Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 23:55:14 +0200 From: strega@split.it (Tassara) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2496$foo@default> Subject: Re: brown tips on sphagnum moss
Hi Mars,
>I remember someone mentioning brown tips on sphagnum moss. Seems the moss in
>my terrarium is developping this too. Does anyone know what it is and how
to >solve this problem?
I have the same problem since many years.
I think the brown tips on spagnum are caused by a salt accumulation (water
climbs from the base to the top of the plant; here it evaporates and leaves
the salts).
This happens in my terrariums and in my greenhouse, but not in the open,
where rain washes the moss from time to time.
If you water your sphagnum from above, salts will be washed away (not
immediately); sphagnum, on the other hand, sometimes suffers being
artificially watered from above. Also a good water circulation at the base
of the moss helps.
I don't know how bad this salt accumulation is for carnivorous plants
growing on sphagnum (their base is usually under sphagnum surface and they
absorbe salt-free water); sometimes they look a bit sick, especially
sundews, but this could be due also to other factors.
Sphagnum moss continues growing rather well even with brown tips, but it
doesn't look very nice (in some zones of my greenhouse its surface is pure
black!).
Hope this helps
Filippo Tassara
Genova, Italy
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