What is the difference between sphagnum moss and sheet moss

Peat moss, on the other hand, is the layer of decaying, water-saturated sphagnum moss that has sunk below the surface. It is the basis of swamp land, forming over thousands of years. Although peat moss can be found in potting soils in nearly every gardening center in the world, harvesting peat moss is not a sustainable practice. It takes thousands of years for peat moss to develop, and harvesting it requires digging up bogs, which destroys the potential for regeneration of the swamp.

Core Collection. Colorful Accents. Limited-Time Offerings. Houseplants for Pickup. Mounted Plants. Plants in Glass. Plant Craft Supply Kits. Plant Accessories. Plant Supplies. Gift Ideas. Best for Beginners. Pistils Merch. Gift Cards. It is comprised of decaying material harvested from bogs.

These bogs take between one to three thousand years for nature to make them, and we harvest the contents much faster than that. Sphagnum Moss — This is also found at nurseries or craft and hardware stores, and is used to line hanging baskets. This is the living part of the plant that dwells above ground. It covers the bog and without it the bog can not thrive. This part is usually removed in order to access the peat below, though many countries have adopted sustainable harvesting methods to preserve the sphagnum layer while still accessing the decaying peat below.

Sphagnum moss can contain some pretty nasty fungal spores, which if not handled properly or sterilized before being sold can get under your nails and cause major health issues. It is recommended to use gloves when handling decorative sphagnum moss. That other moss — Green moss or algae and it could be either that appears on the soil surface usually crops up in places where soil has poor drainage and more shade.

In reading about the possibilities, I came across this helpful guide from University of Georgia:. Controlling Moss and Algae in Turf. Check soil pH and fertility — algae tends to grow in infertile areas where there is light, so check your soil and amend with organic fertilizer as needed. Add lime if the soil is too acidic another happy breeding ground for algae.

Add compost — to improve drainage, or create raised beds. Cut back on watering — the presence of algae or moss is a sure sign that the soil is too wet. Thanks for writing in. I hope this helps. Or even if left green? Will it continue grow? I wish I knew the answer to that, Judy, but I imagine it might be challenging to grow that kind of moss outside of its natural environment.

Anything is worth a try, I always say. Sorry wrong spelling. To clarify.. Can sphagnum moss be used as ground cover, inside pots in the back yard as well as inside the home to cover soil inside the posts.

Daisy, Sphagnum moss can be used as a cover on top of plants. The stuff you buy in a bag is usually sterilized to prevent those pathogen issues, so if you plan to use home-grown moss indoors, you may want to dry it out well and disinfect first before bringing it indoors. I understand the reasoning for using coir. It still does have to be processed to remove the salts, and to ship around the globe. As with many natural resources ie.

The cost of those externalities are often hidden, but with reusable and waste products we see the costs for the whole thing. Peat moss or sphagum moss. Any thoughts? For decorative purposes, use sphagnum moss. For planting use a cactus mix. That usually has the right balance of organic material for succulents.

The soil in my raised beds had a high ph of 8 so I added sphagnum peat moss to the beds in a effort to lower the pH since I was growing watermelons and they do not like a high acid soil and the melons were getting blossom end rot. Is that o. HI Mary, you can add peat moss to your soil and it may lower the pH a bit, depending on how much you add. You might want to throw in some Epsom salts to help with calcium uptake calcium deficiency is the root cause of blossom end rot in most cases.