Where do you get your live sphagnum?

I ordered some pitcher plant seeds & need some live sphagnum. I found some on ebay, but I don't know where is the best place to get this from. Anyone have any good sources that you have used? Thank you.

ants

I don't buy live but I do buy dried, keep it watered with distilled water and give it some light and it has never failed to "grow" and become green again.
Cheryl

Ok, thank you. Where do you get your dried sphagnum? :)

ants

Home depot, local nursery etc. A lot of places will sell small bags of spagnum moss.
C

Live sphagnum can overgrow your plants, so dried is better. Make sure no fertilizers were added.

My dried always comes back to life. I do not kow about some species (sundews and VFT) but a lot of saracinia grow in spagnum bogs. Plus I am not sure people realize that spagnum moss actually acidifies the water and "soil" so its a good thing to have it live, unless as was posted it overgrows certain plants.
C

I agree with you 100%. I love the live stuff with my Sarracenia, and I am always excited when the spores in the dried stuff grows. Usually it is too warm to grow it here, and it dies off. But it will grow right over VFT and rosetted sundews. It can also be great for germinating seeds, live or dried. I have a great put of it right now with an S. purpurea and a Drosera filiformis "all red" and both are being overwhelmed by the spagnum, but it looks wonderful.

Would love to trade something for some live sphagnum :)

ants

cobraplants.com sometimes has it for sale. I find it doesn't last. Looks wonderful though and keeps the soil moist.

Honestly just buy a bag of dried sphagnum, it will revive. I think the spores can stay dormant for quite a while. Most garden centers and box stores carry small bags of sphagnum for not too much. I put it on top of the soil mix when I plant CP's and it has never failed to begin growing green again. LOL I even threw some in the large water basin my plants are in thinking I might make a real bog. Just kidding (thought it is growing in there).
C

It also works well to reduce the weeds. Good stuff.

Oh no, what do you do when it comes to life and takes over??? I just started a few plants and some of the dried stuff is already greening up. Do you just rip chunks out and dry it up for later? Toss it out in your shade beds?? : )

I think growth will slow down when it gets hot and yes I rip it out and compost it.
C

OR you could toss some my way! :)

ants

I take little scissors and trim mine down if it gets too much. I use the dried as well. Greens up pretty quick if you put it on top of a pot, water well and put the whole thing in a baggy. Your bogs are fantastic starsplitter.

I have a bag of the stuff in storage. Would it grow during winter?

Is it live or is it dried? Sometimes the dry will sprout from spores. I put it around my plants to retain moisture.

If kept moist I have never had dried sphagnum moss not grow.
C

I have two bags of the dried long fiber. I put a little around the plant but I think I'll a little more.

Can I add this around the drosera?

You can add the sphagnum around any of the plants. I soak it really well in rain or distilled water, pull out the twigs, and put it around the plants. If it grows, make sure it doesn't overgrow the plants.