TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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No. There's the issue of soil quality over time, accumulation of salts, etc. Long story short, if you've used a soil once for an extended time, you shouldn't use it again. I've been known to recycle a bit, and sometimes you have to in a pinch, but extensive re-use of peat can very well lead to trouble over time.
On a happier note, adding the used peat to your garden is an excellent way of adding organic material to your soil which is especially good if you have a sandy or clay soil! I'd just tell ya not to push it with your soil as it can lead to trouble!!
On a happier note, adding the used peat to your garden is an excellent way of adding organic material to your soil which is especially good if you have a sandy or clay soil! I'd just tell ya not to push it with your soil as it can lead to trouble!!
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
It's just a horticultural practice. Substrate quality will generally degrade with time, mineral loss/gain, breakdown of the media, and so on. If you have a plant that dies in a medium for an unknown reason, you don't want to use it again because you may introduce the pathogen that killed the plant to any other number of plants.
If you must re use, then I'd suggest that you start out with a good quality medium, rinse it with clear water (let it go through the rain for a while or so,) and to sterilize it. Of course, this isn't the right steps for non-cps. Media can last a good long while, but is best when you keep as much as you can with the original plant.
You shouldn't ever run in to this problem anyway because if you are repotting because there isn't enough space for the roots of a plant to grow, you should take as much of the media as possible as to not disturb the roots (barring aspects that'd make you want to dump the media) OR you're repotting because the media sucks, in which case you don't want to plop another plant in to it!
If you must re use, then I'd suggest that you start out with a good quality medium, rinse it with clear water (let it go through the rain for a while or so,) and to sterilize it. Of course, this isn't the right steps for non-cps. Media can last a good long while, but is best when you keep as much as you can with the original plant.
You shouldn't ever run in to this problem anyway because if you are repotting because there isn't enough space for the roots of a plant to grow, you should take as much of the media as possible as to not disturb the roots (barring aspects that'd make you want to dump the media) OR you're repotting because the media sucks, in which case you don't want to plop another plant in to it!
Good advice. Case in point: i recently got a number of Utricularia. Most went into pure peat that has been rained on for over a year, including the melt from winter snow. All the Utricularia I put into this are thriving, and there is no sign of green guck. 4 others went into a sandy mix formerly hosting some Drosera that went to visit Darwin. Within a week, the pots were covered in green fur, and 3 of the species are now wearing halos and playing harps. Don't take a chance, if something dies in a mix, there is a reason why.
Always rinse your potting materials for best results, and anything from a garden center should be repotted immediately in my opinion.
Always rinse your potting materials for best results, and anything from a garden center should be repotted immediately in my opinion.
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
yeah, I know..[b said:Quote[/b] (jimscott @ July 05 2006,1:48)]Ironically, we both looked in side!
kinda blows my theory!
but even though I looked, and have replied multiple times now, I didnt answer the question!
or even acknowledge the question.
(actually, as I type this, I cant even recall what this thread is about!)
and there *are* a lot of threads I skip over (in many forums) with topics like this.
even though we still looked, I still think someone would get more, and better responses with a clear subject line.
Scot
