- Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:42 pm
#69583
My VFT soil experiment finally started today, with the help of a friend. We mixed various media and ended up with two pots (32 ounce styrofoam cups) of each of the following:
Sphagnum Peat Moss
50/50 Peat Moss & Silica
50/50 Peat Moss & Perlite
Coco Peat (coconut coir)
50/50 Coco Peat & Silica
50/50 Coco Peat & Perlite
Saw Dust (fine, multiple woods, mostly mahogany and maple)
50/50 Saw Dust & Silica
50/50 Saw Dust & Perlite
Coffee Grounds (Go ahead and laugh, but what if it works?)
50/50 Coffee Grounds & Silica
50/50 Coffee Grounds & Perlite
Pine Bark Fines (Small chips and dust of pine bark)
50/50 Pine Bark Fines & Silica
50/50 Pine Bark Fines & Perlite
The coco peat, saw dust, coffee grounds and pine bark fines have all been sitting outside in the rain for several months. I had a hard time finding silica, but finally mail ordered some and then found some in a local aquarium shop. They weren’t even completely sure it was silica, but it was supposed to be PH neutral, and it really looks like the silica I ordered, so I decided to mix them together and give it a go. Anyway, at a dollar a pound, unless it’s dramatically better than perlite, or a cheaper source can be found, I can’t imagine that it will prove to be worth the cost. Still, I wanted to give it a try, since sand is supposedly a big part of the plant’s native soil.
The 15 blends in 30 pots are currently sitting in pans of water to absorb however much they will, and reach their normal moisture level. The peat moss, coco peat, saw dust, coffee grounds, and pine bark are isolated from each other in separate pans, so the water won’t leach anything from one mix into the other. My plan is to sew the seeds this evening or tomorrow, mist the top frequently until everything seems to have germinated, and then basically leave them alone and see how they do. They will be in the same sunny location outside, and will be moved inside on the same day to spend the winter together in my enclosed porch. They will go back outside together in the spring, as well.
Of course, since these are starting from seeds, (and a little late in the season) it may take a few years to see how they actually compare. Next time I divide and transplant my regular stock, I hope to also plant individuals of similar size and health in the same kinds of soils and see how they do, possibly coming up with some quicker results that way.
After seeing which ones seem to work best, I plan to do another round of experiments working with different ratios of silica and perlite to see how much difference that makes. (That is, unless one of the single-ingredient soils is obviously the best.)
My first impression, just from looks, is that I like the sand mixes. Having grown up in eastern North Carolina, they just look right to me. Of course, having never seen VFTs in their natural habitat, I could be totally wrong.
I’ll keep you posted as things progress.
WINTER UPDATE:
OK, I'm a little disappointed that none of my seeds sprouted, and by the time it was obvious that they weren't doing anything, I decided it was too late in the season to try again. I suspect that the viability of my seeds was lower than normal, due to the fact that all my adult plants are clones. Some of them were definitely good, though, because a few fell onto the soil and sprouted on their own before I harvested them.
Anyway, yesterday I moved all my plants into my enclosed porch for the winter, since temperatures are supposed to hit the mid-twenties tonight. In the process, I found a seed sprouting tray I bought a while back. It has a clear plastic cover and a heating pad to go under it, so I decided to go ahead and plant the rest of my seeds in pure peat moss in the hope that they'll be warm enough in that thing to sprout and grow through the winter, and possibly be ready to transplant by the spring.
If that doesn't work out, I'll either get some more seeds in the spring, or just transplant similar-sized plants from my other pots into the experimental soil mixes.
NEW YEAR'S DAY:
Well, none of my other seeds have sprouted yet. Might not be warm enough, even with the heating pad under the tray. I'm thinking now that if they don't, rather than ordering more seeds, I'll just transplant some of my existing plants. That way I'll know I should have the same genetics in each pot, since they're all clones of the original plant I bought several years ago. Seems like the genetics of seeds are too much of a crap shoot for an experiment like this. I want them to be as nearly identical as possible so any differences I see will hopefully be coming from the soil.
JANUARY 3RD:
Having looked at BradR's photos of VFTs in the wild (posted at http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/north ... t8409.html), I now feel that I've got a better handle on what that native soil is actually like. For some reason, I kept thinking of black, peaty bog soil, even though I'd read descriptions of it being mostly sand. But as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words, and it really does appear to be a lot more like the sand I grew up with in the Piedmont region of NC than I had previously understood. So now I'm thinking seriously about more silica-based soils, as that appears to be what VFTs favor. I'm thinking I should add a 75% or more silica blend of each of the organic materials I was planning to use. That is, if I've got enough silica left, or if I can find some that's affordable. Any thoughts?
So far, based purely on looks, I really like the 50/50 coconut coir and silica mixture. Can't wait for spring so I can actually get something planted in all these soils!
FEBRUARY 28TH:
I now have several seedlings in the tray of peat moss that I spread the rest of my seeds onto when they failed to sprout in the experimental pots. I've been keeping it watered and covered for humidity all winter, but I guess they were just waiting for warmer temperatures to sprout? Anyway, since that tray is sitting on a heat pad, I'm thinking that as temperatures continue to rise, I may eventually see some sprouts in the experimental pots. If not, maybe I'll end up with enough seedlings to transplant.
Also noticed that a local place that sells mulch and stuff now has a pile of very white looking sand. I think I'll ask them what it is. I've been having a hard time finding silica locally, but this may be it!
