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Paver Sand from Lowes?

SpyCspider

SpyCspider

Uh oh everyone,

I have made a minibog using a rubbermaid bin and filled it with Paver Sand that I bought from Lowe's and Canadian sphagnum peat.  Then I layered the top of it with semi-live sphagnum along with countless sundew seeds/hibernaculum that I had spread in it a while ago.  My question right now is, is that paver sand toxic?  It was the only type of sand I could find at Lowe's at the outside gardening area and it stated in the back that it was suitable for many things, from construction to play sand.  But when I was mixing and washing it, I found little clumps of sticky mud or something that reminds me of stuff they put to make the sand better for mixing in with concrete.

As of now, a few sundews in the mix are still dormant, a few hibernaculum have turned brown, and a few have started growing.  Anyone think if I should change it?  I finally found "play sand" at another nursery and am thinking of dumping my old bog out to replace with that.  The once-green sphagnum doesn't seem to be growing and is instead turning mushy black-green.

Thanks

Johnny
 
Straight peat is just fine. Cheaper too. Why use a mix of this and that when they grow in the wild in peat, and in some areas a very fine sandy peat. The ones in peat were no different than those in the sand and peat.
 
hahah i used to use straight peat and it worked I guess. I was just trying to get fancy with it as an intermediate-level grower
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Also, it's because I've seen lots of sundews growing in straight up sand in bogs back in Jersey (especially D. filiformis). Finally, I'm kinda doing an experiment to see whether more sand or more peat will grow better plants.
 
Even if one sure that the media they use is safe, it is always wise to rinse it well before use. A plastic spaghetti collander works well, better than buckets, where natural media can float.
 
Its funny, hearing everone have problems finding sand. I was, until I gave up looking for it at stores, and just dug a hole in my yard. People at the stores looked at me crazy when I asked for sand, there are 5 solid counties that are mostly sand around here. I'm on the east edge of it, but still far enough in.

The soil here is 90% sand 10% loam (silt/clay/organic mix). It's already acidic, and nuteriantly challenged. Unfortunatly it is a bit finer then optimal.

People at the stores looked at me crazy when I asked for sand, there are 5 solid counties that are mostly sand around here.
 
I use medium-size blasting sand (#20 sandblasting sand), bought from a local hardware/home/garden business, which is almost pure silica sand. I do wash it well first. This particular brand (oglebay) has a dust suppressant coating that either washes off or does no harm to the plants, since I have been using it for about a year and a half with no noticeable bad effects.

I tried "play sand" but I avoid it scrupulously now. It seems to have crushed granite, limestone and all kinds of small particles of various types of rock in it, some of which I'm sure is water soluble and boosts the total dissolved solids in the water to an unacceptable degree.

Last year I germinated dozens of Venus Flytrap seeds. They were doing beautifully until I decided to "anchor" the seedlings to the planting medium with small pinches of "play sand" gently sprinkled on the seedlings. Although it took a few weeks and I had no idea at the time what the reason might be, they all died. Now I firmly believe, although I cannot prove, that the "play sand" was at fault. It is as bad for CP (at least for VFTs) as riverbed or ocean sand, from my point of view.
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Anyway, just my two bits--
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Best wishes everyone.
 
Who or what type of organization would carry sandblasting sand? Would someone in construction or a drilling company have it?
 
  • #10
To Bugweed--

hehe -- I just like it (sand). Maybe it's an irrational fondness.
smile.gif
Also, it helps to add weight and substance to the polyurethane foam pots I now use for my VFT, like those made by Southern Patio, Southern Patio Foam Pots. Otherwise (if I were to use pure sphagnum) the pots might be too light (despite the water, or when the water mostly evaporates, as I often allow it to do with my VFTs (only with careful attention when outside, and only to the point of moist, never completely dry of course!)) and likely to blow over in the strong New Mexico, US, winds.

Regarding the insulating foam pots I use, you mentioned (elsewhere) that VFT don't mind warm soil. However, here at 4000 feet, with less atmospheric buffer and few clouds in the sky at any time, the scorching direct sun can easily heat a conventional ceramic or plastic pot to the temperatures of an oven and literally bake the roots of plants grown in above-ground containers. It's a real problem. These 8 or 10 inch foam pots for 3-7 plant VFT colonies (and cheap styrofoam 16-ounce beverage cups for single young transplants) have been literally a life-saver for me.

Oh--your plants are beautiful and your collection impressive, by the way! (saw them in the sarracenia section)
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To jimscott--

In the rural/agricultural region where I live, both our local hardware store and a local home/garden business carry blasting sand (sandblasting sand). It is used to clean metal parts, in auto body and repair work, paint stripping, etc.

In your area, you might ask a machine shop or an auto restoration business where they get their blasting sand. From bitter personal experience I avoid "play sand," and river and ocean sand contain rock particles that are not silica, some of which can dissolve in an acid soil environment and poison the soil--so to speak--with too many dissolved minerals and salts. Imagine what finely crushed limestone and various metamorphic and other types of rock would be like, compared to inert and insoluble almost pure silica.

