose (though, for me, with desirable side-effects). Theoretically the low pH of the peat will inhibit the Trichoderma.
 
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I have found that, if you have some on hand, milled sphagnum is usually a great option for most carnivorous plants. It's immediate absorbancy and consistency when compared to bulk dried peat is also quite enjoyable.
 
hm.. correct me if im wrong but it sounds like milled sphagnum is just all around better?
is there any species that come to mind that wouldn't do better in milled sphagnum compared to peat?
maybe some species that needs a lot of humic acid and tannins that sphagnum doesnt give
 
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  • #10
I think it generally works great for most plants, but there are always some odd-ducks out there who require more specific potting mediums. Some plants that come to mind...

Drosophyllum sp.

Nepenthes pervillei

Nepenthes northiana?

Many Mexican Pinguicula

Tuberous Drosera

And some may argue that most Sarracenia would actually prefer a mix that isn't made up of entirely sphagnum.

And there are many other exceptions. But when I am in doubt... I just slap a plant into a pot full of sphagnum.
 
  • #11
From my experience there's a bit of a learning curve with sphagnum I tend to over water in it and me cephalotus died because of that
 
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  • #12
I think it generally works great for most plants, but there are always some odd-ducks out there who require more specific potting mediums. Some plants that come to mind...

Drosophyllum sp.

Nepenthes pervillei

Nepenthes northiana?

Many Mexican Pinguicula

Tuberous Drosera

And some may argue that most Sarracenia would actually prefer a mix that isn't made up of entirely sphagnum.

And there are many other exceptions. But when I am in doubt... I just slap a plant into a pot full of sphagnum.

i see
so 2-1 mix sand/milled sphag is probably not a good mix for tuberous you say, but what about other finicky winter growers like hilaris or alba?
From my experience there's a bit of a learning curve with sphagnum I tend to over water in it and me cephalotus died because of that

Have you tried using drainless ceramic pots (aka african violet pots) or doing the wicking method?
I grow mine similar to african violets in a ceramic pot with no holes, set the pot in a tray of water and the ceramic will absorb the water just about as fast as the water evaporates from the top of the soil, thus never over or under watering. with some exception like during cold months I let the tray dry out for a few days.
 
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  • #13
To be honest, I'm not sure. My experience with Drosera is limited. Of the few that I have grown they did okay in 100% sphagnum. I think 2 - 1 sand sphagnum mix is probably fine for most CP's, but to be safe you could throw in a pinch of vermiculite or bark, or something airy like that.
 
  • #14
makes sense
I guess I wonder so much because I fear rotting some fancy winter grower, which I plan to start growing next year. So comes the problem of the low quality Canadian peat moss they sell around here. The sphagnum moss is perfectly fine though, which made me wonder if I couldn't just replace peat altogether, with fine sphagnum. I know my sub tropicals wouldn't mind atall but I wasnt sure about others.. plus its just best to ask these things first
 
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