Living sphagnum moss for soil mix?

[chilliwilli]

Hi folks,
it's time to make a new water only soil mix.
Will use this mix

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7548410&postcount=1

With the addition of some composted grape seeds(biovin) and some long term organic fertiliser mix(bodengold) at a cup each per cubic foot.

I had good experience with it but used coco instead of the sphagnum peat moss last time.

Searching for the things i need i found living sphagnum moss claimed to be sustainable harvested. Its way more high priced than the peat, about 100.- for 125 liter, but that would be ok.

Can i use this instead of the peat version? Has anyone experience using it?

Also found inconsistent things about the living moss. Some sides say it is an acidic media(turns water sour when sitting in) some say it is a neutral media and only peated it turns acidic.

I'm sure there will be a lot of critters in it but thats ok for living soil. Also i can get most predatory mites, chrysopidae larvae or other useful insects easy from a shop if things get out of control.

You should use gloves when working with the living moss because u could get some weird fungus infecting your skin through little injuries. But one time precaution and then it sits in the pot.

I realy like the sustainability over peat and the short delivery footprint over coco but i'm not sure if my plants will like it.

What are your thoughts?

Thx chilliwilli

 

[Chunkypigs]

I think regular peat will work fine, I've had decent results with similar Coots style mixes, the recipe you linked to is heavy on the malted barley, I usually top dress that but have not used any in a year or so.

Malted Barley growing fungus. works even better if you add a few inches of material on top like rice hulls so your surface biology stays moist and alive.

I had great results replacing the peat with well rotted wood chips this year, the oldest part of my pile is about six years old now and full of beneficial bugs and mycelium from many different species.

I've used forest duff in the past as a replacement but the rotted wood is very powerful.

used chicken manure pellets as my primary ferts this year with the wood compost and some composted dairy manure and worm castings and the results were very nice.

Wedding Cake

Forum GSC

 

[chilliwilli]

Nice ladys

The rotted woodchips are a nice idea, easy to get thx.

Normaly i would keep on growing with a top up of the biovin and bodengold every other grow but i have to change my soil.

Got those little fuckers over the last years reusing my soil.

Think these are meloidogyne spp. Maybe hapla?

Could try planting some tagetes patula but they wont work for all meloidogynes i think. The only thing would be to steam my soil or let it rest for at least 3 years to get rid of them. Some of them also survive freezing of the soil. D'oh


Had to pull this plant today because she died at 2.week of 12/12. so the nematodes together with thripse i always have did their work.

 

[chilliwilli]

If possible i would like to avoid regular peat. The sustainability is a little unsure for me and in the past there was a lot of overexploitation of that resource with a lot of impact to the environment.

 

[YukonKronic]

If possible i would like to avoid regular peat. The sustainability is a little unsure for me and in the past there was a lot of overexploitation of that resource with a lot of impact to the environment.

Canada has ridiculous reserves of peat and a solid system of sustainable harvest in place.
Coco is much worse and in fact it was coco manufacturers bringing up ancient or third world harvest methodology to public eye in an effort to discredit the peat industry to their own gain.
At least as far as I’ve been able to glean. I’m no Genius I just understand words like one.

You should talk to microbe man about what’s good or bad with peat and where to get it. He knows a lot more than me... or lots of other folks for that matter.
My unsolicited two cents

 

[chilliwilli]

Thx

Was talking about europe, so won't use canadian peat because of the long way to me. And in my country only few bogs are left and under protection. But its more a friend of mine who always talks about not to use peat because of the impact

Sustainability is not my main goal. Nice if my mix is as much as possible.

 

[YukonKronic]

Oops my bad.. should have thought about it. Damn Amero-centric thinking’s...

 

[chilliwilli]

No problem how u should know

Not sure if real sustainability is already gone since i ordered arctic krill and siberian gammarus instead of the shrimp. Think they are better than farmed shrimp.

But this thread was started about the living moss.

I have time till jan for the mix so i can search a little more.
Will dev try the living sphagnum and in one container composted woodchips and composted bark mulch instead of it.

The excess of the moss will be used in my terrarium und my garden as mulch and i will try to let a little regrow in a closed container

 

['Boogieman']

I have read on these forums that black leaf mold is a good substitute for peat moss. Maybe shred a lot of leaves with a lawn mower and start a leaf pile, adding other carbon sources to the pile like shredded wood won't hurt.

 

[YukonKronic]

I have read on these forums that black leaf mold is a good substitute for peat moss. Maybe shred a lot of leaves with a lawn mower and start a leaf pile, adding other carbon sources to the pile like shredded wood won't hurt.

I used a mix of mostly decomposed grass clippings and leaf litter that was very similar to peat albeit a little more porous and less able to hold water... I think using it as 10% or so of Peat component would be better simply to add more microbiology. It’s my opinion that peat will hold more water and have higher CEC... sawdust enriched with fish hydrolysate and or Bone meal or guano is also a good amendment...it can also be very porous but is great substrate for mycorrhizae IME.

 

[Greenthumber]

As I’ve heard on the Kis Organics podcast (coot episodes). Cspm is great for living soil mix but don’t buy anything under 3.8 cf bale. Anything under the 3.8 cf bales is steamed dried and added moisture back in to look fresh hence(killing and living microbes). The 3.8 cf bales is chopped into bales on site and packaged and theoretically has more life to it. But yes cspm is a better option imo

 

[Greenthumber]

I have read on these forums that black leaf mold is a good substitute for peat moss. Maybe shred a lot of leaves with a lawn mower and start a leaf pile, adding other carbon sources to the pile like shredded wood won't hurt.

Yes!!! I’ve read that blm is the best for starting worm bins! I plan on trying this eventually. Mostly why people don’t use black leaf mold is because it’s a very long process

 

[Betterhaff]

Isn’t one of the main benefits of peat/peat moss as an additive its water/nutrient absorption capability? Trying to think of the benefits of using live moss, almost think it would act more like a mulch as opposed to being a soil amendment.

Not the same thing but I’ve used dried sphagnum moss for terrariums, both for moisture control and acidity, and after time it actually grows new green mass.

 

[Goodherb]

I used sphagnum moss both as living soil and liquid nutrient/tea.
It wash in ,on my island sea coast ,on average 4 months, in places ,taken over completely!

 

[AfricanMagic]

How is the soil pH?

 

[chilliwilli]

A pic from the homepage

So when i cut off the green part and use for regrowing whats left should be the same as normal sphagnum. So no real concern using this.

 

[nickman]

I’ve used sphagnum moss for a mulch layer in my grow bags before with good results...!!!...

 

[h.h.]

I mix a small percentage of slightly aged leaf into my soil. They’re mostly cellulose. I let it rest before using.

I may soak them to remove some of the tannins but then I used the tea to water with afterwards.

 

[Drewsif]

Yes!!! I’ve read that blm is the best for starting worm bins! I plan on trying this eventually. Mostly why people don’t use black leaf mold is because it’s a very long process

You mean most people won't go for a walk in the woods. Guerilla crops have gotten real easy in the 21st century. A mineral block and some scary trees, all the pesticides you need.

 

[gardener60]

Along with the compost I have used a cup of oat meal, and 2 cups of worm castings and watch the soil come alive. I have just watered with "FPJ" Fermented plant juice. Take all of your plant cleanup and put it in a 5 gallon bucket fill it with water and let it set for a week or two and you will see a difference. Watch out with leaf mold if it is not completely composted it will hold too much water. Just my 2 cents.