Need input. Would you buy this?

[ConcinusMan]

Was thinking of an idea for a product I could provide in the winter since it looks like I'll not be going back to CA anytime soon. Something I could ship in cold weather when I'm not selling snakes. I was thinking... there's a heck of a lot of moss around here and I've used it in my tanks before, live and dried. It's good stuff. There's also licorice ferns which are pretty neat in that they don't require soil. They get their nutrients from the air. You just need an object for the Rhizome to attach itself to, adequate moisture (they just drop the leaves and go dormant without moisture, but they survive and come right back)

A great way to decorate your enclosures. Add live moss or ferns to your vivarium. No soil required, and the live moss/ferns can grow on objects that are moveable. Dead, dried moss makes great ground cover and I could provide that too.

Possible applications:



http://www.frogforum.net/attachments/frogs/18359d1317440072-my-wood-frog-terrarium-set-ups-100_1994.jpg

http://sarahmeyerwalsh.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/terrariumfinal.jpg


Examples of what I can provide:


Ferns and moss:

Live moss on wood:
http://imageshack.us/a/img88/9849/gedc1114.jpg

Live moss:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.svpply.com/large/1455649.jpg?1350616214

Licorice Fern:
http://oi45.tinypic.com/2qmj38g.jpg

Licorice fern in the wild showing that it does not need soil. Can just grow on wood, rocks, etc.
http://hylebos.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341cbb7e53ef0133f4b9368a970b-800wi


Please take the poll. Any suggestions for pricing in a way that will be competitive with existing sources, questions or concerns, etc. are welcome as is any other comments / input. Dangit, I meant to allow a 3rd option, "Maybe" but I screwed up.

[CrazyHedgehog]

you need a 'depends on price' option

[guidofatherof5]

Are there any concerns for its use. Pathogens, microbiales, parasites, etc. Especially shipping to a new environment(part of the country)
I would think you certainly couldn't treat it before use.
Don't know much about it.

[Invisible Snake]

You misspelled competitive :p


Are there any concerns for its use. Pathogens, microbiales, parasites, etc. Especially shipping to a new environment(part of the country)
I would think you certainly couldn't treat it before use.
Don't know much about it.

I agree with Steve.

[ConcinusMan]

you need a 'depends on price' option

Read the poll question again.;)


You misspelled competitive :p

I did!




Are there any concerns for its use. Pathogens, microbiales, parasites, etc. Especially shipping to a new environment(part of the country)
I would think you certainly couldn't treat it before use.
Don't know much about it.

And that's another reason I started this thread. I certainly don't know what, if any, "pathogens" or microbes would be present but I think the risk of such things would probably be no higher than that of traveling with common forest floor dirt in the tread of your shoes, or any more risky than buying a potted plant from another part of the country. I have sent this stuff to people already as a favor and it seemed to work out very well for them.

The only things I've seen from using it myself is springtails, or springtail - like bugs but I am currently pondering/open to suggestions, ways to eliminate that. One option I was considering would be to place the items in bags and fill the bags with CO2.

Does anyone know if that might kill live moss? I know mosses take in carbon dioxide but I don't know if high concentrations would kill the moss. It should, theoretically kill bugs though if I displace all the oxygen and leave it in there for a period of time. The ferns can be sold as dormant rhyzomes and that's like shipping a bulb or potato. No biggie. Any thoughts on the CO2?

EDIT: and BTW, absolutely none of this will come from public land, sensitive ecosystems such as native forests, etc. There's plenty of it growing on private property right here in the city. And I've collected before and it grows right back the following wet season. It's very easy to establish and maintain cultivated colonies as well.

[thamneil]

I have used CO2 with moss. It always ends up alright. Even if you were to kill the moss, the spores should be viable, not that I have ever had this issue.

[ConcinusMan]

There's always dried, dead moss. I've shipped out both. Live and dead. Even the dead stuff is great. Makes great ground cover and can be moistened for hides, shed boxes, etc. I'm sure if I wasn't worried about keeping it alive, a little dry ice should do the trick. I don't know of any bug that can survive -109.3°F (-78.5°C) plus, dry ice is carbon dioxide. If the cold doesn't get 'em, the gas will.

I do realize that there are dried moss products on the market already and they aren't very expensive. Much of this stuff is wild collected, just as I plan to do. I would have to make it a better deal even after shipping cost. That's the plan.

