CorneliusSchrute
A leuco by any other name would still be as glutto
VFT's and Sarrs, in the wild, live in very wet peat bogs..
their roots are designed to be in contact with more water, and less air, than most plants..
yes, they dont need to be 100% saturated with water, and there is some air in the peat and sphagnum,
but why would you need perlite to *increase* the amount of air in the mix?
the plants dont want or need increased air in the mix..
If sphagnum and peat is what the plants grow in, in the wild, then it seems to me that sphagnum and peat
in the ideal media to grow them in, in captivity..
(I also dont like sand in VFT and Sarr mixes, for the same reasons..if they dont grow in sand in the wild (which they dont)
why should I add sand to my mix? again, I see no benefit or reason for it..)
so it comes down to..what is the benefit to using perlite for VFT's and Sarrs?
I see zero benefit, or need, or use, for perlite..
perhaps using it (if its clean) is "neutral"..no gain, but no harm..
but if that is the case, why use it at all?
Excellent rebuttal, Scot! My only counter comment regards oxygen in the media. Though the plants do grow in exclusively peat and sphagnum, the water is usually slowly moving in the wild, isn't it? This avoids stagnation and increases oxygenation. In a potted or stationary bog scenario, wouldn't perlite and sand provide these same benefits?