What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

What media do you keep on hand?

pappydew

I hate bugs. Carnivorous plants get me.
Mostly out of curiosity but also wondering what I should be considering myself. I have to restock on media after a move, and although I don't keep anything very demanding (sand/peat mix seems to be enough for 90% of my small collection) I am in need of repotting as it is and always interested in seeing what works for others!

So feel free to add what you like to keep on hand. I know media mixes come up in a lot of topics and forums on TF, but feel free to list what you tend to mix for certain plants. Or don't ;)
 
I really only grow nepenthes, so my media is very different from yours.

- long fiber sphagnum
- coconut husk (the extensively washed kind)
- orchiata
- sponge rock (much chunkier than perlite)
- charcoal (broken by hand, which is such a pain I've almost stopped using it)

All my nepenthes have some inexact combination of the above.
 
I always keep peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, horticultural sand, long fiber sphagnum moss, orchid bark, limestones, dryed blood worms, many 3" and 6" pots and saucers, and demineralized (or rain) water on hand.

What i have the most is peat moss, i think i have 85L right now. Enough for the next 3 years. :-))
 
I always keep orchid bark and cinder on hand. Those are the two biggest components of my nepenthes mix. I recently purchased a 3.8 cubic ft bale of peat. Considering I only have one or two plants that need peat, that bale will last me the next 10+ years.
 
For Nepenthes, Sphagnum is probably the most important component to have on hand for me. Otherwise, coco husk, perlite, and orchid bark are pretty essential. I also like to amend the media for certain species with laterite and charcoal.
 
I just ran out of Sphagnum but I usually have 4-5 bags of it, a bag of peat, a bag of perlite and a bag of silica sand. I never use that silica sand...
 
I usually have on hand:

-- live and dried long fiber sphagnum
-- milled sphagnum (for seed germination)
-- sphagnum peat moss
-- fine "orchid" bark
-- pumice
-- horticultural grade sand
-- aquatic plant media (APS)
-- ceramic beads (commonly used in hydroponic systems)
-- rock wool (for starting cuttings) . . .
 
Oops.. Wrong thread.
 
Last edited:
I always have peat/sand/perlite in large amounts for my "universal mix". Then I have things like LFS, orchid bark, pumice, charcoal, and vermiculite in smaller amounts for "special" mixes. I grow mostly Drosera and Pinguicula.
 
  • #10
I keep sphagnum peat moss and silica sand. I am thinking about adding perlite back into my mix but I am having a semi-hard time trying to find some that is not Miracle Grow in my area. Semi-hard time because I have not really been looking because I do not need it just yet.

I just grow sarracenia, vfts and sundews. Everything is outside year-round.
 
  • #11
1. Sphagnum live, dry and milled
2. Peat
3. Silica Sand
4. Perlite
5. Coconut Husk Chunks
6. Orchid Bark
7. Osmunda Fiber
8. Coir
9. Charcoal
10. Grow Stones
11. Cypress Mulch
12. A.P.S.
13. Vermculite

I'll be adding Laterite to the list soon too.
 
  • #12
I keep sphagnum peat moss and silica sand. I am thinking about adding perlite back into my mix but I am having a semi-hard time trying to find some that is not Miracle Grow in my area. Semi-hard time because I have not really been looking because I do not need it just yet.

I just grow sarracenia, vfts and sundews. Everything is outside year-round.

I know what you mean about the Miracle Gro stuff...couldn't find any organic peat or perlite at any of the big box stores.
 
  • #13
i wanna backhand the dude who decided to add ferts to perlite. why would that ever be needed/prudent? stupid stupid stupid :p
 
  • #14
Sponge rock is quite affordable on eBay. It weighs nothing, so it's very easy to ship.
 
  • #15
Personally, I keep:
Peat
LFS, dried and live
Perlite
Sand
APS
Vermiculite
Orchid bark
 
  • #16
I have terestrial orchids as well as the CPs so I have to hand
Live sphagnum moss
Sphagnum moss peat
Broken down sphagnum moss (on it's way to becoming peat)
Horticultural sand and gravel
Granite sand/grit/gravel
Perlite
Vermiculite
Orchid compost
Sterilised top soil
John Innes compost (2 or 3)
Peat based compost
 
  • #17
Those who have APS, where the heck do you find it? I've seen tons of things online saying people bought it at a Lowes or Home Depot type store, but most of those were from quite a few years ago. None of those stores in my area stock it with their pond supplies. Is there a viable alternative?
 
  • #18
I see a couple of you guys are using "Vermiculite", which plants are you using it for?
 
  • #19
I see a couple of you guys are using "Vermiculite", which plants are you using it for?
I think it's used in some Nep mixes...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
 
  • #20
For CPs I just keep dried LFS, a large bag of organic peat I get from a nursery, various types/sizes of perlite and coarse silica sand. I would love to find the super chunky perlite that Lelani Nepenthes uses for their Neps, but I haven't had any luck with that yet. Is vermiculite prudent for Neps? I have one from Leilani I keep in a mix of perlite/dried LFS and it seems happy. A bit of green on the top but nothing dangerous to the plant.

For non-CPs, like my cactus and succlents, I keep a few bags of Special Orchid Mix I get from HD, as well as clay, sand and rock that I buy and/or find on my property. I've seen searching for silt so I can make a true loam soil for my Faucaria, etc.
 
Back
Top