Here are my comments from an earlier thread ( Repotting)
"Since you are repotting, one thing I have noticed with my many many sarrs is that the ones planted in LFS or a LFS-Perlite mix grow much faster and larger than their counterparts in the peat-sand mix. If I want to remove old soil, I set the unpotted plant in a big bowl of water with a few drops of Superthrive added and gently wash the old away, then let it sit maybe a 1/2 hour or so in the bowl. I mainly do this if I am going to ship the plant.
Last spring I repotted a S. purp that had been in a 5 inch pot too long. I put it in a 1.5 gallon sized, deep pot and BAM!, it sent up 3 flowers and the plant about doubled in size by the end of summer.
Good luck with it.
Bill "
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"Mike -
The LFS was true with all of mine, especially the S. leucos. I had planted a bunch of S leucos, flavas, and purps from seed a few years ago and decided to try it.
Last year in spring, the NECPS had a great grow contest where participants got flasks of genetically identical material S. alata. I tried four diferent mixes:
A: 50:50 sand/peat
B: LFS (Long Fiber Sphagnum) with Perlite
C: LFS
D: Live LFS
I had 2 deflasked plants in each mix, grown in tall dixie cups that sat outside in the same tray. Not enough for a true scientific study but my observations were that while most remained small - the ones in live LFS were more than double the size of the rest by October. Our members had the conetest plants on display on one table at the annual NECPS Show last year. Of course Jeff's ( the 'cephmaster' ) grew the largest. He said he kept his deflasked plants indoors at first for a month or so before setting outside. Not sure if he grew them in his greenhouse or not.
A new thing I am trying is when I have a multiplanting/mini container bog is to use sand/peat mix for most but leave large pockets of LFS for the sarrs. I'd put a soda bottle or tall cup in place as I pack the sand/peat. Then I remove the bottle and fill the pocket with moist LFS.
In late summer I sometimes have to stake my tall S. leucos, not from the wind, but because they get all floppy from the amount bugs they catch.
Bill "