# sphagnum moss growing from dry moss



## Nievesgirl

I was reading how good this moss is to grow with orchids so I decided to buy some at lowes and use it as a media. So far so good I have put the moss as a media for my little Beallara Orchid and it is doing fine its been about 2.5 weeks now. I also used this for my anthurium mixed with orchid mix. 

Anyways I decided to see if I can bring some of this moss back to life. I heard it takes weeks and that tap water will kill the spores. 18 days go I put some in a jar with a sandwhich bag on top ( could not find lid for jar ) and left it by my lights. I looked at the jar today and see something sprouting. I used plain tap water nothing special at all. I wet the dead moss and that was about it. 2 days ago I mist the moss ( I didn't really look in the jar ) to see sprouts because I was thinking this will take four weeks or longer. I think whatever is sprouting sprouted before the 18 day mark. I just got some vanda orchids in the mail and one had some moss on the fir bark so I tossed that in the jar as well. 

I am using T5 lights and literally the jar is about 2 inches from light for the first 18 days. I barely moved it away from the light 2 days go. 

Here are some pics 




































top view


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## BR5

I would switch to DI or RO and mist it twice a week or so, never really timed how long the dry moss takes to start growing again but most of the viv's I've used it in have it growing vigorously.


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## lynnstorm

I have a plastic hat box with spagnum moss that is about 2 inches long, and very bright green. Started it for a jewel orchid. Both are doing great.


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## penfold

That's not sphagnum moss. It's some kind of seed that is germinating. I get those sprouts every time I use new sphagnum moss. I don't know if all moss is like this, but the brick I have must be filled with seed. It may be some type of sedge. I've tried to let it grow out, but it always seems to stall at the seedling stage, so I eventually just pick them out. Moss will look fuzzy, rather than the smooth grass-like leaves you're seeing.


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## james67

there was a thread awhile back where this moss was suspected of carrying chytrid. i use it almost exclusively but i also add a little water and microwave it for 15 minutes.

james


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## frogparty

I nuke mine wet for 5 minutes. I should just bring it to work and autoclave it all like I do with leaf litter


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## Pumilo

james67 said:


> there was a thread awhile back where this moss was suspected of carrying chytrid. i use it almost exclusively but i also add a little water and microwave it for 15 minutes.
> 
> james


I thought thoroughly drying it out, kills chytrid? The stuff I get at Lowe's is bone dry.


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## james67

true, but at least some stores leave it outside and it can get wet. i'll try to find the thread. i dont remember it that was determined to be the cause in the end, but it was a suspect.

james

edit, found the thread. looks like my memory is getting foggy... pretty much the moss was ruled out as the cause of the fungal infection, but either way, the point was i microwave the hell out of it anyway, to kill anything that might be inside it. (or at least give me peace of mind)


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## Pumilo

OK, thanks for taking the time to look up that thread, James.


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## Nievesgirl

Thanks for the info guys  on the orchid board they said it was some kind of weed damn it lol all well I was not sure about what it was. I did put some live moss in Jar with it so that is alive and looks good.


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## Percularis

This thread is kinda old, but how long does it take to grow sphagnum from the dry stuff?


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## Nievesgirl

Percularis said:


> This thread is kinda old, but how long does it take to grow sphagnum from the dry stuff?


I have read that it can take put to 4 weeks. I am going to buy some live moss soon.


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## ritersofly

I noticed orchid moss starts to green up within a week or so of being put in a humid, moist, lighted environment, but it's a darker green than I see in pics of live sphagnum moss, so I assume it's just algae...right?


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## Pumilo

ritersofly said:


> I noticed orchid moss starts to green up within a week or so of being put in a humid, moist, lighted environment, but it's a darker green than I see in pics of live sphagnum moss, so I assume it's just algae...right?


Yes, that is just algae. I have seen dry sphagnum regenerate, but not often. Here are two pics showing sphagnum algae and two shots showing live sphagnum.


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## Manuran

I've never paid much attention to the sphagnum sprouting. So take this for what it's worth, but I think a lot of the time it is the spores sprouting which is why it's not as quick. I regularly have the whole substrate covered with sprouting little sphagnum moss gametophytes. It takes over a year before it looks like the sphagnum you get in the bag.


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