Has anybody ever grown Spanish moss indoors?
panspipes
18 years ago
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ImANut
18 years agobihai
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Has anyone ver grown a Mango tree up north?
Comments (44)Mike, Unfortunately I have to start over with my ice cream banana because i left it out in the cold. I'm currently moving and might try with a metal halide indoors. While we're on the subject of tropicals though I have a miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) in Al's 5-1-1 by a window with a cfl which is currently flushing yet again. It initally dropped all its leaves back in march but its come all the way back. Hopefully I'll get some fruit from it soon. I also have a second one of these trees- I put it in the 5-1-1 but with Sphagnum instead of peat. It dropped all its leaves and has done nothing at all for the past 3 months. The moss is very slow to dry but I hear these love water so I don't know whats wrong with this one. Maybe it needs humidity indoors to get it kick started. If anyone would know, i'd love to hear. I'm anxious to try growing some citrus this summer. -Greg...See MoreSpanish moss pollution sensitivity
Comments (19)Hi Gonz and Lisa, Thanks for the interesting links. Now I know where the name came from. Also another very interesting pice of information from Gonz's article: Why Moss is Desirable for Stuffing: No known insect will attack moss fibre, eat, destroy or live within it. I wonder if the same applies to the living moss, and if so, could it act as a deterrent to insects if it is draped around the top of pots containing broms? For those who don't know of Lantana, it is a real pest in Australia as the description from a recent A.B.C. Gardening Australia fact sheet explains: "Lantana camara might look like a strikingly attractive plant and in some respects the foliage and flowers are quite beautiful. The species is a genus of the verbena family, native to Mexico, the Carribean and Central and South America. But it is now known as a weed of national significance and is regarded as one of Australia's worst weeds. It's invasive, it has potential to spread and it is impacting on the economy and the environment. Lantana was first recorded in Australia in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens in 1841, and a few years later it had spread to gardens up the east coast of the country. By the 1860s it was reported as a weed in both Sydney and in Brisbane. But in spite of its weed status, a few specimens are located in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Botanica calls lantana the "Jekyll and Hyde of plants" because it's reviled in warmer, wetter parts of world, where it invades pastures and forests and is poisonous to stock, but in cool, temperate parts of the world it forms quite an attractive shrub. Lantana is a problem because it forms a dense thicket. It usually invades disturbed land and river margins, particularly open, sunny areas. Given the right conditions, it spreads quickly. Lantana is a lalopathic, releasing chemicals into the surrounding soil to prevent seed germination, notably of the native flora, so that it eventually takes over native bushland. As with other successful weeds, lantana can spread in different ways. It layers - that is, it produces roots from where the plant touches the ground, and that produces new plants. But more importantly it's propagated by seed. These are ingested by birds and foxes, which spread them through their droppings. This means it can spread over a distance very quickly. But perhaps more importantly, it can produce up to 12,000 seeds from one plant in a year. No wonder it's become a problem weed." I know it's a bit off track but just out of interest for other GW members, I once had an orchid growing mate (about 40 years ago) who had a cousin who owned a farming property in Northern NSW and on his property Spanish Moss didn't grow on the trees, but instead was prolific in amongst the Lantana bushes. Most Australian farmers will quickly eradicate any Lantana on their property but my friend said his cousin preferred to leave it there because he liked the look of the enormous clumps of Spanish Moss hanging from it. It worked for us too, because every time my mate came back from up north, he would bring a large bag full of moss with him which we shared and hung above our orchids, and that is where the Spanish Moss I have in my garden today originally came from. I know it's a useless bit of info., but there it is. All the best, Nev....See Morecan we grow Spanish moss in my area?
Comments (17)Yes quirkpod, you can grow Spanish moss in this area. I live in Kernersville. Many years ago (when I was a child) I stop on the way back from the beach and got a box of spanish moss (got ate up by bugs on the way home). I put some in a holly tree next to my house and it stayed in that tree a few years ( I not sure how long (I was a child and time passed slow for childen)). I think the main thing that happen to it was birds getting it and maybe other childeren takeing some. Don't know why it didn't live for trianglejohn because it is colder here. In the back of my mind I been thinking about getting truck loads and put the Spanish moss on tree in a swamp area (and set up a system to try to keep the air moist). Then the front of my mind tells me that it cost way too much. There is a lot of talk on one of these forms about growing spanish moss. I forgot which one, maybe it is the one on growing moss. I have also saw a map on the net showing place where people have saw spanish moss growing and some are at least as cold as Lewisville NC. As I said mine hung around for a few years(I almost sure) but it was not enought to look good. It would turn green after rains. I would also spry with water hose once and a while....See MoreIs Spanish Moss harmful to Oaks?
Comments (22)Large oaks that are seen in State Parks and other spots , can decline from Hurricanes , drought , lightning strikes , injuries and stress . A weak tree is susceptible to insect damage , bacteria , viruses and other diseases . This is what causes trees to fail - NOT Spanish Moss . susieq - you are dead wrong in your assumptions . Copper fungicide on a bromeliad ( Spanish Moss ) is applying the wrong product on the wrong plant . From IFAS : " Copper as a fungicide has been used in agriculture since early 1800's. Soluble copper ions are known to bind tightly to sulfhydryl groups, accounting for its biocidal properties. Free copper ions can penetrate through plant cuticles and cause severe phytotoxicity. Water-insoluble (or low soluble) copper salts (""fixed coppers"") are the solution to this problem and has become the major chemical group for bacterial disease control. Some disadvantages of copper materials are phytotoxicity, reduced copper sensitivity among Xcv strains (in some areas), and environmental impact. Copper ions are not degraded in soil and can accumulate to high levels at locations with a history of intensive copper application . "...See Morepanspipes
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