--Just my opinions, of course. To each, his or her own.
smile.gif


Best wishes all--
 
  • #11
Well now I know why you need sand! And growing in heat like that at 4000 feet! EEK! Seems you have adapted some growing techniques to your own personal niche, and it works well for you. Man, 90 to 95 degrees is warm for soil temps with live plants in it, but oven hot!?!?!?!?!? HOLY CROW!!!!!! THAT I have not experienced before. I hope to never have to!!!!!! Good job, Steven!
Write a book. Call it, "CP at 4000 feet, and how to grow them." Won't sell many, but the growing techniques for your elevation should be worth their weight in GOLD!
Around these parts, 110 degrees F. is not uncommon. Soil temps rarely reach the upper 80's to LOW 90's. Using white tubs for growing does help reflect heat. Plus, being so near the Pacific Ocean has some advantages. Like light sea breezes blowing through occasionally, humidity rarely below 15%. Admire your tenacity, XSCD!!!! Keep it UP!!!!!!!!!
 
  • #12
When I first began to grow VFTs here in eastern New Mexico, US, at 4050 ft. elevation, a few were baked and died because of their containers. I was using glazed and unglazed stoneware at the time, both of which are vitreous (non porous, in contrast to low-fired common red clay pots), and standard plastic containers.

I often placed some VFTs outside to catch some bugs and get some direct sun for a few hours, but one day when I came back to check them, the pots were too hot to hold (they burned my hands). It turned out that black or dark plastic or ceramic were the worst, and even the medium dark-green Kord square plastic seedling containers that I love (and which last almost forever!).

So I began to shade my pots when they were outside, any way I could. I would place straw around the bases for example, with only the upper surface of the containers exposed to the sun.

This was unsatisfactory in the long run, so I began to look for other solutions. One idea was to double pot the plants: to place each container in another larger one with perlite or vermiculite filling the space between and acting as an insulator.

But then I discovered the lightweight polyurethane pots and began to use them for my VFTs, as well as cheap 16 ounce styrofoam beverage glasses instead of 3 or 4-inch traditional plastic seedling pots for my young transplants. They worked
great! I was happy! My Venus Flytraps were happy and began to grow bigger and more vigorously. I have used the polyurethane foam planters ever since, although the smaller sizes (6-, 8- and 10-inch) can be a little hard to find at a reasonable price. The larger sizes cost a ridiculous amount.

Regarding the 16-ounce and larger cheap styrofoam beverage containers, my VFTs (which can be surprisingly deep rooted) seem to appreciate the extra root-zone growing room when compared to the relatively more shallow traditional seedling pots.

I have actually unintentionally "bonsai'ed" some of my VFTs by planting them in too small a pot. When transplanted into a larger pot with more room for their roots, most (I think all) have greatly increased both in the size of the rosettes and the size of the traps, some more than doubling in size. "Who knew?!" I was certainly surprised!
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  • #13
Well, I think that what you have contributed to the forums already has been phenomenal! What you have learned from the environment you are in is a first time success I ever heard of. Without a greenhouse that is!!! This is the stuff this forum is made of too. Learning. All the time learning. I have learned for the first time about growing sucessfully in arid semi-desert conditions without a Greenhouse, and I am jazzed! Hot drying winds would definitely put a damper on outdoor growing. Thanks for all the input. New stuff for many of us I am sure!
 
  • #14
Bugweed wrote:
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Well, I think that what you have contributed to the forums already has been phenomenal! [...]
Click to expand...

Thank you very much! You certainly are a nice guy (and experienced and knowledgeable with a fantastic collection!). A lot of the people on this CP forum seem to be very helpful, interesting, good people. I'm glad to be here and will try to contribute what I can, both in terms of discussion/information-sharing, and plants!
smile.gif
 
  • #15
[b said:
Quote[/b] (xscd @ April 23 2006,8:10)]To jimscott--

In the rural/agricultural region where I live, both our local hardware store and a local home/garden business carry blasting sand (sandblasting sand). It is used to clean metal parts, in auto body and repair work, paint stripping, etc.

In your area, you might ask a machine shop or an auto restoration business where they get their blasting sand. From bitter personal experience I avoid "play sand," and river and ocean sand contain rock particles that are not silica, some of which can dissolve in an acid soil environment and poison the soil--so to speak--with too many dissolved minerals and salts. Imagine what finely crushed limestone and various metamorphic and other types of rock would be like, compared to inert and insoluble almost pure silica.

--Just my opinions, of course. To each, his or her own.
smile.gif


Best wishes all--
Click to expand...
Thank you for the guidance!
 
  • #16
hahahah good stuff from everyone,

So should I take out the sand/peat mix and dump it? It did seem too fine when i was washing it and it also contained little clumps of what looked like clay for making the sand more viscous when mixed. Anyways, dormant sundews are sprouting from it but the sphagnum is a mat of dark-greenish goo as if it's covered with algae. The sundews that are sprouting don't look too healthy either. And can I soak the the dews in distilled water to clean them off? Thanks again.

Johnny
 
  • #17
ScS, Use tannic tea for your watering for a couple of weeks. Algae hates tannic tea, and disappears. Everything else, just continues to grow.
 
  • #18
I have used play sand from Lowes for about three years now with no ill effects,and I never wash/rinse it.

Jerry
 
  • #19
I only use Pool Filter Sand. It is almost pure silica. I have had bad luck with contractor sand, play sand, etc. It probably has a lot to do with where the sand is quaried. The sand here in MI is only good for the beach although the native plants seem to like it.

Keep experimenting on posting the results.

Happy Growing
Glenn
 
  • #20
Don't know if this has been mentioned, but the term "sand" refers more to grain size than it does to what's actually in there. So the materials used can really be all over the map.

At least with something like pool filter sand you know what it's made of.
 
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