LFS naturally acidic?

[Jonathan]

Is Long Fibre Sphagnum Moss naturally acidic? I am thinking of just using pure LFS for my Sundews and all other future cps that I purchase as a planting medium.

 

[steve booth]

Sphagnum when growing makes hydrogen ions and therefore keeps everything acidic as it grows. Dead LFS has limited effect

Cheers
Steve

 

[Hal]

As Steve says, sphagnum is neutral. Peat moss is acidic and most CP mixes use 50% peat. Sphagnum is good for a top dressing or for growing seeds.

 

[Jonathan]

Can dead LFS only still be suitable as a potting medium for Carnivorous Plants? Or does is have to be acidic for them to thrive?

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

Dried LFS can be an excellent medium for certain CP's.

 

[Jonathan]

Dried LFS can be an excellent medium for certain CP's.

Dried? Do you mean Dead?

If you mean dead LFS can temperate CP's such as Sarrs,Sundews and VFT's be planted in pure dead LFS?

 

[steve booth]

Yes, in as much as Sphagnum moss peat is dead Sphagnum just a bit further down the decomposition ladder and when put in pots looses its acidity over time due to watering etc, so does LFS.
Depending on your source ‘dead’ LFS can carry spores that will grow when kept wet, others are sterilised.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Jonathan]

Yes, in as much as Sphagnum moss peat is dead Sphagnum just a bit further down the decomposition ladder and when put in pots looses its acidity over time due to watering etc, so does LFS.
Depending on your source ‘dead’ LFS can carry spores that will grow when kept wet, others are sterilised.
Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve!
So just checking to be sure if I understand what you are saying is Temperate CP's can be potted in pure dead LFS with no Peat mixed into it, correct? I just don't want to kill my CP's when I move out west

 

[WillyCKH]

Peat moss is the decomposed sphagnum moss. You can plant a lot of different CPs in dried sphagnum moss, temperate ones will be fine too.
In a big, simplified bog, the first layer is the live sphagnum moss, then the dead sphagnum moss, and going deeper you will find the black decomposed peat moss.

 

[steve booth]

As Wiily says, yes without any problems

 

[Jonathan]

Thanks guys!!