soil for drosera

[leewoojin94]

im currently growing neps, but want to start growing

sundews, or pitcher plants.

i already asked about using lfs for pp's

but what about drosera?

and a lot of people say fork sundews need dormancy

and sometimes do not. which is true?

(im trying to find out what suits my growing condition)

 

[Joseph Clemens]

I highly recommend against using, "soil" for any plants cultivated in pots, especially CP.

Many CP have a natural dormancy period, some Drosera binata do sometimes have a period of natural dormancy, some of them do not.

If any CP actually "need" a period of dormancy, that can always be debated, but some will take their dormancy, no matter what you do, and some only if you give them appropriate conditions. If you mistakenly assume that a dormant plant is "dead" and you then discard it. You may have lost a perfectly good plant.

 

[leewoojin94]

huh? i dont get it.

how do you grow a plant if i don have anything to plant on?
and i think you're reffering soil as in like garden soil. (if not i dont get you)
i may be young and newbie, but im not that stupid.
i started researching cp when i was 2nd grade and knew what they were
when i had these bunch of books i didn'yt understand and on the last
page there was nepenthes, drosera, venus flytrap and welwitsia (spelling?)

if i dont use any kind of soil, do i grow them as in like the bromeli whatever?
please explain more please.

 

[Clint]

Relax. It's going to be OK.

Peat isn't soil. Soil is rock and mineral bits mixed with humus if i've got my definitions correct.

I knew what you were talking about but some people are anal about terminology and rightly so I suppose. If someone without common sense took soil litteraly as soil then they'd plant their plants in yard dirt.

Interestingly most commercial potting soils aren't really soil.

 

[FarmerDave]

yeah most normal 1:1 peat, sand/perlite mixtures work for a lot of sundews, so you'll be ok.

 

[glider14]

Quote[/b] ]I highly recommend against using, "soil" for any plants cultivated in pots, especially CP.

highly recommend AGAINST....

for my dews i use a mix of 1:2 peat sand. thats also pretty good for SE pings, utrics, sarras and many others. not mexican pings though or neps.
Alex

 

[jimscott]

I like to mix sand & peat and topdress with LFS.

 

[The Griffin]

I always know what Joseph is saying, but just to play devil's advocate...

soil - (i) The unconsolidated mineral or organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.

Isn't peat organic?

Cheers,


Joe

 

[Not a Number]

Quote[/b] ]soil – noun
1. the portion of the earth's surface consisting of disintegrated rock and humus.
2. a particular kind of earth: sandy soil.
3. the ground as producing vegetation or as cultivated for its crops: fertile soil.
4. a country, land, or region: an act committed on American soil.
5. the ground or earth: tilling the soil.
6. any place or condition providing the opportunity for growth or development: Some believe that poverty provides the soil for crime.
[Origin: 1300–50; ME soile < AF soyl < L solium seat, confused with solum ground]

—Related forms
soilless, adjective

earth - noun

6. soil and dirt, as distinguished from rock and sand; the softer part of the land.

dirt - noun

2. earth or soil, esp. when loose.

8. Mining.
a. crude, broken ore or waste.
b. (in placer mining) the material from which gold is separated by washing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Soil (2,3 & 6) CP mix or peat bogs certainly qualify.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Quote[/b] (The Griffin @ Jan. 04 2007,7:46)] . . . on the immediate surface of the earth.

Cheers,
Joe

I blame my horticulture and soils professors in college for drilling this distinction into me. I discovered that they had their reasons - which later seemed quite sensible.
--------------------------
I make the distinction between "natural soil", which is still "on the immediate surface of the earth." and artificial soil, that which we call media or substrate (whose ingredients can include, "soil"). In horticulture these, media are frequently referred to as soilless mixes, etc. If they were actually considered, "soil", then how would you teach someone that the inclusion of "natural soil" could be dangerous to plants grown in pot culture. It is especially important to make this distinction when discussing these details with others, because we cannot assume that someone, especially someone we don't know, doesn't mean "true soil", which would, in most cases, be deadly to CP. Some of the first books about CP I read, said that CP grew in "acid soils". In the late 60's and early 70's, one might wonder what "acid soil" truly was. I sure did.
--------------
Main Entry: soil·less
Pronunciation: 'soi(-&)l-l&s
Function: adjective
: having, containing, or utilizing no soil [soilless agriculture] [soilless media for starting seeds]

 

[Not a Number]

Joseph, your instructors were absolutely correct - in their profession the distinction is critical. For most people the "layman's" definitions as shown in the dictionary normally applies. A horticulturalists dictionary entry on soil would probably take up many pages. Every profession, art or specialty has it's own terminology, nomenclature and refinement of everyday language in order to communicate what is important to them. An example of this that one of my college classes used: In the English language we have one word for snow. The Eskimos have 20 (I don't recall the exact number).

 

[The Griffin]

Wow, did not mean to stir up so much silt(Pun).
You know I know what you mean, Mr. Clemmens, and I by no means argue with why you do that-better safe than sorry.
Hope I did not hurt any feelings or make it seem like I was attacking-just having a little fun.

Cheers,

Joe

 

[Clint]

See, perfect example. To me, acid soil means rotten leaves and pine straw lol.

 

[leewoojin94]

phew! thank u for all ur help, i think this was my fault using the
word soil for long fiber sphagnum.

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

And our friends over the pond call it compost which to me is the decomposed remaines of leaves and grass. Not something I would grow my CPs in.