Use live sphagnum Moss for Venus flytrap

by Sam
(Manchester)

The moss. Super green and it smells like the forest

The moss. Super green and it smells like the forest

So I bought some sphagnum moss off eBay and it happens to be waaaay to much. I saw this video https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSvokWcP/ and I thought it’d be cool to do the same with the moss I just received and my little Venus flytrap, Morticia. But of course they’re SO delicate and they would die with a breeze of air, and I don’t want to Introduce any nutrients (lol right) that would harm them.

What should I do?

Comments for Use live sphagnum Moss for Venus flytrap

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Jan 07, 2021
 Right!
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

So,if you are trying to mimic what they've done in the video, the live sphagnum moss may not work. It looks like they are using dead and dried moss, re-wetted. They cover the important parts, so following the rest of their instructions would be okay - sandy wet soil, water with rainwater, don't stress the plant by teasing it, etc.

If you want to try using the moss the way they illustrate, you may have to let it die.

Here is another article that gives more details.

Good luck with it - what fascinating plants!
Jan 28, 2022
 Moss
by: Steve

I grow several dozen in live Sphagnum moss with good success, the only downside is that the Sphagnum can overgrow the smaller plants.
Its difficult to tell from the picture but the moss doesn't look like sphagnum, more like some carpet or star moss which simply isn't the same, and not good for growing VFTs in.
The moisture levels are very different. Sphagnum looks like this.
https://www.google.com/search?q=sphagnum+moss&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB984GB984&sxsrf=APq-WBuFQLFV-UswGoZAf8FWAPrmwNpvJQ:1643366970756&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTyJuEo9T1AhUHhlwKHQBgCKsQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1536&bih=656&dpr=1.25#imgrc=v2h22gXJhnhLAM
Cheers
Steve

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