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Ciao Everyone,

I'm using a new growing medium of 50% Peat Moss,25% Perlite, 13% Silica sand and 12% Charcoal. Please let me know what you think. This is my grow list if anybody wants to trade and thank you in advance for any useful information!

Giovanni

VFT: Typical, Royal Red, Big Mouth, Pink, Dente, Dutch, Fang, Cross Teeth and Red Dragon.

Nepenthes madagascariensis
 
Ciao Everyone,

I'm using a new growing medium of 50% Peat Moss,25% Perlite, 25% Silica sand and 25% Charcol. Please let me know what you think. This is my grow list if anybody wants to trade and thank you in advance for any useful information!

Giovanni

VFT: Typical, Royal Red, Big Mouth, Pink, Fang, Cross Tooth and Red Dragon.

Nepenthes madagascariensis

I don't know about the Nep, but all you really need for the VFTs is just peat and perlite. No need to get fancy. :) BTW, 'Big Mouth' is a very nice cultivar.


Oh, and 50%+25%+25%+25% does not add up to 100%. :)

EDIT: You can also add an offical grow list here:
http://terraforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=112
 
Thank you for your post!

Unfortunatley, here in Northern Arizona the humidity is a little tricky. Even in the growing season, my VFTS retain water and do not burn it off. I've lost several VFTS to root rot.
Thus, I need the Charcoal to help dry out the growing medium.
Thank you for the compliment on my Big Mouth, it and my Royal Red are my two favorites.

giovanni
 
I never had my Nepenthes do well in peat, too wet and the roots don't form well in my climate controlled grow chambers, perhaps if you are growing in non-90% RH environment then peat may be ok. For Neps I always used Long Fibered Spahgnum moss or LFS and fine grade orchid bark if it needs to be a bit drier/faster draining. No harm in adding charcoal to Nep soil since you won't be unpotting it for a looong time.

Can't help ya with VFTs - I kill those just by looking at them in the store ! :)
 
I use a simple mix - sand & peat, with a layer of LFS, preferably live. The deeper the pot the better.
 
Hi Jim and Thank You!

What advantages does the sand have over Perlite? The reason I ask is because I'm trying to use a growing medium that will allow the soil to dry out faster. Due to the lack of humidity here in Prescott, I've lost several VFTS to root rot.
Also, if anybody out there has a Green Dragon for trade or sale please contact me. Thank you in advance to anybody with any useful information.
Giovanni
 
I just don't like the "nails on chalkboard" texture of Perlite, nor that it rises to the top and easily turns green. I also have a readily available supply of sand from a nearby creek. Both are great for providing drainage.
 
It's funny but I've decided to stop using sand.

It’s too heavy when added to pots and weighs down and compacts the peat. It too easily washes out thru drainage holes (even with a LFS wick) and it dries far more quickly than perlite. Dry sand washes away faster than perlite from the top of containers as well.

The cleanup is the worst part of sand for me. Since I live in an apartment I have to perform my container gardening in my kitchen. Sand gets EVERYWHERE and is difficult to see and cleanup. Perlite is easily swept up or vacuumed.

That’s my 2¢ anyway…………….
 
A coarse sand helps with some of those sand drainage issues. A good coarse sand is well draining and does not leave moisture cloying around the roots...plus it does not wash out the bottom of a pot the way finer sand does.

I use coarse sand (mixed with perlite and peat) with my cephalotus and have had no root rot problems.

Pretty much experimenting with different mixes will give you your answer as to best media. What works well for one person might not work for another. But its always interesting to hear who prefer what and why. Good way to pick up some tips.

I use pure LFS for other plants like my D. adelae. I also use charcoal in some of my pots.
 
  • #10
Okay, please correct me if I'm wrong but I think I have it figured out. Perlite tends to keep the growing media moist while Silica Sand and Charcoal tend to dry it out. Since I'm in an area of low humidity I'm going to use a media of 50% P.Moss 25% Silica Sand and 25% Charcoal to keep my growing media on the dry side. Please let me know if this is a good idea? I have a Pink VFT,which cost me a lot of money, not doing so well and I want to move it from a pot of 50%P.Moss 50% Perlite to 50% P.Moss 25%Silica Sand and 25% Charcoal.
Thank you again to everyone, you guys are great!
Giovanni
 
  • #11
Where is Andrew? He lives in freakin' Arizona...Land of the Dry. lol He should be able to help you out although he does have greenhouses of course. But I think he will remember his pre-greenhouse days when he was just a lowly forum peon and not the owner. hehe
 
  • #12
I don't think those elaborate soil amendments are really required. I live in the high desert south east of Mojave and I grow VFTs outside in 50:50 peat and perlite with sphagnum moss as a top dressing year round. It has gotten up to 110F and almost 0% humidity at times and they still live through it.

If you are keeping them in pots they are going to dry out no matter what soil mixture you have, so frequent waterings will be required. The key is to just check the soil and see if it needs water. At first it will be hard to know, but after a while you will be able to just stick your finger in the pot and tell if it needs water. Sometimes, you can even tell based the pot's weight.
 
  • #13
Joosa, Thank you for trying to help me but Prescott is NOT in the high desert. It's 6,000 feet above sea level.
 
  • #14
Just to give everyone an update. The 1 year old Red Dragon that I planted in a mix of 50% Peat and 25% Perlite 25% Charcoal is doing great. I'm growing it with a dome so maybe that has something to do with it but after one week of being planted, new shoots are starting to show and that's a great sign. Red Dragons seem to be the hardest VFT to grow for me.
 
  • #15
Steve Doonan grows his flytraps near Portales, New Mexico - elevation 4009 ft above sea level. He's a member here but I forget his user name. Forum rules prevents me from giving links to his site (he sells VFTs) which has tips for growing CPs in exactly the conditions (dry high altitude) you have.

You could go over to the ICPS forum and see the thread on the subject there.
 
  • #16
Ciao Everyone,

I'm using a new growing medium of 50% Peat Moss,25% Perlite, 13% Silica sand and 12% Charcoal. Please let me know what you think. This is my grow list if anybody wants to trade and thank you in advance for any useful information!

Giovanni

VFT: Typical, Royal Red, Big Mouth, Pink, Dente, Dutch, Fang, Cross Teeth and Red Dragon.

Nepenthes madagascariensis

hey giovanni you sohuld make a growlist and put a link to it instea dof puting hte plants oyu have as your signature cause evnetually it willl grow and be a bit mcuh for a siggy.
yeha no need to get fancy for vft's jsut use a 50/50 mix peat moss and perlite.
 
  • #17
Thank you to everyone!

With my new growing medium and using a dome my VFTS seems to be doing much better, although I fear it is too late for my Pink!
 
  • #18
For my VFTs, Sarrs. and Sundews perlite and peat 50/50.

Neps are LFS moss and perlite.
 
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