FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey guys, in the link below is a bag of the quikrete coarse sand. It says it contains silica and the website shows the coarse grade as 12-30 mesh. Would this sand be suitable for flytraps? I am currently using pool filter sand which I believe is 20-50 mesh for seedlings. They seem to be doing fine, but I know there is potential for the sand to clog because its finer.

http://imgur.com/gallery/Hh0Y1mF

I'm not familiar with mesh sizes, so I looked them up:

12 mesh = 0.0661 inches or 1.68 mm
20 mesh = 0.0331 inches or 0.841 mm

12 mesh would be a better choice for carnivorous plant soil. As long as it's nothing but silica, that would work great.

Thanks, I'll check before I buy but I believe its all silica.

Here's an update on the sand. I don't think it will work as well as pool filter sand. The first pic is pool filter sand and the next pic is the "coarse" sand from quikrete. The pool filter sand seems coarser and cleaner. I guess the hunt will continue for #12 sand.



http://imgur.com/gallery/xMvf7Lw

You're right, the Quikrete sand is lousy.

Are there any farm supply stores in your area? I get my sand from a local outfit called Agri-Supply. Their medium-grit filter sand works great, and a cubic foot of the stuff only costs $9. It comes from Southern Products & Silica Co. in Hoffman, North Carolina.

You could also look for some place that sells sandblasting supplies.

What about a local saltwater aquarium store? Most of them have white silica sand. Just check it for bits of shell or coral, and rinse the sand thoroughly to get rid of any salt contamination.

I'm surprised you actually found coarse Quikrete sand. I was under the impression they had discontinued the product years ago, despite continuing to list it on their website. I tried on a number of occasions to find it, even had the Home Depot contractor services desk call Quikrete and they were told there was zero stock available.

I will second finding a sandblasting supply company. It's the only place I've been able to find suitable sand around here. Alternatively, if you're really lucky, you may have access to a rock quarry that supplies good sand.

You can also try crushed granite chicken grit, like this stuff: http://www.tccmaterials.com/product/che ... ltry-grit/. I did some minor research on crushed quartzite awhile back and it seems to work for CPs. I haven't tried it yet only because I've still got a lot of pool filter sand. But the grit comes in different sizes and may be what you're looking for.

Thanks for all the tips and insight guys! Will be looking into all these sources to see if I can find anything.