Rewetting Moss?

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dahlt

Registered:1384200021
Posts: 17

Posted 1422240500	Reply with quote #1

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? __________________ MS, Zone-8a In Pots: Black Mission, Royal Vineyard, Nero-600, Hardy Chicago In Ground: Unk. that came with the house Wishlist: LSU Purple, VdB, Olympia

ADelmanto

Registered:1359774201
Posts: 911

Posted 1422240825	Reply with quote #2

Misting. I washed out an old windex sprayer and used that. You are not aiming for wet so much as really humid. __________________ https://www.facebook.com/From-The-Ground-Up-403313193085649/

rafaelissimmo

Registered:1335639347
Posts: 1,473

Posted 1422241072	Reply with quote #3

I agree with Aaron. Too much water can cause mold and rot. Not enough can cause a cutting to dry out. __________________ Zone 7b, Queens, New York

needaclone

Registered:1346812939
Posts: 604

Posted 1422242613	Reply with quote #4

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 __________________ Clarksburg, NJ - Zone 6b Wishlist - A wise man recommended: Nero600M . Malta Black . Tacoma (Takoma) Violet . Gino's . Adriatic JH . Vista Mission . Florea . Atreano . ...also...RdB, Bethlehem Black, Negronne, Grise de St. Jean, Livano, Col de Dame Blanc/Gris/Noir, Vasilika Sika, Longue D'Aout, Italian 258, Pennsylvania 6-5000

coop951

Registered:1217167527
Posts: 596

Posted 1422243295 · Edited	Reply with quote #5

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. __________________ Coop Northern NJ Zone 7a

Let_alone_this_year_also

Registered:1377915674
Posts: 56

Ruuting

Registered:1359310699
Posts: 613

Posted 1422252953	Reply with quote #7

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. __________________ Rui Southeast CT, zone 6B

jdsfrance

Registered:1376988473
Posts: 2,591

Posted 1422269616	Reply with quote #8

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 . __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

Rob

Registered:1320245426
Posts: 550

Posted 1422301712	Reply with quote #9

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. __________________ Rob Maryland Zone 7 http://rbfigs.webs.com/

WillsC

Registered:1348087628
Posts: 1,698

Posted 1422311971	Reply with quote #10

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.

COGardener

Registered:1357441505
Posts: 814

Posted 1422314599	Reply with quote #11

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.

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