Not everyone likes to tinker with indoor plants. Not everyone has a talent for this, and the flowers die before they have time to take root. However, without greenery, the window sills look lonely and the interior looks boring. And if you share this point of view, you should find out how to grow moss at home. It does not cause allergies, is very unpretentious, resistant to the vast majority of diseases and pests, and does not require fertilizers, pruning or hilling. You can also create wonderful mini-landscapes and amazing compositions with it.
How to grow moss at home: basic principles
Before you start breeding mosses, you need to understand their needs and needs. First, mosses growing on trees will not survive on rock or soil, and vice versa. So you need to place the brought “shred” on a suitable base.
Secondly, mosses need diffused and indirect light. If the sun shines on them only in the mornings or evenings, the mosses will delight you with their bright colors. But the midday rays will make the moss pale, dull, and may even completely destroy it.
Thirdly, the source of planting material is important. Before asking yourself how to grow moss at home, ask specialty stores if they sell it. This way you will definitely be dealing with healthy specimens and will not infect any existing plants at home. If there is no moss on sale, go to the forest. Just clearly remember what came from where, and remove the moss with a layer of turf.
Landing
It must be taken as seriously as possible, since it is unrealistic to grow moss at home that was initially placed incorrectly. Any vessel can be used for plantation. But it will look most impressive in a glass bowl, rounded vase or spherical aquarium. In addition, it is easier to create and maintain the desired microclimate in such containers.
To make moss feel comfortable at home, small expanded clay or washed pebbles are poured into the bottom of the vessel. Granulated coal is placed on top of the drainage, and the substrate is placed on it. For soil, take one that is intended for epiphytes and marsh plants, then the mosses will settle in faster. A landscape is formed on the ground and moss is laid out, with light pressure from above. After the landscape is formed, it is watered abundantly to stimulate survival.
Care
The moss composition does not require special attention. But only after the “greenery” takes root. Therefore, the main subtlety of how to grow sphagnum moss at home is to provide it with abundant moisture at first, and then maintain this at a constant average level. The pads should be sprayed daily for a week or two, while monitoring to ensure there is no flooding effect. Condensation should form on the walls of the vessel only in the morning. If the moss covering begins to darken, it means that the intensity of watering needs to be reduced. When the mosses begin to grow, spraying is carried out less frequently, once every three or even five days.
Growing moss at home may also involve fighting mold at the first stage. It usually appears if the “rugs” were not brought from the store. In this case, problem areas are treated with phytosporin. Although some moss growers believe that the plantings themselves will cope with this scourge. But it seems to us that it is better to help them: the moss is weakened until it fully adapts, and it does not need additional stress and load.
If you created an installation in an open flowerpot, then you need to spray the moss daily. Otherwise, it will quickly dry out and lose its decorative effect.
Moss in the garden
The situation is much simpler with the cultivation of moss cover in the open air. Here you don’t have to painstakingly create the necessary conditions and plant pads. You need to get a sufficient piece of moss, healthy, without dried or suspicious areas. Two glasses of water and milk are loaded into the blender, plus extraction from the forest. Having obtained a cocktail consistency, you “paint” the intended area with this composition. Thanks to milk, moss takes root over the entire treated surface with a probability of 90-95 percent.
With some hard work and expressed artistic talent, your fence, wall or house can become a real work of art. Your immediate task will only include regular watering of the “picture” until the moss is firmly established in the territory provided to it.
Hello, dear forum users and site guests! Sphagnum moss is one of the most necessary components for growing violets. Its properties and uses have been written about many times, so I won’t dwell on it. Ready-made moss is rarely sold in stores, so most city residents have to order it online or look for on our own. Today I will tell you how you can find moss in an unfamiliar forest.
Typically, winter in our area rarely lasts more than 2 months, and moss can be harvested at any time. This year, the snow melted only in mid-April and the moss reserves came to an end; we had to get out into the forest on the very first warm day. In all the lowlands there is melt water, forming picturesque lakes.
The moss has not yet woken up, thoroughly saturated with snow water.
