Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?

Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109208

By pieguy452 -  Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:50 pm
Posts:  2460
Joined:  Sun May 22, 2011 11:09 pm

- Sun Jun 26, 2011 5:50 pm #109208

I cannot find any perlite or silica sand thats within 2 hours of where i live. so are there any effective alternatives that can work just as better as silica sand or perlite? and also, i did manage to find medium grade commercial sand. could that be my best alternative?

A confessed carnivorous plantaholic

Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109211

By heathenpriest -  Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:08 pm
Posts:  332
Joined:  Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:53 pm

- Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:08 pm #109211

You can use straight peat moss. Some people turn their noses up at it, but I've been using it for years, and my VFTs seem about as healthy as any I typically see. I think the trick is not to keep it too wet. I'd stay away from the commercial sand unless you know it's quartz or silica.

Don't read too much into the name.
It's just my email address and an expression of the oxymoron that I often am.
Call me Tim, if you prefer.

Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109261

By dantt99 -  Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:35 pm
Posts:  5045
Joined:  Sun Oct 17, 2010 4:48 am

- Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:35 pm #109261

You can use BB's if you have any, or can get any

Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109268

By Shes Crofty -  Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:27 am
Posts:  872
Joined:  Fri Apr 08, 2011 11:06 pm

- Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:27 am #109268

I've used straight peat moss on Drosera before but never tried with a VFT.

If I don't have any perlite handy I will usually use orchid bark. I have a typical in 50/50 (peat/orchid bark) mix and it's growing just as much as it did in it's 50/50 (peat/perlite) mix.

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Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109288

By frog -  Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:05 am
Posts:  254
Joined:  Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:44 pm

- Mon Jun 27, 2011 2:05 am #109288

Good Idea dantt I got a bunch of airsoft bb's that I can't use in my gun think i'll give it a try.

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Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109343

By MICKEY -  Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:09 am
Posts:  166
Joined:  Sat Apr 23, 2011 8:05 pm

- Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:09 am #109343

WHERE DO YOU LIVE THAT YOU CAN'T FIND PERLITE THEY SELL IT A WAL-MART ,HOME DEPOT,LOWES, I'M SHORE THE DEPARTMENT STORES IN EUROPE,SELL IT ,
GLASS BEADS WOULD WORK OR GLASS GRAVEL,FROM PET STORES

Re: Effective Alternatives to silica sand and perlite?#109427

By Shimizoki -  Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:40 pm
Posts:  975
Joined:  Tue Jun 07, 2011 3:12 am

- Mon Jun 27, 2011 6:40 pm #109427

Mickey, I live in a city that has more nurseries than houses. I have checked all of them, and all the standard wal-mart, home depot, etc. None of them have perlite without fertilizers. I have to travel an hour away to pick up perlite. Its quite possible that others would have a similar situation.

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