# Moss Coming Back to Life



## Happypaphy7 (Dec 23, 2016)

On some of the pots, I see green moss growing.
I love this sight!  

I'm posting two examples.

The first one has regular fir bark, perlite, charcoal in the pot. I top dressed with sheet moss. I don't know what kind of moss it is exactly, but it is like a thin blanket of moss that has been treated with artificial green color.
With watering, the green color quickly washes off (it is not meant to be washed off but only for decoration, although I use it as a top dress), and turn ugly brown. 

I mist the top of the pot almost everyday and some pots show green live moss coming back like on this one.

The plant is supposedly Paphiopedilum Wenshanense clear yellow form, and it is in bud finally! 







This second one is Paphiopedilum Delrosi (made with dunkel delenatii).
The mix is orchiata only, with clay balls at the very bottom. Top dressed with sphagnum moss. Obviously, the sphagnum moss is coming back to life all over inside the pot and in the last photo, you can see them sticking out to the top. 

I wonder moss actually does provide any benefits to the plant?
I know it has been discussed, but I don't understand the details behind it really, if there is any benefits at all, that is.

I do feed these plants on random basis with very diluted (about half to quarter of what's recommended on the label) liquid fertilizer.


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## NYEric (Dec 23, 2016)

I think/feel moss is like a filter for contaminants, like activated charcoal.


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## troy (Dec 23, 2016)

Wow, very moist for brachy, excellent!!


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## Erythrone (Dec 23, 2016)

Great!!! BTW the moss growing on the pot of your Delrosi is not a Sphagnum sp. so we cannot talk about Sphagnum moss coming back to life


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## gego (Dec 23, 2016)

I really enjoy seeing those live white tips of the roots. Good growing. Congrats

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


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## Migrant13 (Dec 23, 2016)

Moss seems to really help the overall vigor of the slippers and phrag's. Not sure the reasoning but I do notice in my two small kovachii seedlings the healthiest roots are just like yours in these photos and they reside right in the moss layer. It could be what Eric said but seems like something more??


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## tomkalina (Dec 23, 2016)

Back in the mists of antiquity, I read that moss roots secrete amine compounds that provide very small amounts of nitrogen to the Paph. and Phrag. roots.


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

Live Sphagnum moss species have varying degrees of anti microbial and anti fungal properties in addition to retaining all the nutrients that pass through. Live sphagnum won't do well with too much nutrients in the water as that will kill it. On the bright side if your plants are growing sphagnum it means you have really good quality water (and can grow many carnivorous plants as they grow in or near sphagnum in the wild)


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

I'll try to remember to post a picture of one of my sarracenia seedling trays that just exploded with sphagnum growth recently


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 23, 2016)

troy said:


> Wow, very moist for brachy, excellent!!



Just watered today. 

BTW, there are a few cases of excellent specimen of brachy grown in water culture. 
So, it works I guess. I just don't want to do there. lol


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 23, 2016)

Erythrone said:


> Great!!! BTW the moss growing on the pot of your Delrosi is not a Sphagnum sp. so we cannot talk about Sphagnum moss coming back to life



I thought the moss in both pots looked the same.


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 23, 2016)

gego said:


> I really enjoy seeing those live white tips of the roots. Good growing. Congrats
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk



Well, all my Delrosi grow like cabbage that never flowers. lol
The roots are all over the pot and the top growths are equally great. 
I want to see some flowers on these!!!


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 23, 2016)

SFLguy said:


> I'll try to remember to post a picture of one of my sarracenia seedling trays that just exploded with sphagnum growth recently



Sarracenia leucophylla is my love!!! but they need cold winter which I can't provide properly. 

I buy them as fresh cut flower whenever I see them offered. not so common.


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Sarracenia leucophylla is my love!!! but they need cold winter which I can't provide properly.
> 
> I buy them as fresh cut flower whenever I see them offered. not so common.


They don't need a cold winter so much as a change in light levels, at least that's what my leucophylla and those of many others here in Miami seem to say 
If you're ever looking to try your hand at them, read up a bit, they're easier than orchids but you still need to know some things haha
Many TC hybrids are really easy and beautiful like S. Daina's Delight and a perfect way to start


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

(Also if you like leucophylla look up a Hurricane Creek white clone F)


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

Managed to remember to snap some pics from this little tray 






This tray is actually a mix for Sarracenia and some Drosera intermedia that are going dormant (and the stay D. capensis)






This tray had no signs of moss up until two or three weeks ago











And this is from one of my Nepenthes' pot, I think this Sphagnum would prefer to be more moist, in more light, and would prefer higher humidity, I may move some pieces outside with the Sarracenia, with more light, it'll be red.


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## SFLguy (Dec 23, 2016)

Apologies for the quality
Edit: I added some slightly higher quality pictures


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 24, 2016)

Great! 
Clear photos to see all the details, but how about post these under other hobby section and continue on there?

Are these encased??


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## Erythrone (Dec 24, 2016)

Happypaphy7 said:


> I thought the moss in both pots looked the same.



Could be the same bryophyte species growing in the 2 pots... but this is not Sphagnum sp for sure oke:


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## SFLguy (Dec 24, 2016)

Erythrone said:


> Could be the same bryophyte species growing in the 2 pots... but this is not Sphagnum sp for sure oke:


The second picture looks like sphagnum to me, it looks different when it's in high humidity and low light


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## SFLguy (Dec 24, 2016)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Great!
> Clear photos to see all the details, but how about post these under other hobby section and continue on there?
> 
> Are these encased??



What do you mean by encased? As in for humidity? No they're indoors on a windowsill until at least next year.


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 24, 2016)

Sorry, I meant enclosed, or covered.


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## Happypaphy7 (Dec 24, 2016)

Erythrone said:


> Could be the same bryophyte species growing in the 2 pots... but this is not Sphagnum sp for sure oke:



Yeah, they look different than sphagnum, but the ones I have both look the same. So, I don't know what they are. I like them whatever they are.


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## SFLguy (Dec 24, 2016)

Happypaphy7 said:


> Sorry, I meant enclosed, or covered.


Nope, just ambient indoor air


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## Stone (Dec 25, 2016)

Erythrone said:


> Could be the same bryophyte species growing in the 2 pots... but this is not Sphagnum sp for sure oke:



Yes all sphagnum.


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