Slow-Growing Sphagnum Moss Harvested Every 12 Years

Slow-Growing Sphagnum Moss Harvested Every 12 Years CROPS Miscellaneous David Epstein rotates his “crop” through marshes near Millston Wis harvesting sphagnum moss “fields” once every 12 years It takes that long for a moss stalk to reach 10 to 12 in The slow-growing moss isn’t the only thing that doesn’t change quickly Harvesting it is relatively unchanged as well with 1950’s era Oliver OC6 tracked tractors doing the work     “We have several of them and make parts as needed ” says Epstein a third generation moss farmer and marketer “The OC6 has a very long axle so the track is farther from the tractor body than other tracked tractors We extend the pads by a foot and a half on each side with a white oak board This spreads the already light weight of the tractor over a larger plane while not damaging the moss beds ”     Spreading the weight out is vital as the tractors negotiate across bogs where the moss grows “The ground we work on is soft ” explains Epstein “It’s largely decomposed sphagnum moss ”     To gather the moss a tractor pulls a harvester with a stainless steel cylinder on its front As the cylinder rotates teeth emerge from holes in the cylinder Clumps of moss stems are grabbed as the teeth retract with the continued rotation of the cylinder The clumps of moss then fall onto a conveyer belt that carries them to a raft-like 7 by 12-ft boat pulled alongside by a second OC6 When full the moss is carried to a sandy area where it is spread to dry     “The drying and packing process has been unchanged since my father uncle and grandfather started in the business in the 1930’s ” says Epstein Mosser Lee the family owned company is the nation’s largest producer of sphagnum moss     Once the moss has dried it’s packed in bales for marketing More than 50 000 bales will leave the company this year with a value between $1 million to $2 million The company also sells items made with the moss such as lined hanging baskets and decorative moss Mosser Lee moss is sold throughout the U S and Europe     The market for sphagnum moss is one thing that has changed When the company started moss was used to pack bare root trees for shipping Refrigeration eliminated that market but new markets developed One reason is the outstanding water holding capacity of sphagnum moss One pound of moss can absorb and hold 20 times its weight in water A 3 5-cubic ft bale weighs only 10 1/2 to 12 lbs dry Saturated the same quantity of moss would weigh more than 350 lbs     “Municipalities have found that hanging baskets made from moss fiber catch and absorb water like a sponge and then release it to the plant ” says Epstein “This means they don’t have to water as often ”     Landscapers and homeowners alike find that packing some saturated moss into the roots of a tree or shrub when planting helps keep it watered The moss also makes a good medium for growing plants like orchids that like a moist environment but don’t like saturated soils     Another appreciated feature is the low pH of sphagnum moss Ranging between 3 5 and 4 5 it is so acidic that most bacteria can’t live in it     “This makes it useful for propagating orchids or starting seeds especially those susceptible to ‘damping off’ diseases ” says Epstein “This is particularly important for expensive seeds like palm seed that can cost $12 for a single seed A lot of consumers like our milled moss for starting garden plants indoors in the late winter ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mosser Lee Co W6585 Highway O Millston Wis 54643 ph 715 284-2296; mosserlee@mosserlee com; www mosserlee com

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