Getting Green: Folius Moss Mix on PrimeAgra - Orchid Board

Joseia · #1 02-16-2014, 04:42 PM

Folius moss mix growing directly on PrimeAgra, inside a glass vase.

Below, not the greatest pic, but it shows more of the vase from the side with a better shot of the thickness of the PrimeAgra layer.

Inspired by some of the really good ideas in this forum, I am planning a terrarium build incorporating moss. I bought some dried moss mix from Folius and wanted to start experimenting with the moss in a small way. I found an old glass vase, with a 4 inch diameter and about 5 inches high, and filled the bottom third of the space with PrimeAgra. I used just a small quantity of the moss mix, mixed it with RO water and spread a layer of it directly across the PrimeAgra itself and sealed the top with plastic wrap (with holes punched through for ventilation) and kept it under T5 HO lights. Max temp during the day is 75, drops down to 69 at night. It has been growing for a month now and it seems to be doing well. To my surprise, two small plants are growing also, I think they might be ferns.

In addition to experimenting with the moss, I also want to check out the PrimeAgra again, now that I have an RO system. I bought some PrimeAgra from Ray last year to try out S/H and put a few plants into it, with not-so-good results. I had put the plants into the S/H when they were showing signs of new root growth as directed, but all the new roots kept shriveling and dying as soon as they contacted the PrimeAgra, and I kept seeing LOTS of salt buildup on the PrimeAgra.

After reading on OB, I realized that my problem was not with the PrimeAgra itself, but the quality of my tap water, which averages about 215 ppm throughout the year. After purchasing an RO system from Ray this past Spring, I wanted to try the PrimeAgra again with nice clean water with TDS readings of 8 ppm instead of 215! I figure if I can grow a sensitive plant like moss right on top of the PrimeAgra with RO water, I can grown anything in it. So far, results look very good - I see absolutely no salt buildup in the media. I have also been watering another vase with nothing but PrimeAgra in it and letting it dry out, and still no salts crystallizing on top of the media like the last time around.

Tindomul · #2 02-17-2014, 01:39 PM

Nice growth. I also used folius moss mix in my terrarium and it grew in very nicely. I haven't even used half of the mix I bought. I wonder how long you can keep the stuff dry?

Leafmite · #3 02-17-2014, 04:22 PM

I love moss. Looks great!

Joseia · #4 02-17-2014, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tindomul

Nice growth. I also used folius moss mix in my terrarium and it grew in very nicely. I haven't even used half of the mix I bought. I wonder how long you can keep the stuff dry?

I've been wondering the same thing myself. Nothing on the website about storage of unused mix. I am keeping it in a cool, dry place for now.

isurus79 · #5 02-18-2014, 01:39 PM

Nice! I've got a large tank with moss growing like crazy over the top of my PrimeAgra, which I use solely as my tank media. It looks like an emerald green carpet that's filling in nicely. I'll add a pic when I get home so you can see what yours will eventually look like..

isurus79 · #6 03-03-2014, 08:13 PM

Whoops, I forgot to add the pics! I recently redid my terrarium and its been set up like this for a month or two now. The moss is filling in nicely.

Top View

Moss in terrarium-top view by Isurus79, on Flickr

Side View (not a great pic, but the watering system had recently turned on)

Moss in terrarium-side view by Isurus79, on Flickr

There is a few inches of water in the bottom of the tank so the moss just explodes.

Joseia · #7 03-03-2014, 09:03 PM

Wow, that is an amazing lush carpet of green. At six weeks, mine is starting to fill in, but it is nowhere even close to that! How much light is your moss getting?

isurus79 · #8 03-03-2014, 09:19 PM

Right now the tank gets about 11hrs of light from 4 HO T-5 bulbs that are 2' long. I should say that my moss was in the tank before I redid it, but was no where near as happy.

Joseia · #9 03-03-2014, 10:37 PM

I am using the same light setup, but for 13.5 hours per day. Do you fertilize the moss at all?

isurus79 · #10 03-03-2014, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseia

I am using the same light setup, but for 13.5 hours per day. Do you fertilize the moss at all?

Yes, my misting system goes off 2x per day and has very dilute fertilizer. I'll also be slowly increasing the amount of light exposure to 14 hours per day through summer.