Where to Find Sphagnum Moss for Your Moss Pole
July 9, 2026
The moss pole itself is only half the equation — you still need to pack it with something that holds moisture and gives roots a place to grab onto. Here’s where that actually comes from, since it doesn’t come in the box.
Where to buy it
- Garden centers and nurseries — almost always carry sphagnum moss in the orchid or houseplant section, usually as a compressed brick that expands a lot once soaked
- Big box hardware/garden stores — the same compressed bricks are common here too, often near the potting soil
- Online — long-fiber sphagnum moss is widely available and easy to compare by the pound; a little goes a long way once it’s expanded
What to look for
Look specifically for long-fiber sphagnum moss, not sphagnum peat moss — they’re not the same thing. Long-fiber sphagnum is the stringy, intact strand form that’s easy to pack tightly by hand. Peat moss is broken down and dusty, meant for soil amendment, and doesn’t pack or hold structure the same way inside a moss pole.
How much you’ll need
A small compressed brick (roughly the size of a paperback book) goes much further than it looks — sphagnum moss expands dramatically once soaked, often to several times its dry volume. For a single GrowGrid Moss Pole Starter Pack, one brick is typically more than enough, with extra left over for when you add an 8-inch extension later.
Coconut coir as an alternative
If sphagnum isn’t available or you’d rather not deal with the mess of soaking and squeezing it, coconut coir is a solid substitute. It’s sold in compressed bricks too, holds moisture reasonably well, and is generally lower-maintenance — though it doesn’t grip aerial roots quite as effectively as sphagnum does over the long run.
Ready to pack your pole? Shop the pieces below.