Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2000 11:15:56 EDT From: MCATALANI@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2338$foo@default> Subject: Re: Sphagnum Moss
<< Has anyone ever heard about using pure long-fibered Sphagnum, with nothing
else added as a medium for CP's? I recently visited a bog where I saw CP's
growing wild, and there was no sand, no perlite and certainly no lava rock.
It was composed of layer upon layer of Sphagnum. I brought back some
larches
which I intend to use for bonsai and saved the Sphagnum which had live tips
growing on the top. For recipes that call for Live Sphagnum, should I use
dead stuff also that the live stuff is growing on? >>
Certain species of CP do grow wild in a sphagnum only medium. In the wild
along the SE gulf coast of the US, S. purpurea and S. minor okeefenokee
giant seem to prefer it. S. pisttacina produces large hoods when grown in it.
I do grow these 3 species in my personal collection in sphagnum only, but the
remainder of the Sarracenia and any commercial plants I grow is in sphagnum
peat moss. Sphagnum moss has two disadvantages over sphagnum peat. The first
is cost, as long fiber sphagnum is very expensive as compared to sphagnum
peat. The second is that Sarracenia roots will inter-twine with the long
fiber sphagnum, making transplanting difficult without causing root damage.
One advantage of live long fiber sphagnum is that, properly grown, it will
grow and produce more soil for you to use. As a side note, I believe Donald
Schnell listed live long fiber sphagnum as the medium of choice for
Sarracenias in his mid-70's book, "Carnivorous Plants of the United States
and Canada."
Michael Catalani
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