But these are familiar places, so I quickly typed anyway required amount moss for current needs. And last spring I simply missed the bus and decided to look for moss in another forest, where they told me it was there. Finding moss in an unfamiliar forest is more difficult, but it is a completely solvable task if you know what signs to look for. Sphagnum grows in swampy lowlands, along the banks of forest streams and small swamp lakes.
In coniferous forests and oak groves the place is not suitable for it; it is extremely rarely found there. Tall aspen trees, which love wet lowlands, can be a reference point; sphagnum moss can be found under them.
In early spring, aspen trees bloom with gray fluffy catkins, showering everything around with them.
And so the long-forgotten touching song began to sound:
"The earring is alder, light, like down,
But if you touch her, everything in the world will turn out to be wrong..."
This time everything is the same for us, under the aspen trees it is the necessary sphagnum. Waking up after winter, sphagnum begins to grow quickly, forming soft green cushions.
There are many varieties of sphagnum, but the most suitable for violets is this one. In hollows with forest streams, overgrown with alder, there is a variety of sphagnum with thick, long, up to 25 cm stems of a juicy green color, but such moss rarely grows in cushions and is often densely stitched with sharp marsh grass.
In dry times, the moss cushions dry out and become almost white, which is why sphagnum is also called white moss.
Often there are sphagnum cushions with thin openwork stems, but such moss is not very suitable, it quickly dries out and crumbles into dust.
But on my way I met a distant relative of our Saintpaulias - the forest violet.
Yes, not alone - but with a “tenant”
Forest blood-sucking ticks have grown in incredible numbers in recent decades. They wake up in early spring with the first warm days, and go into hibernation in late August - early September.
And now they are multiplying en masse in recreation areas of city residents and in all spontaneous forest dumps.
Sometimes you just want to scream, seeing all this: today you brought a girl to a barbecue and didn’t take your trash back, feeling like a hero, but tomorrow you will come here with your children, and ticks, in gratitude for the shelter, can cripple them for life.
I rarely return from the forest now without uninvited guests pestering me. Here's one of these crawling along the lining of my windbreaker...
But if you're afraid of ticks, don't go into the forest, and I can't deprive myself of such pleasure. Spring is an amazing time. The forest is covered with green haze, white anemones are agitated in the wind.
Gentle and touching Caroline liverworts look trustingly and sincerely.
The first mushrooms woke up in the baking heat, I don’t dare check how edible they are :)
Bright marigolds shine with a deceptive fire - he ran into the light and swam in the icy water.
I hope my walk will help someone find moss in an unfamiliar forest. But even if it’s not there (well, it doesn’t grow in these parts!), the impressions from the walk will last for a long time.
Most of us only know about mosses and lichens that they are the most simple types plants, and also that depending on which side the moss grows on, you can somehow get out of the forest if you get lost. But terms such as “bryology” or “sphagnum” may be incomprehensible to anyone who is not a professional biologist, florist or aquarist. Let's fill the gap in knowledge, because it's quite interesting!
What are mosses and where are they found?
Mosses (more accurately called bryophytes) are a division of the plant kingdom that unites species in the reproduction cycle of which the “gametophyte” life stage (sexual generation with a single set of unpaired chromosomes) predominates over the “sporophyte” stage (asexual generation).
The scientific definition of mosses is bryophytes, hence the name of the branch of botany that studies them - bryology. The vast majority of bryophytes belong to the class of phyllophytes.
The stems of these plants, located above the surface of the earth, are dotted with small leaves-outgrowths, while underground part has many long filamentous processes, the so-called rhizoids. Representatives of this species have both similarities and significant differences from their relatives in the kingdom.
Mosses, like fungi and bacteria, reproduce by spores. At this early and transient asexual stage of their life cycle, bryophytes are a simple formation (sporophyte) in the form of a box on a stalk, physiologically related to its mother plant. 
The sporophyte performs one single function - it ensures the maturation of spores, after which it quickly dries out and dies.
The bryophyte of the sexual generation - the second stage of the life cycle - is perennial(gametophyte), which has a semblance of root processes and leaf-like outgrowths. However, this is only an external resemblance to deciduous plants.
