Often, for the preparation of earthen mixtures for planting indoor plants, sphagnum moss is simply needed. But a huge number of flower growers have no idea what it is, and there are practically no special explanations about this "ingredient" of earth mixtures. However, this moss is simply unique and has many benefits that everyone should know about.
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Sphagnum moss - what is it?
The habitat of this type of moss is the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, it is extremely rare and mostly only high in the mountains. However, there were cases that sphagnum was also found in flat areas, but this is a huge rarity.
In the North, industrial extraction of this most valuable moss is organized. And it is used in a variety of areas, for example, for thermal insulation during the construction of buildings, as well as in the production of medicines and perfumes. Due to the fact that sphagnum has a rather light color, it is also called white moss.
Beneficial features
This moss has 3 very useful properties that every grower can appreciate. Namely:
- It is breathable... Due to this, the soil remains light and rather loose even in a wet state, which has the best effect on the growth and development of plants.
- Moss is hygroscopic. So, he can absorb just a huge amount of water (1 part sphagnum absorbs 20 parts moisture). More than him, no substance or material, even cotton, can do this. This moss is moistened evenly, and as necessary, it gives moisture to the soil in doses. That is why the soil in flower pots, which contains sphagnum moss, is constantly in a moist state, but no waterlogging occurs.
- Sphagnum possesses antibacterial and disinfectant properties... That is why it is widely used in the production of medicines. It is also able to protect the root system from various diseases and the appearance of rot, due to the fact that it contains a large amount of triterpine compounds, antibiotics and other useful substances.
How sphagnum is used in floriculture
Moss is used to create mixtures of earth for both domestic plants, which simply need high humidity, and for others. For example, it is recommended to use it in the composition of earth mixes for such colors as: begonia, dracaena, sansevieria, streptocarpus, saintpaulia, dieffenbachia, azalea, monstera, and fat woman... However, these are not all plants that respond very positively to the content of even a small amount of sphagnum in the soil.
Also, this moss is widely used for rooting cuttings. So, those who are engaged in breeding violets will root the leaves, as a rule, exclusively with the help of the most unique sphagnum moss.
Those flower growers who live in the Northern Hemisphere have the ability to independently harvest sphagnum. It grows in sphagnum bogs, which are also called white shanks. It can be stored for quite a long time, and this moss is perfectly propagated and grown. The same growers. who live in warm regions, you can buy this moss in specialized stores or order on the Internet.
Description and where to find - Video