Sphagnum Peat Moss
50/50 Peat Moss & Silica
50/50 Peat Moss & Perlite
Coco Peat (coconut coir)
50/50 Coco Peat & Silica
50/50 Coco Peat & Perlite
Saw Dust (fine, multiple woods, mostly mahogany and maple)
50/50 Saw Dust & Silica
50/50 Saw Dust & Perlite
Coffee Grounds (Go ahead and laugh, but what if it works?)
50/50 Coffee Grounds & Silica
50/50 Coffee Grounds & Perlite
Pine Bark Fines (Small chips and dust of pine bark)
50/50 Pine Bark Fines & Silica
50/50 Pine Bark Fines & Perlite
The coco peat, saw dust, coffee grounds and pine bark fines have all been sitting outside in the rain for several months. I had a hard time finding silica, but finally mail ordered some and then found some in a local aquarium shop. They weren’t even completely sure it was silica, but it was supposed to be PH neutral, and it really looks like the silica I ordered, so I decided to mix them together and give it a go. Anyway, at a dollar a pound, unless it’s dramatically better than perlite, or a cheaper source can be found, I can’t imagine that it will prove to be worth the cost. Still, I wanted to give it a try, since sand is supposedly a big part of the plant’s native soil.
The 15 blends in 30 pots are currently sitting in pans of water to absorb however much they will, and reach their normal moisture level. The peat moss, coco peat, saw dust, coffee grounds, and pine bark are isolated from each other in separate pans, so the water won’t leach anything from one mix into the other. My plan is to sew the seeds this evening or tomorrow, mist the top frequently until everything seems to have germinated, and then basically leave them alone and see how they do. They will be in the same sunny location outside, and will be moved inside on the same day to spend the winter together in my enclosed porch. They will go back outside together in the spring, as well.
Of course, since these are starting from seeds, (and a little late in the season) it may take a few years to see how they actually compare. Next time I divide and transplant my regular stock, I hope to also plant individuals of similar size and health in the same kinds of soils and see how they do, possibly coming up with some quicker results that way.
After seeing which ones seem to work best, I plan to do another round of experiments working with different ratios of silica and perlite to see how much difference that makes. (That is, unless one of the single-ingredient soils is obviously the best.)
My first impression, just from looks, is that I like the sand mixes. Having grown up in eastern North Carolina, they just look right to me. Of course, having never seen VFTs in their natural habitat, I could be totally wrong.
I’ll keep you posted as things progress.
WINTER UPDATE:
OK, I'm a little disappointed that none of my seeds sprouted, and by the time it was obvious that they weren't doing anything, I decided it was too late in the season to try again. I suspect that the viability of my seeds was lower than normal, due to the fact that all my adult plants are clones. Some of them were definitely good, though, because a few fell onto the soil and sprouted on their own before I harvested them.
Anyway, yesterday I moved all my plants into my enclosed porch for the winter, since temperatures are supposed to hit the mid-twenties tonight. In the process, I found a seed sprouting tray I bought a while back. It has a clear plastic cover and a heating pad to go under it, so I decided to go ahead and plant the rest of my seeds in pure peat moss in the hope that they'll be warm enough in that thing to sprout and grow through the winter, and possibly be ready to transplant by the spring.
If that doesn't work out, I'll either get some more seeds in the spring, or just transplant similar-sized plants from my other pots into the experimental soil mixes.
NEW YEAR'S DAY:
Well, none of my other seeds have sprouted yet. Might not be warm enough, even with the heating pad under the tray. I'm thinking now that if they don't, rather than ordering more seeds, I'll just transplant some of my existing plants. That way I'll know I should have the same genetics in each pot, since they're all clones of the original plant I bought several years ago. Seems like the genetics of seeds are too much of a crap shoot for an experiment like this. I want them to be as nearly identical as possible so any differences I see will hopefully be coming from the soil.
JANUARY 3RD:
Having looked at BradR's photos of VFTs in the wild (posted at http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/north ... t8409.html), I now feel that I've got a better handle on what that native soil is actually like. For some reason, I kept thinking of black, peaty bog soil, even though I'd read descriptions of it being mostly sand. But as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words, and it really does appear to be a lot more like the sand I grew up with in the Piedmont region of NC than I had previously understood. So now I'm thinking seriously about more silica-based soils, as that appears to be what VFTs favor. I'm thinking I should add a 75% or more silica blend of each of the organic materials I was planning to use. That is, if I've got enough silica left, or if I can find some that's affordable. Any thoughts?
So far, based purely on looks, I really like the 50/50 coconut coir and silica mixture. Can't wait for spring so I can actually get something planted in all these soils!
FEBRUARY 28TH:
I now have several seedlings in the tray of peat moss that I spread the rest of my seeds onto when they failed to sprout in the experimental pots. I've been keeping it watered and covered for humidity all winter, but I guess they were just waiting for warmer temperatures to sprout? Anyway, since that tray is sitting on a heat pad, I'm thinking that as temperatures continue to rise, I may eventually see some sprouts in the experimental pots. If not, maybe I'll end up with enough seedlings to transplant.
Also noticed that a local place that sells mulch and stuff now has a pile of very white looking sand. I think I'll ask them what it is. I've been having a hard time finding silica locally, but this may be it!
Last edited by heathenpriest on Mon Feb 28, 2011 8:15 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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.
It's just my email address and an expression of the oxymoron that I often am.
Call me Tim, if you prefer.
.
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