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Utricularia "clean culture"

As we all know mosses and other invaders take over a utric pot pretty fast and I have been wondering if anyone has ever grown any utrics purely in Shultz APS (Aquatic Plant Soil) or similar non organic material?

I recently bought an expensive version of APS by Pond Care/Aquarium Pharmaceuticals called "Aquatic Planting Medium" since all my local APS sources have quit carrying it after doing so for almost 10 years. But the landscape nursery carries this overpriced version in huge bags. Anyway, I only needed a little bit and was trying to think of a use for the rest of it and was thinking a semi-hydro way of growing utrics purely in this should allow dense root growth and little to no pest moss growth and should make divisions very easy.


Anyway, before I kill some helpless Utric has anyone tried this before with good or bad or indifferent results? U. sandersonii is going to be the first victim cos it's culture is 99% moss.
 
I am currently growing U. sandersonii 'Blue' in some ADA aquasoil and a few assorted U. sandersonii clones/U. graminifolia in some pond mud. Both are doing good expect for the moss issue. I have yet to find any way to completely get ride of those pesky mosses. The ADA aquasoil is the most moss resistant for my conditions, but its expensive!

I have/am growing U. graminifolia in some hydroton and I still manage to get the mosses to grow on the hydroton. I thought lowering the humidity would fix it but if there is enough water to grow the Utric's I get moss too.

I have also use(d) rockwool with U. graminifolia and a few other species with good results expect for moss growth.

The "easy" Utric's I think you could grow in any medium with proper care for that medium. I'm going to try a sponge next :banana2: :poke: really I am.
 
Thanks Randall, is the ADA Aquasoil tiny fired clay granules like the APS/APM?

The APS was $5 per 10 lbs at HD and the APM was $38 for 25 lbs. :(

I'm gonna go to my storage bin and get some petri dishes for this experiment.
 
Yea its basically fired clay granules with some peat and other things mixed in, if you really want to know whats in it they did a breakdown of it on one of the aquatic forums a while back. Its one of the best mediums for aquatic plants out there although very pricey.

Keep us posted on the experiments, anything that might stop moss from growing and let the Utric's grow would be a great help.
 
the ones that can take being very wet (submerged) do not seem to get moss problems for me. Never see it in graminifolia.
 
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