Question
QUESTION: I ordered your Live Sphagnum capillifolium and I'm wondering will there be care instructions for keeping it alive?

I plan to use it as top dressing for my Nepenthes and next year for my bog, but the rest I'd like to keep alive for later growing.

I'm thinking a plastic storage container with holes then on top of another plastic storage container to keep the water in and peat on the bottom, dried LFS on the top then the live LFS on top would this do ok or should I get some sand or something else or don't use the dried LFS?

Would a plastic storage container be ok or should I try for something more durable and what size should I get and is transparant ok or should I get a solid color container?

The nightly temps have been highs 64F and lows 46F or so and days highs 70F to low 45F and it's been sunny weather sometimes cloudy or clouds with some sun will this be ok for the Live sphagnum to accimulate to my enviroment before winter comes?

Where would be a good place to grow this I have areas that gets shade with some sun and full sun also once it gets below freezing should I do anything to help it survive put it in a garage or leave it and does it need any mulching?

I also ordered a clamshell flytrap should I do anything to prepare it for winter or will it do fine in the garage once it's dormant?

Thanks alot for the help and for the plants I've gotten in the past.

ANSWER: Hi Nicole,

Caring for sphagnum moss is very straight forward.  As long as you keep it damp at all times, it'll grow well for you.  You can find the care sheet for sphagnum moss at:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

We've been growing the clamshell flytraps outdoors, so they're acclimated to cool temperatures right now.  In your region, the lows are in the upper 30s and lower 40s.  When you get your plant, keep it outdoors and allow it to experience a series of frost.  When your flytraps have experienced a week of overnight frosts, then you can assume your plant is dormant.  This might be about mid to late November for you.

At that time, you can either care for it outdoors with the usual winter precautions, or over winter the plant in a garage heated just above freezing.  As always, spray your plant with a sulfur-based fungicide to prevent fungal infections.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm planing on keeping the Live sphagnum outside I've read they do ok in the winter should I provide any protection or what kind of mulch to use etc. how low they can withstand and should I insulate the outside of the tray too also should I allow it to just stay moist, but not too wet like with dormant carnivorous plants during winter?

Thanks so much for your help with this rewarding hobby.

Answer
No need to mulch them.  They are extremely frost hardy and will withstand extremely cold temperatures.  Just keep them wet and moist.  Let them freeze solid in winter.  When the weather warms up, they'll start growing again.  The only way you can kill sphagnum moss is by not keeping them wet or letting the temperatures get too hot.  I've yet to see anyone kill it by extremely cold weather.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin