New Zealand Sphagnum Moss

[Ash Barns]

Are there any sources for N.Z. Sphagnum moss in Oz? I have drawn a blank so far and I am assured it is the best product available to add to a mix for Junipers. Most nurseries I inquire from have never heard of it.

Ash

[anttal63]

attunga spagnum appears to grow especially in collanders and works well for me ash. where its from i have no idea.

[Bretts]

I guess I know who assured you of this because he stocks it It sounded like great stuff so I chased it up a couple of years back. Found the supplier in NZ but they said they would not export to Australia because of our quarantine laws.
So another product that is on our doorstep and although available in America we can't get it here

[Bretts]

I love the handy little pack
http://www.shop.northstarbonsai.com/pro ... tegoryId=5

Oh and I think my first question to the manufacturer was is thier a supplier in Australia which was no. Hence they explained import rectrictions here. But as we have other Spag I got the idea it was not that they couldn't just that they did not think it was worth it.

[Ash Barns]

That is infuriating Brett and yes it came from Tom. It's time our quarantine laws were looked at and lose its nanny status. We are choked with legislation and paranoia about imports. I will write to them on this.

Ash

[dayne]

i thought all of our spagnum was from nz or tassie i cant see it being that different i use some in my junipers just chop it up really fine

[anttal63]

That is infuriating Brett and yes it came from Tom. It's time our quarantine laws were looked at and lose its nanny status. We are choked with legislation and paranoia about imports. I will write to them on this.

Ash

i remember tom reccomending this years ago too. so like dayne have used what we can get here. i have no prob. growing lots of new roots.

[Mojo Moyogi]

Ant, there must be somewhere in Melbourne where we can buy sphagnum moss in bulk, maybe from up in the Dandenongs. It's too bloody expensive in little bags and I would like to airlayer a tree or 50 . Maybe Craig knows of somewhere up there?

Cheers
Mojo Moyogi

[anttal63]

Mornin moj; i never use it straight and not on all trees so a small bag lasts me a while. Sure there must something in more bulk, might pay to call garden world? or sage horticulture? Craig?

[craigw60]

Just been on the phone trying to source some bulk spag but it seems a little hard to track down. the people I buy my potting mix from recommended attunga garden supplies in dandenong or fernland agency in QLD. My understanding of spag is that it is collected from alpine bogs which are pretty sensitive areas. I could be wrong.
Craig

[Bretts]

We (Cowra) have a garden pet store hat buys in Bulk but I doubt that will be any help I am starting to go through alot so I was thinking about a bulk order this year.
Might have to try teh garage sales for a cheap blender too.

[Orion]

I never really thought about sphagnum moss...(probably because there's a lot of them around here in NZ). Ive read an article about a fungus in sphagnum moss that affects 1 in a million people and can actually kill. Thats probly one reason your country is strict on it.But here in N.Z. We lack important stuff like tools, soils, nurseries et cetera so I reckon it's still pretty good there.... Any way if your air layering you don't nescesarilly need sphagnum moss just something that retains lots of water.... If I were you I would use some other moss(moss is really easy to find they're all around dead grass)

[Joel]

The stuff my local hardware store sells is from NZ. Its dead, but the spores are still active so i grow it myself now. I only use it for air layerings and not very frequently, so i find that although it grows slow, its sufficient for my use. I am also growing 1 of the 3 native sphagnum moss from NSW, just not sure which one. I does better with the heat we get here.

Joel