Important! Mosses have neither roots, nor flowers, nor a vascular conducting system in the traditional sense of these terms.
Due to the lack of a true root system, mosses have a critical dependence on air humidity, up to a complete suspension of vital activity in dry times. As soon as the humidity level is restored, the plant comes back to life. It is difficult to imagine an area where mosses do not grow.
These plants favorable conditions capable of covering vast areas in forests and inter-forests with a continuous blanket, settling on soil, trees, other plants, stones, sand, in any climatic zones- from the Arctic to the desert. They only do not get along in salty sea water. 
The meaning of mosses
The importance of mosses in the formation and development of the Earth's biosphere cannot be overestimated. Since prehistoric times, the ancient ancestors of modern lichens, mosses and ferns gradually colonized previously lifeless wastelands, creating as a result of their vital activity the soil cover necessary for other plants, and thus becoming a kind of “pioneers” in the greening of our planet.
Important! Bryophytes are the basis of bog ecosystems. In arid areas, thanks to the ability, like a sponge, to accumulate and retain large volumes of water, mossy thickets prevent the onset of the desert.
In places where they dominate, bryophytes are able to cover vast areas of the earth's surface, serving as a natural refuge for animals and birds. In areas of tundra and permafrost, they are a stabilizing factor that prevents melting underground ice, the formation of landslides and ravines, contribute to the preservation of the terrain.
Video: the meaning of mosses
If we talk about the significance of bryophytes for humans, their use is very diverse. Extracts from certain types of these plants can be used in cosmetology and medicine as tonic, antiseptic and hemostatic agents.
For residents of the Far North, far from civilization, moss is very important as a natural insulation for homes, and, say, in the taiga it can be used as dressing materials when providing medical care.
Decorative species of bryophytes are one of the essential elements landscape design and floral arrangements. And yet, first of all, peat is used in human life - natural deposits of dying sphagnum mosses.
Peat is used:
- as a fuel in the energy sector;
- as a raw material and filler for soil mixtures and fertilizers, as well as mulch in agricultural technology and agriculture;
- as bedding on fur farms and poultry farms;
- as insulation in construction;
- in metallurgy, medicine, chemical industry, ecology and many other industries.
Forest mosses
The forest is an ideal place for bryophytes to grow. Here they live on trees, rocks, along the banks of streams and lakes, preferring moderately shaded, damp places, often covering large spaces with a continuous carpet.
All of them belong to the class of leaf-stemmed mosses, which means they have a stem covered in small leaves in the above-ground (aerial) part, and in the lower, constantly dying part, covered with numerous outgrowths. Different kinds Mosses differ not only in the shape and color of the leaves, but also in the density and direction of growth of the stems. 
It should be noted that in warm and humid weather, mossy thickets always have a lush and juicy appearance, playing with colors from bluish-green to yellow-brown, which creates a truly delightful sight. In the absence of moisture, all this splendor quickly fades, as if covered with a thick layer of dust.
The most common representatives of forest bryophytes include:
- Climatium.
The above-ground part of the climatium is a low stalk (up to 15 centimeters), which rises vertically, branching several times in a bush-like manner in all directions, and indeed resembles a small tree. 
The “trunk” and “branches” of this tree are dotted with small scaly leaves, which, when dry, play bright yellowish-green shades.
Did you know? Interestingly, mosses can “wake up” even after a very long period of freezing. So, in 2014, scientists discovered samples of frozen mosses at the South Pole. Their age was determined to be 1530 years. After some two or three weeks spent in an incubator with suitable conditions, moss began to grow. Among bryologists this event was perceived as a sensation.
The lower (underground) part of the stem is creeping, dotted with barely noticeable rhizoid threads. Branching out, it forms a kind of network, at the nodes of which bushes of the aboveground part rise. The cylindrical capsule of the sporogon is located on a long red stalk and contains from 12 to 15 spores.
Climatium can often be found in bright areas in dense damp forests, near swamps, rivers, and along the shores of lakes. 
This name hides a whole genus of bryophytes, numbering more than forty species.
