TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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losfreddy
Composter
not sure what Sta-Green is, but if its a fertizer, i dont know. you want many organic stuff. so the Sphagnum Peat Moss and the sand should be ok. Some people may argu the sand because it might have nutrients in it. whatever your mixture is it needs to be able to retaine mositure/water, and above average acidity on the PH scale. which is why peat and sphangum moss are ideal, because they are acidic. ive suggested the idea of adding coffee to your soil because it is very acidic, but have never actually tried. i would also sterilize your moss if it is in small scale form just in case of mold. the way to do this is to put it in a microwave safe tubberware container and microwave for 5 minutes.
seedjar
Let's positive thinking!
seedjar
Let's positive thinking!
The sphagnum you have should be fine - you don't need to add acidity. I don't know that coffee beans will work; they haven't really been tested with CPs so far as I've read on the forums here and may act as fertilizer. For your first foray into CPs, it would probably be safest to stick with the basics.
~Joe
~Joe
losfreddy
Composter
wait a minute. its possible i could have my ideas mixed up, but i believe if you use oyster shells (calcium carbonate, pet store) it'll neutralize the lime in the sand. somebody back me up. just crush it up and add about a table spoon per 3 liters or so. im sure i got the details mixedup thou, might need some research to confirm.
that was my post, unless sombody had the same idea. i dont know if it works, but i as a matter of fact just came from the pet store and bought Coco Fiber. im gonna use that and hydrate it with coffee and another with tea and see what results. let everyone know if it works.
[b said:
that was my post, unless sombody had the same idea. i dont know if it works, but i as a matter of fact just came from the pet store and bought Coco Fiber. im gonna use that and hydrate it with coffee and another with tea and see what results. let everyone know if it works.
If your intention is to create a bog, peat and sand are your best options--perlite will likely not suffice as it will float to the top of the water. The peat must be free of fertilizer and the sand must be free of soluable minerals and salts which are often found in play sand. If you use it, you must thoroughly rinse it (as it seems you did). However, even when washed, play sand is very fine and creates a very dense mixture which may not be favorable for roots to grow in. Thus, silica/quartz pool filter sand (looks white) is the best--it is often larger and has minimal salts.
You may buy large quantities of peat at a local plant nursery, and the silica sand is easily bought at a local pool shop.
I would avoid adding acids or bases to your bog. While it is true that CPs generally favor acidic conditions over basic conditions, there is an optimal pH range for healthy growth. Acidity above or below this range can harm them. The peat in your bog will BY ITSELF likely produce a pH value within the optimal range.
If your intention is to create a bog, I would post a quick question in the Sarracenia forum as many of these people have bogs but some don't read this particular forum.
Good luck.
You may buy large quantities of peat at a local plant nursery, and the silica sand is easily bought at a local pool shop.
I would avoid adding acids or bases to your bog. While it is true that CPs generally favor acidic conditions over basic conditions, there is an optimal pH range for healthy growth. Acidity above or below this range can harm them. The peat in your bog will BY ITSELF likely produce a pH value within the optimal range.
If your intention is to create a bog, I would post a quick question in the Sarracenia forum as many of these people have bogs but some don't read this particular forum.
Good luck.
Greetings,
Keep it as simple as possible: 1 part sphagnum peat to 1 part sand. No additives are neccessary. I have used the play sand you mentioned and it works just fine. I have also used quartz sand blasting sand, and it works too. I prefer the sand blasting sand because it doesn't have all the fine particles, but in a pinch "play sand" will work. On the back of the package of peat it will list the ingredients. If it says: "100% Canadian sphagnum peat moss", it will work just fine. If there are other unwanted additives to the peat (like fertilizer) it will list them in the ingredients.
Keep it simple.
Brian
Keep it as simple as possible: 1 part sphagnum peat to 1 part sand. No additives are neccessary. I have used the play sand you mentioned and it works just fine. I have also used quartz sand blasting sand, and it works too. I prefer the sand blasting sand because it doesn't have all the fine particles, but in a pinch "play sand" will work. On the back of the package of peat it will list the ingredients. If it says: "100% Canadian sphagnum peat moss", it will work just fine. If there are other unwanted additives to the peat (like fertilizer) it will list them in the ingredients.
Keep it simple.
Brian
Mix it dry in a shallow container with your hands or a small tool like a hand shovel. Do this until you don't see patches of pure peat or sand. It's best to do this by adding/mixing the ingredients gradually (instead of, say, adding all the peat then throwing all the sand on top of it, then trying to mix).
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
