Sphagnum moss
Sphagnum moss – not houseplants, but if you are fond of potted floriculture, without it you can not do. It will help keep moisture in the pot, make a loose substrate. With sphagnum can easily take root cuttings from the vending you plant. A reference book on indoor gardening sphagnum mentioned as one of the main components of soil mixtures. You can buy in the store. So what is this plant? Have you ever been on upland bogs? Where the heady scent of wild rosemary, which is blue speyut blueberries and red berries lingonberry and cranberry, comfortably ensconced on cushions of light, almost white, moss? Reached for the berries and, having descended from natoptannoy path, stepped on a soft fluffy carpet … Springy moss under foot, holds rights. This luxurious rug is woven from sphagnum. Take a piece of moss in your hand, squeeze – and the palm becomes wet. Lift the fist, and moss sponge will deal again. Sphagnum – unusually moss moisture capacity: 40 g of dry sphagnum able to absorb 1 liter of water, and some species and up to 1.5 liters. Perhaps you pay attention, that in dry summers sphagnum moss, especially in – the high places, loses its elasticity, becomes dry and very light, rustling underfoot. But it will rain, and the moss once again be fed with moisture.
This feature sphagnum store water for a rainy day “due to its cellular structure. Some cells in sphagnum narrow and long, they contain chlorophyll and have a green color. Others, lying between the chloro-fillonosnymi – large, dead, and therefore colorless, they who are the reservoirs for water. It is because of the large number of colorless cells of the moss seems so bright. Long ago, people have noticed this feature and use sphagnum moss to prevent dampness in the house. Sphagnum peat or sphagnum pressed into plates with thickness 5-10 cm, and they filled the gaps between the ceiling beams and uprights of the wall. Over plates of mossy walls and ceiling plank. If the plate is made of thick, more than 8 cm, sphagnum mixed with clay to plate is dissipated. In addition to the regulation of humidity, a plate of sphagnum acted as an insulating material, so as not letting the heat and sound, and prevents decay. That is why the log-caulked sphagnum. The material was readily available and virtually no cost, was going to the nearest swamp.
We sphagnum is another great feature. It has powerful antibacterial properties, because it contains a special antiseptic substance sfagnol. Even during the First World War, this moss was used as a dressing. Sphagnum-gauze pads and pencils sphagnum helped the wounded during the Great Patriotic War. Sphagnum grows slowly (up to 3 cm per year), while the lower part gradually dies and turns into peat. Such peat – fine fuel, it gives a lot of heat and forms a little ash. Its use and kakudobrenie, and as bedding for livestock. In a dry hummock in the old days kept the winter supplies of fruit and vegetables. And, of course, turf – the most important part of the land GOVERNMENTAL mixtures for plants. It is loose and moisture capacity, especially good for young plants have not yet renewed with the root system. In the indoor horticulture is widely used not only turf, but also the sphagnum. When the room is hot and dry, the earth in the pot dries quickly. Cover the top layer of sphagnum, and it will retain the necessary moisture. This uncomplicated way to help with the content of orchids and Bromeliads, delicate species of fern. The structure of the substrate for these plants must include sphagnum peat or sphagnum. This moss is indispensable for the content of epiphytes accumulate water as the material. Plants can absorb moisture as needed.
The water will stay fresh – sphagnum will not let bacteria multiply, which means there will be no podgnivaniya root system. In preparing such mixtures usually 3 parts of the cortex and 3 of the congestion charge 1 part sphagnum peat or sphagnum. The exact proportions and their components are selected individually for each specific type of plant. Very sensitive to humidity and Qalat Maranta will be better to grow if the soil cover above sphagnum. Moss not only keeps moisture in the pot, but also by evaporating from the water helps to maintain a gentle form of leaves. Good results are achieved by adding sphagnum in pochvennyu mixture for planting, which tend to rot the root system. Most Araceae (Aglaonema and Anthurium, allokazii and philodendron, Monstera, and rubber plants) prefer that the soil mixture was added sphagnum. Their roots are better developed in the loose substrate that does not rot. In some plants, such as balsam or geranium cuttings are easily rooted in a glass of water. But many kinds of cuttings in such a rapidly rot. Try to implant them in sphagnum moss. Take a small tray, fill it with sphagnum, soak so that the moss is well soaked, drain the excess water and place the cuttings in the moss, so that they were located obliquely to the surface. In this way, well rooted violets epistsii, Fitton.
Araceae plants with thick and succulent stems, you must first prepare. Cut stalk slightly dried, leaving to lie on the air, then cut rubbing crushed activated carbon h and only then dip cuttings into the moss. So come with disffenbahiey, philodendron, Monstera. In figs cut scion first washed with water to wash speaking latex and then dried, sprinkled with charcoal and immersed in a tray with sphagnum. The room can be too dry, so the cuttings cover the tray with foil, but not dense, and so remained the access of air, airs or shanks, removing foil for one hour 1-2 times a day. With the help of sphagnum can get rooted cuttings directly on the ground (uterine) plant. Diffenbachia, dracaena, kordilina, ficus elastic, grow, become slovenly. stalk bends under the weight of leaves may break down, the lower part is losing leaves, becoming ugly. And in general, large plants are not always to a place in the house. Pre-prepare for an operation. You will need a sharp knife, a piece of foil, wire or twine, sphagnum moss and a bowl of water. Usually perpetuate the top with a few healthy leaves or pairs of leaves. stepped back to 5-10 cm below the leaf, with a sharp knife carefully cut the skin around the stem, cutting ring width 1-1,5 see second way – not only to remove a narrow ring of skin, but also make a cut to the center of the stem to 1 / 3 f th diameter.
Processed thus plot stem wrap the sphagnum, previously well moistened it in a bowl with water, and tie wrap. In the film, leave a small hole so you can control the humidity of moss. When the moss dries, moisten it with water. On average, a month inside of a plastic bag will roots. Piping removed, cut offshoot received and planted it in the pound, after his winter coat cut coal. In the old (uterine), cut the plant stem and handle coal. After some time at this plant will wake up dormant buds from which will develop side shoots. This method receive two-, tricrotic copies. In the dry sphagnum moss and sphagnum peat in the winter can save the tubers and bulbs gloxinia, ahiminesa and other houseplants. This method is applicable for storage of bulbs of garden plants.