The most common representatives of this genus are the following:
- mnium, or mnium wavy;
- Mnium rugosa;
- Mnium acuminate or forest;
- average opinion;
- Mnium point;
- Mnium cinclidium.
The main feature of Mnium is its rather large (up to 5 mm) oval-shaped leaves, freely located in one plane on two opposite sides on a single stalk not exceeding five centimeters in length.
Did you know? Surprising is the fact that the living cells of the leaves of the mnium are also located in the same plane. In other words, the sheet has the minimum possible thickness - only one cell.
In dry weather, mnium leaves become extremely wrinkled and greatly reduced in size. Sporogon has an oval box hanging from a yellowish-red stalk, no more than 3 centimeters long. From 17 to 30 spores can ripen in a capsule (depending on the variety).
Mnium is distributed everywhere, mainly in forests, preferring densely planted pine forests with moist soil. It often settles on stones and old stumps, forming bright green thickets.
In pine and spruce forests (always with an admixture of pine) you can find one of the most elegant bryophytes - ptilium. Despite its widespread distribution, it almost never forms a continuous blanket on the ground, preferring to settle at the base of trees, forming single but dense thickets of pale yellow or yellow-green color with a silky tint. 
Ptilium has stems of medium height (can reach 20 centimeters), from which many densely arranged branches with leaves extend in opposite directions. In appearance, these formations resemble a bird's feather or fern leaves. The leaves of this moss, unlike Mnium, are very small, narrow (up to 1 mm), pointed, with many longitudinal folds.
The spore capsule is cylindrical, slightly flattened, and almost always located horizontally. The leg of the sporogon is red in color and is from 2 to 5 centimeters in length. The number of spores in a box is from 10 to 14 pieces.
There are many different landscapes in the forest zone. These include forest thickets, hilly meadows, fields, and even rock formations. However, the swamp is a special, unique world! It takes decades to form, but can live for millennia, while constantly expanding and capturing more and more new territories.
Surprisingly, it is moss that contributes to this. More precisely, its representatives are sphagnids. Sphagnum, also called white or peat moss, is a genus that unites more than forty species of bog mosses, a reliable identification of each of which is possible only through microscopic examination. 
It is a small, bunch-branched stem covered with small leaves arranged in a spiral. The color of the plant varies from yellowish-green to purple-red (depending on the variety). There are no rhizoids on the lower (underwater) part of the stem.
Sphagnum has a certain set of unusual properties that distinguish it from other bryophytes. The first feature is that the stem of sphagnum grows only upward.
In this case, the lower part of the stem (usually located under water) dies off, turning into peat, at approximately the same rate as the upper part grows (about one millimeter per year). This method of existence can ensure a lifespan of more than one thousand years (for reference: other mosses live no more than 10 years).
Did you know? The Witmoor bog (Germany) has a peat layer about 18 meters deep,and its age is about 2000 years.
The next feature of sphagnids is that they synthesize acids that prevent the development of bacteria, which significantly slows down the processes of decay in swamps and promotes the formation of peat. The acidic environment, in addition, suppresses competitors and allows them to capture new living spaces.
Another property of sphagnum is the ability to absorb and retain water due to the presence of special cells with a porous structure. During periods of high humidity, this moss is able to accumulate huge amounts of liquid, which also leads to a shift in the water balance and the capture of new territories.
Rhodobrium, or rosette-shaped rhodobrium, is another representative of leafy mosses that can be found in coniferous forests (mainly spruce). If the coniferous litter is well moistened, rhodobrium is found on it in the form of many small bunches of dark green color - rosettes of leaves, slightly raised above the ground, each on its own stem. 
The stem is single, up to 10 cm in height, and may have branching shoots in both the upper (apical) and lower (underground) parts. The apical shoots often grow through the rosette. In the grounded part the stem is covered with rhizoid fluff.
The leaves of Rhodobrium have an ovoid-elongated shape, reach 10 mm in length, are slightly twisted, and pointed closer to the top. Each bunch can contain from 15 to 20 leaves. Leaves of this size are considered quite large compared to other leafy mosses.
