Masso Garden Sphagnum Moss in 5-litre bag

The Masso Garden sphagnum of class 1 is a 100% natural and plant-based fibrous substrate. It is a kind of moss devoid of nutrients, with an acidic pH but a good water retention capacity. This plant 'sponge' is used to cultivate carnivorous and epiphytic plants that grow without soil, such as orchids, bromeliads, or elk horns. It is also a preferred substrate for creating green walls and frames.

The approximately 3000 species of sphagnum belong to the genus Sphagnum, related to mosses (bryophytes) commonly found in our gardens' wet and shaded areas. This plant, which has evolved very little over millennia and can adapt to difficult living conditions, is widespread in peat bogs, which constitute the living and renewable part. The submerged and oxygen-deprived sphagnum decomposes slowly, gradually transforming into blond peat, brown peat, coal, and petroleum over hundreds or even millions of years.

Sphagnum can absorb about twenty times its weight in water, gradually releasing it to the plant roots. It is made up of long fibres measuring up to 9-10 cm. It can be re-moistened as its dry fibres do not break. This plant has antibacterial properties and stimulates root formation, allowing for good plant recovery and attachment. Used alone as a growing medium, it is a naturally aerated material that prevents the rotting of roots sensitive to excess moisture and lack of oxygen. With an acidic pH (5.2), sphagnum is particularly suitable for plants sensitive to limestone in the soil.

All these characteristics naturally make it suitable for cultivating so-called epiphytic plants that thrive away from the harmful ground to their root system but still require a certain degree of humidity. The fibrous structure of this plant sponge will retain fertiliser and the little decomposing organic matter trapped in it, creating a very favourable environment for their development. It is used pure for epiphytic orchids (Phalaenopsis, Miltonia, Vanda, Cattleya), bromeliads (Guzmanias, Vriesea, Aechmeas), or certain Tillandsia like the famous Tillandsia usneoides, the Spanish moss. It is also mixed with blond peat and coconut fibre to cultivate carnivorous plants, which, unlike epiphytes, like to have their feet in water (Drosera, Nepenthes, Dionaea).

In the context of a green wall, sphagnum will be attached to a trellis, allowing plants to anchor their roots. A closed-circuit watering system maintains the vertical surface moist and provides a low-dose fertiliser to nourish the plants.

Tips: It is essential to rehydrate the dried sphagnum by soaking it overnight. Twenty litres of water are needed to rehydrate 1 kg of dried sphagnum. The sphagnum swells quickly, but a soaking time of 12 hours will allow optimal fibre rehydration.