Can Sphagnum Moss Be Revived?

The vein-less pale green or deep red colored moss that you might have been using in your gardening or for other purposes mostly in dried form is called Sphagnum moss. They are also known as peat moss or bog moss. Dried sphagnum is used for gardening mostly due to its ability to hold water for a long time. But green Sphagnum moss is used to treat wounds, infections, personal hygiene, and baby care. Also, Sphagnum moss has a carpet-like texture that catches the attention of gardeners.

For so many benefits of having Sphagnum moss many of our fellow gardeners are intrigued to grow it in their homes. Most commonly seen Sphagnum mosses come in dry form or as a pit that can be used in gardening, which makes the need for it to be revived. But when we look at the pale brown color of the moss and have so many theories about the sphagnum moss, it is very normal for you to wonder and ask Can Sphagnum Moss Be Revived? If it’s possible, how can we do that? if not, why they would not revive? Well then sit back and explore all the possibilities and reasons.

Key Takeaways

Sphagnum Moss Is Revivable Or Not?

The answer to this question is not that simple, to be honest. It’s yes you can and no you cannot. Don’t get paranoid about the answer since we are going to discuss why the answer has to be so complex. Sphagnum is vineless moss, they can grow up to 30cm tall. They have phyllids or leaflike structures and due to their interconnected enlarged dead cells, sphagnum have external openings from where water can enter into their bodies. The dried form of the sphagnum has so many uses in gardening and producing secondary products. On the other hand, green Sphagnum has direct use for medical purposes. There are mixed responses on the topic of sphagnum being revivable and not. Why this is so, let’s find out.

Reasons behind sphagnum being revivable

Sphagnum moss has a tendency to hold water through its cells. Sphagnum moss can hold 20 times more water than their actual body weight. This moisture content of their body keeps the Sphagnum alive for a long time. Also as the sphagnum dries, it shrinks and creates internal pressure that casts the lid off and shoots the spores as far as 10 cm. Even though your sphagnum is dried and brown there will be sprouts that can grow new plants as they are nurtured thoroughly. Reviving the Sphagnum might take a long time but in the end, it will eventually grow. If you harvested the sphagnum or have got them from somewhere they have not gone through any of the processing, then no matter how brown you may feel they look, there is a high chance the sphagnum will grow. But for reviving sphagnum, a few things must be present in your Sphagnum moss:

• Make sure the sphagnum did not go through any kind of processing or the moss you bought is not a preserved moss.
• Having some green spots on the body of the sphagnum will secure the reviving possibilities.
• This can also depend on the brand of Sphagnum you are using, so choose your sphagnum very wisely.
• Sphagnum must have spores or at least brown-shaped capsules from where the spore’s dust can come out.

So all the gardeners who have been growing Sphagnum have the kind of moss which have the potential and above mention characteristics. But in most cases, the Sphagnum Moss ends up not being revivable, in the next part we will see why.

Reasons behind sphagnum being non-revivable

In the market, sphagnum is found dried and they tend to dry out pretty easily, because of their over-transpiration rate, water evaporates from the cells of sphagnum as the outer environment dries out. If you have bought a block of dehydrated sphagnum and thinking of revving them by any of the methods, it is not possible for them to revive. There are a few reasons behind that:

• The sphagnum sold in the stores have been dehydrating for a long time which means they have lost all their moisture content by the time you got the sphagnum on your hands.
• When the sphagnum is turned into blocks for selling or for other usage, sphagnums are sterilized. In this process, all their spores have died. That is why there is no possibility for them to come back to life, even though sphagnum can hold their moisture and energy for a while.

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Misconceptions about sphagnum moss

If none of the sphagnums can be revived for all the reasons above, why do some people get Sphagnum growing on their yards once they let them sit there? Well, this can happen either they have the perfect conditions fulfilled where sphagnum can grow (mentioned above) or there might be other reasons behind that for the people to think, they have revived very dried old sphagnum moss. In most cases, one of two can happen:

Growing a different species

Gardeners share their success stories of growing sphagnum moss just after one month of putting them in the soil.; but I really hate to break it down, they are not sphagnum moss. If someone grows sphagnum moss from the dried-up pit this would at least take nine months for them to turn green. The species, those gardeners seem to have grown is green algae, which has darker green color than sphagnum. So if you are thinking someone has grown their sphagnum from dried ones just in one month, it is not.

 Mixed-up seeds

The dried-up pit of sphagnum often is full of many other plant seeds. This is why when someone tries to grow sphagnum from the dry brick it is really common to get sprouts but that is not sphagnum sprouts but rather other unknown plants. There is a high possibility for them to just get some fuzzy leaves.

There is more chance of sphagnum moss not being able to revive because of all the reasons here. Still, you always take a chance for being able to revive them and might get lucky to grow sphagnum and cover your yard with beautiful carpet. If you are to take the chance the next part is for you.

Guide To Reviving Sphagnum Moss

Since there are possibilities for dehydrated mosses to revive, giving it a try is never a waste. Since this is not very common to everyone there might be complications and confusion on how would you even start with the reviving process, rest assured because here you will find the step-by-step guide to revive your dehydrated Sphagnum.

Step 1: Choose the perfect sphagnum moss

Choosing the perfect sphagnum moss is vital, so they will grow and you will not be disappointed after waiting for a long time. Choose the sphagnum that has not been processed because processing means using chemical components on mosses that would never grow. So choose dehydrated sphagnum not preserved ones.

Step 2: put the mosses on the pot

Put some sphagnum moss in a pot. You should never overcrowd the pot by squishing a lot of the moss rather keep it very loose, so all moss can access water, moisture, and oxygen. Making the mosses too clustered would make them rot.

Step 3: Soaking with water

Once the sphagnum is placed nicely inside the pot, you have to fill it with water. First, take a generous amount of water and fill the pot and then squeeze out access water. Soaking the sphagnum moss with water would instantly give a moisture boost. You can immediately tell the difference between dehydrated sphagnum and moisten sphagnum.

Step 4: Sealing rehydrated sphagnum

After the dehydrated sphagnum have moisture on them put a seal over the pot, you can use plastic wrap for that. Don’t forget to poke dots in the plastic wrap so the sphagnum can collect oxygen from the air.

Step 5: Nurturing

After you have set the perfect condition for the sphagnum moss to grow, put just enough light and sprinkle water for keeping the moisture in. Putting the sphagnum in direct sunlight or an overheated place is a no-no. This would dry out the sphagnum. Even though you would not want to put direct sunlight on the sphagnum but always want to keep it in a place where airflow is good and it gets light. Keeping the sphagnum in a dark place would give an ideal space for other parasites to grow.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Sphagnum is a moss that has several beneficiaries, be it in dry form or in its original form. They are always loved by gardeners and other people. The curiosity among everyone about the growth of sphagnum occurs due to the pretty look and fun to grow nature. Many have been successful to grow sphagnum from the dehydrated ones and many could not bag a success. Keeping the details about how to look for the sphagnum that can be revived could always be a help. Also why most of the time dehydrated sphagnum is not a thing that can be revived, you will know from here, through which you can be at ease. If you found the perfect sphagnum that can be revived, then go ahead and follow the easy and simple steps to grow some for your garden. It is fun to grow anyway.

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