If you look at the rhodobrium rosette from the side, you can note its resemblance to a palm tree. The spore capsules rise above the rosette on thick red stalks, have an oblong shape and are capable of carrying up to 18 spores.
This species is widespread in the taiga zone of mid-southern latitudes, and is less common in the north. Listed in the Red Book. 
This moss is very widespread. It is often found in coniferous forests, and often it forms the basis of the moss cover of forest soils. It gravitates more towards the northern regions; there is a lot of it in permafrost areas and deserts of the Arctic.
Did you know? Buddhist monks created entire moss gardens, the most famous of which is located in a monastery near Kyoto and is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.
Hylocomium has a multi-stage arched stem up to 20 centimeters long, usually red in color. Each new arch corresponds to the next year of plant development and is laid just below the top of last year’s arch.
The formed stem arch branches strongly in three or four places, forming a stepped, inclined-ascending structure. The stem and its branches are densely dotted with leaves, which are tiny green scales, difficult to distinguish by the eye due to their size. 
Hylocomium sporulates in the spring. Sporoghon is formed at the top of last year's stem just above the young green shoot. The slightly curved, ovoid spore capsule, located on a low reddish stalk, stores from 12 to 17 spores.
Thus, mosses are a completely independent and amazingly diverse kingdom in the general world of plants. You can devote your whole life to studying them, and still many mysteries will remain unsolved.
One thing can be said with certainty: if there were no mosses, our planet would be completely different, because it is these plants that ensure the course of many biological processes, and even our civilized life practically cannot do without them.
Sphagnum is a type of bog moss (peat moss) that belongs to the sphagnum family - Sphagnaceae. Has unusual properties. This amazing sphagnum moss tolerates the unfavorable conditions of swamps very well. Every gardener knows where it grows. And it can also grow on tree trunks, stones, metal and even glass.
Sphagnum is a perennial plant that has no roots. It is a branched stalk, with the lower part gradually dying off. Moss branches are covered with small leaves growing in a spiral.
The development cycle of sphagnum is the same as that of other mosses. Sex cells are formed on the gametophyte plant. In place of the egg after their fusion, a sporogon is formed. Spores ripen in its box. And the germinated spores give rise to a new gametophyte.
It only grows from the top. Its lower part is constantly dying. Sphagnum is always moving towards the light, upward. And the lower dying part turns into peat. The top of the shoot is always green, and the part that is immersed in water looks slightly whitish. And even lower the plant acquires a light brown color. Sphagnum moss (photo) looks great.
During the wet season, it is capable of absorbing water up to 20 times its own weight. Translated from Greek, sphagnos is a sponge. Hence the name of the plant. It grows more often in the temperate zone and in the Northern Hemisphere, but it can also be found in the subtropics. You can find it in abundance in the raised bog. The bright green fluffy carpet in the photo is sphagnum moss.
Properties of sphagnum
The plant has three important properties that make it indispensable in floriculture:
- Breathability. Allows the earthen substrate to be kept moist without increasing its weight.
- Hygroscopicity. Humidification always occurs evenly and moisture is released into the substrate in the same dosed and uniform manner. The soil mixture will always be sufficiently moist, but not waterlogged.
- Antibacterial and disinfectant properties moss is even used in medicine. Substances contained in sphagnum prevent root rotting indoor plants from rotting and other problems.
Application
Sphagnum is used as an earthen component for indoor plants. It can be added to the soil to improve the quality, making it loose, moist and nutritious.
Sphagnum moss is also used in other capacities:
- to cover the soil;
- as drainage for indoor plants;
- as a mat;
- for air humidification;
- for storing onions and root vegetables in winter;
- to protect plants from fungal diseases;
- for making hanging baskets and supports for plants with aerial roots.
He is adored by indoor begonia, saintpaulia, dracaena, dieffenbachia, monstera, azalea, sansiveria, and crassula. It is used for home germination of seeds and further rooting of shoots. Violet leaves take root well in it.
How to harvest moss?
