Differences in mosses?

[Esteban_McFig]

I just got home with what was sold as sphagnum, which is what I asked for. However, it is a bag of something called "Green Moss." For purposes of rooting cuttings using the sphagnum moss technique, with this stuff do? Anything of concern about using Green Moss instead of Sphagnum Moss?

Thanks for any reponses

[eboone]

If u have opened the bag can u post a pic of the stuff?

[DBJohnson]

What I used back in July was labeled as "Green Moss" but I recognized it as spaghnam. I had no issues using it to root my cuttings.

[don_sanders]

As long as it is a long fibered spaghnum moss like the pic in the link, you should be fine.

http://www.bfgsupply.com/order-now/product/3/115244/mlc-long-fiber-sphagnum-moss-35cfbl

[Esteban_McFig]

Ed B, I didn't open the bag thinking I would return it for the "real" stuff. But here's a pic of the package and a close-up of its contents. FWIW, the manufacturer lists among its other soil products:
Spanish Moss
Peat Moss
in addition to this "Green Moss" product

[Well, unable to attach photos, even after resizing twice] Strike that

Third time the charm?

[don_sanders]

I believe they have to be under a megabyte to post. I've been doing 720x540 lately. 1024x768 or less should post.

[COGardener]

Post a link to the companies web site or someone whom sells it on line.

[Taverna78]

Green moss no good. Get long fiber smag moss. Orchid is best brand. Green moss holds too much water

[WillsC]

That looks like sphagnum moss to me, it is just alive. You would be better off to get the dry compressed bale as you get a lot more. Just go to lowes, they have it in the garden section by the orchid stuff. Will look like this. http://www.lowes.com/pd_63195-1300-N...rchid+sphagnum They will have a couple of different brands. Look at the bales closely and go with whatever brand has less grass in it. You will see the grass mixed in as the blades of the grass are tan also but flat strands.

[Esteban_McFig]

Thanks, everyone. That's probably enough on this. Takeaway: get the real stuff. I can do that

[SharonC]

That's what I would do. The green stuff isn't alive it's dyed. If you can get New Zeland moss (best) or from Chile (second best). Longer fiber is normally better since it allows more air and is fluffier.
The most amazing stuff of all is living, long fiber from a bog (it doesn't matter where). I have seen miracles with that stuff. It is on my to go list to find some and keep it growing.

[Esteban_McFig]

That looks like sphagnum moss to me, it is just alive. You would be better off to get the dry compressed bale as you get a lot more. Just go to lowes, they have it in the garden section by the orchid stuff. Will look like this. http://www.lowes.com/pd_63195-1300-N...rchid+sphagnum They will have a couple of different brands. Look at the bales closely and go with whatever brand has less grass in it. You will see the grass mixed in as the blades of the grass are tan also but flat strands. [ATTACH=CONFIG]n52610[/ATTACH]

Per WillsC, I acquired the Orchid Moss brick, in addition to a bag of Lowes-carried Mosser Lee "Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss." Then I let my inner geek/control freak take over and did a side-by-side rooting comparison of three different media: the two above-mentioned mosses, plus coconut coir. Semi-controlled by using near-identical diameter cuttings of the same variety (Desert King), all contained within separate plastic shoeboxes, all kept at the identical temp, and all kept barely moist. Result: after 11 days, the cutting in the "cheap" sphagnum moss (lots of grass, twigs and other contaminants, by the way) has shown explosive root growth from all nodes, the "high-quality" Orchid Moss cutting is barely showing any initials and the cutting in coir shows precisely zero rooting activity. There is a correlation with regard to humidity of the media; the cheapest moss seems to be the moistest, and the coir seems to give up moisture most readily and needs to be spritzed with a little water almost every other day. Another correlation is with density; the coir of course is densest; the cheap sphagnum is airiest. And FWIW, each time I take the temps (with a meat thermometer), the coir is 2 degrees warmer than the mosses, 77 v 75. I don't understand that at all, they are all burrito-ed within an old electric blanket on one setting

I dunno, at this point, the mosses are giving the craved-for feedback. The coir, not so much. All are doing a fine job with regard to any molding; there is none

And therein is the noob's contribution to the way of the Fig

[WillsC]

Per WillsC, I acquired the Orchid Moss brick, in addition to a bag of Lowes-carried Mosser Lee "Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss." Then I let my inner geek/control freak take over and did a side-by-side rooting comparison of three different media: the two above-mentioned mosses, plus coconut coir. Semi-controlled by using near-identical diameter cuttings of the same variety (Desert King), all contained within separate plastic shoeboxes, all kept at the identical temp, and all kept barely moist. Result: after 11 days, the cutting in the "cheap" sphagnum moss (lots of grass, twigs and other contaminants, by the way) has shown explosive root growth from all nodes, the "high-quality" Orchid Moss cutting is barely showing any initials and the cutting in coir shows precisely zero rooting activity. There is a correlation with regard to humidity of the media; the cheapest moss seems to be the moistest, and the coir seems to give up moisture most readily and needs to be spritzed with a little water almost every other day. Another correlation is with density; the coir of course is densest; the cheap sphagnum is airiest. And FWIW, each time I take the temps (with a meat thermometer), the coir is 2 degrees warmer than the mosses, 77 v 75. I don't understand that at all, they are all burrito-ed within an old electric blanket on one setting

I dunno, at this point, the mosses are giving the craved-for feedback. The coir, not so much. All are doing a fine job with regard to any molding; there is none

And therein is the noob's contribution to the way of the Fig

What you would have to do is take 5 varieties at least and do the same experiment to see if there is an actual influence of the media. You could have 3 cuttings all taken from the same fig limb and one will root fast and the other two may root slow.......makes no sense but that does seem to be the way it works.

[Coop]

I have been using that cheap Mosser Lee Long Spagnum moss and coco coir for the last 5 years. Both work great for me, its hard to tell which is better. Different varieties take different amounts of time to root, but both work. I have found that Desert King is one of the easiest and fastest rooting plants out there. I wring the coir and moss really well and use tupperware tubs. I have found the tupperware types of tubs holding moisture and humidity better than the shoe boxes.

[WillsC]

For the shoe boxes try putting a cut plastic bag over the top of the plastic shoe box then put the lid on. You can use cling wrap but it is more annoying to remove and reapply. A plastic bag with the zipper end removed and both sides cut off is just easier. The only advantage I have found with coir is you can remove the cutting with much less damage to the roots.

[Esteban_McFig]

I'm new to this with figs, but have used the paper towel method to sprout lotsa things over the years. The one additional recommendation i would add with respect to figs is to make sure to use single-ply paper towels; the fine fig roots get in between multiple layers and it's hard to peel them apart without also damaging the roots. I've had to transfer a couple rooted cuttings with small pieces of paper towel still caught in the tangled roots. That is the one advantage I can see so far with using either moss or coir