Sphagnum Moss - questions!

[eucalyptus]

I use sphagnum moss, absolute bags of it, and I am really getting to the stage where I could really do with growing it, or something similar. I have no idea how I'd go about this or what it'd entail. I have tried looking on the net for some 'caresheets' but not really getting anywhere. I am guessing it'd have to be an outdoor job but would I grow this from seed or try and source a young plant? I wouldn't mind using a moss which was similarly good at holding moisture but don't really have much experience with other mosses, in fact I admit I am clueless. I apologise for the strange question but it has been bugging me for a while now. Now that I have joined a forum all the nagging questions are coming out - apologies again..!

 

[NwMtGardener]

Hi eucalyptus, welcome!! I dont have any answers to your question about the moss, just wanted to say i understand where you're coming from with the millions of questions! Sometimes i think i should change my name to NwMtThreadHijacker - because i'm constantly reading other people's threads and it reminds me of all these other things i had questions about!

I read you're in england, what is the weather like where you are?? Cant wait till you can post us some pictures of your plants and gardens!

 

[digitS']

You are just talking about sphagnum peat moss as an ingredient in potting mixes, right?

Why not just make your own top-quality compost? Here is TEG's Veggie PAK talking about his compost making. You wouldn't have to go so BIG but a pile about 4 feet on all sides is probably necessary to build good composting heat. It will cook down to not a whole lot of potting soil ingredient by the time it is finished, anyway. You should really pasteurize the compost before using it for house plants, I'd think.

Aloe and yucca extracts are used as wetting agents in potting mixes. I have used one simple mix that had yucca extract in it. I was fairly sure that I could see the lumps where the liquid extract had probably been dropped on the mix as it passed along a conveyer belt. It left me wondering how one would go about extracting something useful like that from yucca plants.

Steve