It is best to harvest it in the fall, but it can also be collected at other times of the year. Sphagnum is removed very easily. But it is recommended to take only the upper parts, cutting them off with a knife or scissors.
It is not collected in swampy places, where it is very saturated with moisture. It is better to do this near trees.
You can collect sphagnum in the following ways:
- Removing the plant with roots.
- Cutting off the surface upper part.
Cut moss must be thoroughly squeezed to reduce weight. Brought home the plant needs to be filled with warm water for 40 minutes. This will rid it of insects and saturate it with moisture.
Store moss in unsealed plastic bags. This will allow him to breathe. In winter, moss can be stored simply in the cold.
Sphagnum moss: features and preparation
How to dry moss?
They dry it on hangers. This is the most the best way drying. Sphagnum hanging on hangers It ventilates well and retains its elasticity. Hangers are made from small tree trunks. They are placed under a canopy to protect the moss from bad weather.
Sphagnum moss in medicine
The chemical composition of sphagnum represents a number of substances beneficial to the human body. The plant is a natural antibiotic from the group of phenols.
Its ability to absorb large volume the liquid is used as natural cotton wool. Sphagnum moss is also capable of disinfecting wounds. It is used in the treatment of purulent wounds, burns and frostbite.
Highly efficient filters for water purification are made based on this plant.
You can safely drink water from a sphagnum bog. It has a slightly dark color because it is infused with peat. But there are no pathogens in it.
Sphagnum moss - an assistant to flower growers
Lovers of indoor plants know how beneficial it is for flowers. It can be placed on the soil of plants when saturated with water. The soil in the pot will remain moist for a long period of time.
They use it and for germinating seeds of indoor plants. And for dense rooting of cuttings, chopped plant stems are added to the soil.
Gardeners use this plant to store tubers of various garden crops. To do this, they are freed from the ground and wrapped in wet pieces of sphagnum. The lumps are placed in a cardboard box and left in a cool and dark place. The tubers will remain fresh and intact until the next planting.
Important! Use peat on garden plot from sphagnum bogs is not recommended. It will strongly acidify the soil, and this is contraindicated for many garden crops.
What is so wonderful about sphagnum? Its significance in nature is enormous. After all, this is moss that creates swamps. That's right - not just living in a swamp, but creating them! From sphagnum, to a very large extent, reserves of such valuable natural wealth as peat are formed.
Sphagnum (Sphagnum, sphagnum, peat moss, white moss) is a perennial bog moss that forms so-called sphagnum bogs.
Its peculiarity is that it actually has no roots - its lower part gradually dies off and turns into peat, while the upper part continues to grow.
Properties of sphagnum
- Amazing hygroscopicity
- Excellent breathability
- Antibacterial properties
- Sphagnum does not contain nutrients and is acidic (pH about 3.0).
- According to available data, sphagnum itself is not susceptible to any diseases.
Application of sphagnum 
- Laying logs
- Transportation of root crops
- Floristics
- Medicine
- Detergents and disinfectants
- Floriculture
Sphagnum moss will stop bleeding from a wound. It will be useful to wash the burn with water squeezed from a bunch of sphagnum. Or apply moss to the burned area. It’s a good idea to put a pad of sphagnum moss under a splint applied to a broken arm or leg - this will soften the pain and help avoid swelling.
To eliminate the unpleasant odor from shoes, it is enough to place several stalks of sphagnum moss as insoles. By the way, this will help cope with such a difficult-to-treat disease as foot fungus!
The water flowing from the sphagnum bog can be drunk completely without fear. It is usually dark because it is infused with peat. But there are no pathogenic microorganisms in it - a biological filter made of sphagnum mosses did its best!
Sphagnum moss is also used in the construction of wooden buildings. Logs from the log house are laid on it (as well as on the cuckoo flax). Due to the peculiarities of its structure, moss has low thermal conductivity and reliably insulates the interior from the cold outside. Sphagnum moss also disinfects logs from pests (for example, fungus).
Lay the moss as follows. A bunch of moss is taken, loosened a little and placed on the logs. Then you need to press it a little with your palm. The next portion of moss is laid so as to overlap the previous bunch by about five centimeters. The thickness of the moss layer should be about one and a half centimeters.
