
Originally Posted by
hcarlton
Mexican butterworts grow on extremely rocky or mineral-rich soils, and should be grown in mixes composed primarily of such things as perlite, Turface, vermiculite, sand, or other mineral-based elements. Planting them in mixes high in organic materials such as peat or sphagnum will lead to an extremely high risk of rotting, particularly if they're kept wet (unlike other carnivores, they want to be just damp, and only during their summer growth phases). Algae, depending on what carnivore you're trying to grow and what algae ends up growing, may just be unsightly but it can also turn the soil anaerobic (which leads to rot) and some do release toxic compounds, particularly as they decompose and especially if they're lower down in the soil as opposed to exposed to air on the surface.