Question
I bought a bail of dried moss the other day and saw that the strands seem to be pretty thick.

Should I chop it up at all before using it?  I also bought some perlite for it too.

Answer
Hi John,

First, make sure the moss you purchased is indeed sphagnum moss.  If it says forest moss, tree moss, green moss or Spanish moss anywhere on the package, avoid using it with your carnivorous plants.  There are many types of moss, but only sphagnum moss is safe to use with carnivorous plants.

It's normal to find thick strands of plant matter in dried sphagnum moss.  I see it most often in sphagnum moss coming from Chile.  Dried sphagnum moss from New Zealand is the gold standard and is usually free of this type of material, but it's also quite a bit more.  

It's not necessary to chop it up.  If it's woody fibrous material, just pull it out and throw it away.  However, break apart all clumps of moss, and get the moss thoroughly wet before mixing it with other ingredients.  

If you're repotting Nepenthes or Sarracenia, you can use a mix of 1 part sphagnum moss and 1 part perlite.  Many sundews will also grow fine in this mix.  Just avoid using it with butterworts and flytraps.  Their roots tend to rot when in this type of mix.  

For more information about soil media and carnivorous plants, read our care sheets online:
http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets

Good growing!
Jacob Farin