What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Nepenthes and mold issues with pebble trays?

  • Thread starter Sashoke
  • Start date
Im planning on building a big 8 foot long L shaped shelf that slips right into my windowsills to facilitate all my plants, and Im still in the designing phase.

One idea I've been kicking around is the entire surface of the shelf is a huge pebble tray of river rocks with a plastic liner underneath it, maybe a couple inches deep, and just have the Nepenthes pots sitting directly on the top of the rocks. The idea being it would look really nice, and it'd give me a way to dispose of draining water from pots without having to suspend them over ugly water trays. Here is where my issues come into play though, if I was just to have all my pots sitting directly on this two or three inches deep bed of rocks, would the stagnant water sitting at the bottom be substantial enough to cause mold or fungus growth? Especially with the pots sitting directly on the pebbles? Would river rocks even be able to host mold? The amount of water coming from just watering plants is pretty minimal, and with regular watering trays there is never a whole lot of stagnant water in them for long.


If not, would actually filling it up with water like a normal pebble tray cause mold issues? A huge pebble tray like that would be a good and eye pleasing way to add humidity into my windowsill garden.
 
I haven't seen any issues with mold growing in my trays. The most that you'll probably see growing in your trays is some algae if you never allow it to dry. One thing you might want to try is using a porous rock like pumice or those expanded clay balls. All those pores will increase evaporation and might increase the amount of local humidity you can get out of the tray.
 
Yeah I agree, I can't say I've seen any mold, just some algae growing in my trays. If something does pop up, it shouldn't be too hard to manage.
Andrew
 
Edit: misread the previous comments


Thanks for the replies, it seems like it could work. If any fungi or mold pops up I imagine I could just spray some hydrogen peroxide into the water.
 
Last edited:
I think it sounds like a good idea, and you shouldn't worry too much about the mold.

In fact you can even plant the pebble layer with Utricularia, sundews and moss, or other things that like being relatively water-logged.
 
That is true. I imagine things like U. graminifolia and gibba would be very happy living in a tray like that.
 
That is a very interesting idea, growing things in the water. Can utrics actually grow with 0 soil though? It would only be rocks. Or do you mean I just tuck the pots down deep in the rocks so its always soaked.


Either way I would still be kinda concerned about a buncha stagnant water in my bedroom, but I guess I can try and see how it goes, not like its a hard fix to just stop filling it with water.
 
You could put a bulkhead fitting and valve on the bottom of the tray so you can easily flush and then refill the water in case it gets stagnant or smelly.
 
You could put a bulkhead fitting and valve on the bottom of the tray so you can easily flush and then refill the water in case it gets stagnant or smelly.

Thats a good idea, but Id have to angle the whole rock pit towards one side so the valve could drain it all, and Im a novice carpenter at best so Im trying to keep it as simple as possible, but I like the idea. Hmm.


This table is going to have to be a lot sturdier than I was originally anticipating if its going to hold up all these rocks and water :-O
 
  • #10
If you like the sound of water, I was thinking about having a pump to run water through it. But yeah, it would have to be tilted, or at least have steps going down to take the water from one side and back to the top. I don't think it's required though.
For the drain mentioned above, you could just have the bottom angled toward the front and the drain up there, just so it's a lower spot, it wouldn't drain it all but it would be more than not.
Like this (rotated and whatever size you need) but the deep part wouldn't have to be so deep.
ts_4_10_wi-8.gif
 
  • #11
If you like the sound of water, I was thinking about having a pump to run water through it. But yeah, it would have to be tilted, or at least have steps going down to take the water from one side and back to the top. I don't think it's required though.
For the drain mentioned above, you could just have the bottom angled toward the front and the drain up there, just so it's a lower spot, it wouldn't drain it all but it would be more than not.
Like this (rotated and whatever size you need) but the deep part wouldn't have to be so deep.
ts_4_10_wi-8.gif

Thanks for the diagram, a pump and an angled bottom like that is what I've been thinking too. Im starting to think this table wont be built in a day ;)


Ill have to start trying to calculate prices on materials, we'll see. I've never done anything like this before so Ill probably need to get some help from friends who have. The sheer size of it is going to be a challenge, 8 feet long with an L shape bend into another 3 foot long section. Shelf is huge, as well as having to support all the rocks and water. Plus the pump system that I dont have any experience with. Im up for a challenge!
 
  • #12
In my experience I have found that the easier to grow Utricularia will pretty much grow in anything as long as it is water-logged. I don't think soil is necessary.
 
Back
Top