Topics

Rewetting Moss?

Last week I put a bunch of cuttings in a shoe box layered with sphagnum that I had squeezed the water out of.  I just opened up the box and saw that some of the moss has dried out.  How would people recommend re-wetting it?  Misting?  Just pour some in?  Take it all out (checking the cuttings for signs of roots and/or problems) and wet/squeeze again before repacking?

Misting. I washed out an old windex sprayer and used that. You are not aiming for wet so much as really humid.

I agree with Aaron. Too much water can cause mold and rot. Not enough can cause a cutting to dry out.

Don't ;-)
It can't have dried out that much in just a week...
Resist the urge...
...But when you finally do give in, just give it a light misting as suggested.
Cheers,
Jim

I am not a fan of those shoe boxes. I used them last year as I couldnt resist the boxes at $1.00 each at the Dollar store. I found that they aren't as airtight as the Tupperware types of containers and that might be a reason that your moss is drying out. In an airtight container, you will not see that type of drying in a week.
I am a big fan of the more air tight containers and use them for my cuttings. They can also be found at the Dollar stores.
By the way, the containers that the rotisserie chickens come in are quite good too. I have had very good luck with them and collect them all year round.

The moisture has probably "settled" on the bottom of the container.
I would take the cuttings out, mix the sphagnum around, then ball up fist-sized pieces and press them really tightly with your hands.
If that doesn't distribute the moisture again, add a little bit of warm water and squeeze the heck out of the moss, until no water drips out of your fist.
Fluff up the moss and lay the cuttings in it again.
Keep all the cuttings facing in the same direction. Soon you'll have roots, and you don't want to inadvertently pick up a cutting from the wrong end.

Hi dahlt,
I would say that the water went to the bottom of the box, so just flip the box so that the water inside the box will run to the dry areas .
Flip every evening to avoid moisture to settle on one side - of course this means that the box is full and the cuttings won't move and shake around the box badly.
If you don't see moisture reaching the dry area, then mist that part, and start flipping the box around each day on one side, and then next side, then upside down and start again at side 1 .

  • Rob

Misting works.  However if you don't have a mister, then you can also just take the dry sphagnum out of the box, put it in a bowl or cup full of water, let it soak up a bunch of water for a minute, then wring it out again.  Good as new.

I think it's actually a good thing if it's not a tight fit.  I can leave mine for a week at a time and it will dry out a little, but not completely.  But it also is getting some airflow, which helps to prevent mold/rot. 

Take the moss out and ball it up and squeeze, does even a drop of water come out?  If it does it is plenty moist enough. Even if it does not drip if it feels just damp to the touch it is still enough. You DO NOT WANT wet at all just 100% humidity. The plastic shoeboxes from like Walmart have a pretty loose fitting lid.  just take a plastic bag, like a gallon size ziplock and cut both sides off and the zipper top off and lay it over the top of the box then put the lid on and it will make a much better seal and give you that 100% humidity you need.  Wet=rot.


My moss after a month is still plenty moist at the bottom, yet bone dry at the top.  I'm going to remove all of the moss, and refresh it as if it was day 1, then place it all back it back in the bin and continue on. 

Reply Cancel
Subscribe Share Cancel