# Reviving Sphagnum Moss



## GhostRidr (Mar 24, 2009)

Putting together my first viv, and I have a bag here of "long fibered" sphagnum moss. I've heard of sphagnum coming out of dormancy and become green again. Is there any way to ensure this, or promote this? Will all dried sphagnum come back to life? I'd like to use it on parts of my background if it will revive and green up. Otherwise it's just brown and ugly looking.


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## tim13 (Feb 1, 2011)

I don't think the brown stuff you see will revive. However, there could be spores or seeds in with the dried up stuff that will grow.


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## Leopardgeckos (Apr 23, 2010)

I just finished a viv.. I put some sphagnum up Real high on my wall pretty close to the lights and it is starting to grow out green legs. Took about a week for this to happen. As far as the brown coming to life and just turning green? Not so much.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

High light and humidity are the keys for getting spag to revive. The commercially available dried stuff routinely comes back to life for me with enough light


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## Eric Walker (Aug 22, 2009)

happens in some of my growouts all the time. You for sure need high light 
and moisture. I just started a sweater box with a glass lid on the 19 of feb tucked right under the end of a light fixture to see how well I can get it to grow so I can harvest it for a viv.


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## laylow (Apr 6, 2009)

I've seen other people bring it back tonlife and it's been something I've wanted to try. Keep us informed in how it does!

Shaw


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## Brotherly Monkey (Jul 20, 2010)

frogparty said:


> High light and humidity are the keys for getting spag to revive. The commercially available dried stuff routinely comes back to life for me with enough light



people seem to get it to rebloom while growing out sarracenia. So I imagine full sun would do the trick.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

I revive moss a lot, and it usually gets going quite easily. First, use the best quality sphag you can get. The New Zealand stuff seems to be the best. Next, go through and pick off the seed heads. Then just soak the heads, drain, and lay on top of ABG with lots of light. 

It's hard to kill once it gets going.


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## JeremyHuff (Apr 22, 2008)

I have heard that it is not actually the moss coming back to life, but rather an algae of some sort coating the moss. Not sure if it is true though.


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## boabab95 (Nov 5, 2009)

JeremyHuff said:


> I have heard that it is not actually the moss coming back to life, but rather an algae of some sort coating the moss. Not sure if it is true though.


that happens if the soil is too wet IME, but it usually happens, then the sphagnum starts growing again...


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Mosses do not have seeds. Also, most commercially available spag doesnt contain intact sporocarps. Spores loose in the moss definitely germinate, but some of the dried moss does seem to regenerate


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## fleshfrombone (Jun 15, 2008)

frogparty said:


> Mosses do not have seeds. Also, most commercially available spag doesnt contain intact sporocarps. Spores loose in the moss definitely germinate, but some of the dried moss does seem to regenerate


Yeah I was wondering what he was talking about as fa as the spore caps as well. In my experience the moss only comes back if very close to the light and kept constantly moist. Yours seems to come back further down the tank and in areas where the light isn't that great. Speaking of which whatever became of that ten gal you had your german imis in?


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

ripped apart to salvage the plants and moss! Next time youre in town you should come by and see their new 20 hex. Tons of spag growth in there. I have some spag from the UW greenhouse, regenerated chilean spag, and a strain I colleced in the Hoh rainforest. I have more of the Hoh spag growing in Restrepia pots. Ill send you away with some if you want.


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## pl259 (Feb 27, 2006)

frogparty said:


> Mosses do not have seeds. Also, most commercially available spag doesnt contain intact sporocarps. Spores loose in the moss definitely germinate, but some of the dried moss does seem to regenerate


I'm refering to the tops. My bad for calling them seed heads. IME, the moss comes back easier and stronger when I just use the tops.


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