Information requested

[Hortman]

I am new to growing CPs, but as a result of getting a bit carried away during the recent auction, I am having to learn VERY quickly!

I live on a small lake in Maine. Should I have the lake water tested before using it to water my CPs to insure the mineral content isn't too high?

In regard to long fibered sphagnum, there is plenty of it growing here. Is it safe to use this whenever cultural instructions recommend using LFS?

A lot of resources say the standard mix for many taxa of CPs is half peat, half sand. What kind of sand? I read in one reference "#12 sandblasting sand."

Sorry for so many questions; that's what I get for being overzealous during the auction...but what fun!

Many thanks,

John

 

[jimscott]

Yes, have your water tested. I received live LFS from a friend and I'm assuming it was wild, but can't say for sure. I am using it now for cultivating leaf cuttings and all is going well. Maybe someone knows for sure, but I don't see why not. I use pool filter sand, since I couldn't find any sandblasting sand and wouldn't trust the play sand that comes from the garden centers.

 

[Treaqum]

IF the sphagnum is growing on the edge of this lake the water is fine to use. The long fibered sphagnum does not need to be mixed with sand, infact the edge of the lake is probibly mostly sand anyway. But as to whether you should/could take this out of the wild I don't know. I bet some D. rotundifolia is growing in the sphagnum on your lake. Jsut because it is so prolific up there.
As for sand some one else should answer that.

 

[seedjar]

Silica (silicon?) pool filter sand works, or so I'm told, but I use quartz sand, sold at pet shops for lizards. Some sands contain limestone or other soluble minerals, and those are inappropriate. Silica and quartz are inert.
~Joe

 

[rattler]

silica sand should be quarts sand. quartz is SiO2(Silicon Dioxide) IIRC. not sure if sand blasting sand will work or not as im not sure what they use.

 

[RL7836]

Sir Hortman,
Congrats on your new plants and for supporting NASC. If you haven't checked out Barry Rice's faq, you may want to take a peek - it's loaded w/ good info: FAQ

You'll find several different types of suggestions for potting mixes but the one consistent part of the equation is pure water. Minerals in the water can build up and eliminate the acid or neutral environment. Most CPs have very little tolerance for this.

Enjoy your plants.

 

[Clint]

heres a question about lakes/ponds:

if theres a patch of sphag , maybe 1 sq foot, growing near the edge of the lake, then across the lake theres mounds of it growing in almost complete darkness, can i assume i can plant sarracenia directly into the ground at the edge of the lake?