[jaleely]

I have to be honest, though they look awesome, i would only buy that locally. I'd be worried about introducing anything into my hoard, and my current plants, etc. Though they would be great for bioactive set ups...

[ConcinusMan]

Often, people cant get anything like this locally, while here it is endlessly abundant.;)

The ferns are really cool. Its the only fern I have ever transplanted and had it survive. It not only survived, it thrived and got huge. If you forget to water them or summer heat and drought set in, they simply whither away and drop their leaves. The tuberous rhyzome survives. As soon as cooler, damp weather comes back, so does the fern, very quickly, bigger and better than it ever was. Kinda cool. That, and they don't need soil at all. You could just wire the rhyzome to a screen or something, cover it with moss or other damp material, and keep it wet. The fern will grow and thrive. The rhyzome grows and spreads too. It can get so big, it covers many square feet! That picture you see of the fern growing on a tree could easily be a single rhyzome. You can also break pieces of it off and start a new plant.

The picture of the one growing on the ground is one I planted. I just took a rhyzome (resembles a ginger tuber) stuck in the ground, and let the air conditioner drip on it during the summer. (in full shade). That's all I did. Haven't watered it, haven't done anything for it. It took off and grew into a large, lush fern.

The tubers are edible, and taste like licorice. (anise)

[kueluck]

If it's coming from you own property, great. But if it's coming from other areas I don't think it's right to take it. I know that Western WA is covered in moss, lichens and such, lived in Port Orchard for 4 years, but IMO leave it there.

[Stefan-A]

If it's coming from you own property, great. But if it's coming from other areas I don't think it's right to take it. I know that Western WA is covered in moss, lichens and such, lived in Port Orchard for 4 years, but IMO leave it there.
I agree with this statement.

I've seen what it looks like when people "harvest" significant amounts of moss. I can't support it.

[ConcinusMan]

;)

EDIT: and BTW, absolutely none of this will come from public land, sensitive ecosystems such as native forests, etc. There's plenty of it growing on private property right here in the city. And I've collected before and it grows right back the following wet season. It's very easy to establish and maintain cultivated colonies as well.

Stefan, what do you think about the idea of using CO2

[Stefan-A]

Stefan, what do you think about the idea of using CO2
It had no effect on fungus gnats.

[katach]

I said not interested simply because I love in the NW and can get those myself. If I didn't though I would be interested depending on total price.

[ConcinusMan]

I said not interested simply because I love in the NW and can get those myself.

I figured.;) And you can love anywhere you want, you know.:p

[RedSidedSPR]

If I knew it was safe and it was a good price... Hell yeah. That looks awesome.

[ConcinusMan]

It had no effect on fungus gnats.

Well, I've used it for years and the only visible organisms I've seen in the enclosures were springtails. And I'm not even sure they came from the moss since I also had a potted plant on the one occasion I got a springtail infestation.

[Steveo]

I'm not opposed to it but I don't have any decorative/display enclosures yet and even then I don't think I'd use live plants. I try to keep housing and husbandry as simple as possible. Maybe down the road when I get a few tropical species...

[Eddie]

That stuff looks awesome for my baby box turtle viv. I try to keep my snake enclosures very simple but I think the boxies would love it.
PM me.
Ed

[ConcinusMan]

Alright, but give me a couple of days.

[snake man]

I would be very intrested in this.

[ConcinusMan]

PM me then and tell me what you had in mind.

[Artic Exotics]

I think it looks awesome. My only thought is perhaps look into the legalities of harvesting native plants for sale interstate. Im sure its fine but Id check to be sure. wouldnt want you to get into any trouble you know?

[ConcinusMan]

As far as harvesting goes, it's coming from private property. Taking from public land and parks is illegal. I can plant one small piece of rhizome from those ferns in my yard, and a year later it will have grow to about 50 times the size. They spread like crazy. And it's so wet for so much of the year around here, I could completely strip a 100 square foot area of the moss and a year later it's all back. The stuff even grows on concrete, city curbs, etc. As far as the shipping goes, I think it would be much like it is with garters. Depends on the state it's going to. I know I won't be shipping anything to CA. I can't even get into CA without stopping on the freeway at a Dept. of Agriculture checkpoint so apparently they want to keep that stuff out. No matter. If you live in CA the ferns grow there too (coastal areas) and they even have them in nurseries for purchase.

Doesn't look like there's a whole lot of demand anyway so I probably won't be doing it. That was the whole purpose in the poll.