How to collect moss 
- To collect moss, it is better to choose a non-swampy area, the most appropriate place moss collection - this is near trees, where the moss is least watery
- There are two ways to collect sphagnum:
completely removing it along with the roots (this makes it larger in volume, but it requires a long, thorough cleaning);
cutting off the upper surface part with a knife - it turns out smaller, longer, but better. - Sphagnum moss can be collected and laid in bunches
- Harvesting sphagnum is done mainly by hand. For harvesting, places are selected in which the moss of the desired type is as free as possible from plant impurities
- Moss is collected selectively, in “trenches” 20-30 cm wide with the same spaces between them, left untouched. This allows the moss to gradually recover in the collection areas. Repeated harvesting in such an area is possible only after 7-10 years
- For medicinal purposes, the entire living part of sphagnum is used and harvested. Harvesting is carried out from May to September in dry sunny weather.
To collect sphagnum you will need:
- Rubber boots
- Plastic bags
- Plaster (the number of cuts can be large - I know from myself! And mostly not from a knife, but from sedge, which often grows through sphagnum).
- Gloves (they are not so convenient to work in, but they still protect your hands)
Drying moss
Drying moss on hangers is the most suitable way to dry moss. Moss hung on a hanger is well ventilated, maintaining its elasticity. Hangers are made from trunks and small trees. 
A – support posts
B – jibs for stability of the rack
B – place for laying moss
Hung, placed under a canopy, covering the moss from rain, fog and sun.
Keeping Sphagnum Alive
To keep sphagnum alive, it must be stored in closed plastic bags in frost or cold (refrigerator or freezer), we store it outside. When necessary, defrost it and it will come to life! Everything is as in natural conditions! You can also grow moss: cut off the green parts of the moss and place them in a tray with wet peat, remembering to water it constantly. They say it looks beautiful! :)
Moss - to help the gardener
Gardeners, and especially those who grow domestic plants, often use this swamp moss. Fans of rare orchids simply cannot do without it.
And those who go on vacation can entrust the “watering” of flowers to sphagnum moss - just wet the moss and cover the plant in the pot with it. The soil will remain moist for a long time.
Housewives used this moss to germinate seeds, and this experience was adopted by gardeners. And for good rooting of cuttings, chopped sphagnum stems can be mixed into the soil.
But you shouldn’t use peat from a sphagnum bog in the garden! Indeed, due to the abundance of organic acids, such peat strongly acidifies the soil, which for most cultivated plants unacceptable.
White sphagnum moss is quite popular among amateur gardeners. This is due, first of all, to its ability to absorb a sufficiently large amount of moisture and retain it for a long time, without any harm to its tissue base. The presence of natural antiseptic substances in the tissues of sphagnum turns it into a good natural antiseptic, so it is no coincidence that the roots of trees and shrubs are wrapped in wet moss to transport seedlings, shrubs and flower crops over long distances.
Many gardeners use sphagnum for storing dug tubers various garden crops. To do this, just dig up the plant tubers, free them from soil and small roots, dry them and wrap them in damp pieces of moss. Place all resulting lumps in a cardboard box and place in a cool, dark place. This is enough to ensure that the tubers remain fresh and intact until replanting. 
Gardeners use sphagnum as natural fighter of various fungal diseases, powdery mildew, to kill slugs, insect pests and snails. To do this, it is enough to infuse several kilograms of sphagnum in ordinary water, strain the resulting mixture and spray the affected bushes, flowers, or tree trunks several times in the evening. This treatment will be enough for one season. To destroy slugs or snails, it is enough to treat the places where they accumulate with the same liquid.
IN last years has become very popular using sphagnum moss as a natural substrate for making hanging baskets, flower pots, or wooden carved flower pots and various plants. Pieces of sphagnum moss cut to size are used as drainage, which only need to be wetted before use. Such improvised garden additions, to landscape design in the form of various shaped pots, with always fresh and blooming plants, will be a good addition to any garden plot. 