FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Living in the Pacific Northwest for roughly 35 years there is one (of many)thing I have learned. If it does not move, it will turn green. Unfortunately this holds very true of Perlite. Prior to switching to just LFSM and Peat, I was noticing all my plant tops were starting to mold. Nope, it is not moss but first it goes pink and then within a day or so of that it turns to green mold. At first I tried just cleaning it off the top of the soil but it seems it would start in below the surface also. So I have decided to stop using the perlite. I think I may have about a half bag or so if anyone is interested. No charge, I just do not want it going to waste. That is, as long as my wife did not trash it yet.

Edit: Found it. I will post in Giveaways as a contest. Roughly 2/3 of a gallon bag or so.

You are using 100% sphagnum and peat? Nothing to help drainage?

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2023 12:54 am You are using 100% sphagnum and peat? Nothing to help drainage?

LFSM and Peat. So far so good. Drainage seems fine thus far. If it becomes an issue I have Silica sand I can add to the mix and my Drosera have never done so well. My Sarrs seem to enjoy it also. So much so that I have a few still putting out new pitchers at this time of the year. I am working on getting them in to garage but figured I will wait as the new pitchers need some grow time.

dizzle wrote:I also stopped using perlite, I don't like how it always manages to float up to the surface of the soil and turn slimy green. I use peat and sand exclusively now.

Naaah, perlite always gets a bad rep for 'floating' to the top, personally, I blame the sneaky peat for sinking to the bottom, and laughing while it does it, so the perlite gets the blame for being all over the place.

I grow a number of Sarracenia in pure peat and many more in pure live Sphagnum, and have no problem with drainage in either, even in winter when standing in water, despite being outside, quite possibly due to them either being in, in-ground bogs or tall pots. The best medium I find for mature Sarracenia is pure live Sphagnum, as it is by nature an open texture. Most problems I see with people using Sphagnum is when they use dried or dead LFSM and either they firm it too hard into the pots, resulting in poor oxygen rates to the roots then the media collapse into a green goo, or that as it isn't living, it doesn't release hydrogen ions which is what gives it its acidic properties, so loses its acidity and then starts breaking down.

Cheers
Steve

So the live sphagnum goes inside the pot and grows in the pot even without light on the inside of the pot? I always thought that live moss needed some sort of light to live.

andynorth wrote:So the live sphagnum goes inside the pot and grows in the pot even without light on the inside of the pot? I always thought that live moss needed some sort of light to live.

Hi Andy
Yep, it does need light to grow, so only the top grows and the lower layers die off and very slowly turn to peat, effecively what you are creating is a peat bog in a pot. It doesn't quite work like that, but you get the picture, it is pretty near a bog-growing condition.

Cheers
Steve

steve booth wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:20 pm

andynorth wrote:nside of the pot? I always thought that live moss needed some sort of light to live.

Hi Andy
Yep, it does need light to grow, so only the top grows and the lower layers die off and very slowly turn to peat, effecively what you are creating is a peat bog in a pot. It doesn't quite work like that, but you get the picture, it is pretty near a bog-growing condition.

Cheers
Steve

I guess I should start growing more moss!! Thanks Steve.

I managed to acquire pumice gravel that is similarly sized to the perlite (maybe a little smaller even) from a local store a while back. I haven't started using it yet because it seems a waste to not use up my perlite, but I think it would work better. Being porous and heavy but not so heavy as sand/rock and not so light as perlite, I expect it to be much better than either.

I wish I could find a reasonable source for bulk pumice. I would love to use it but it is priced out of my budget. I'm stuck with perlite.

Same here, Panman. I've looked all over but it's pricey and shipping sends the cost into orbit. I've been thinking of getting a bag of pool sand...about the best shot at a non-perlite solution around here.

Panman wrote: ↑Tue Nov 21, 2023 9:20 pm I wish I could find a reasonable source for bulk pumice. I would love to use it but it is priced out of my budget. I'm stuck with perlite.

Get pumice toilet scrubbing sticks from the dollar store and smash them. I haven't done the math on bulk pricing, but that's my plan for future pings.

I'm going to try that.

Has anyone heard of 'DryStall' as a pumice source? I see it in succulent / bonsai threads sometimes, but I've never sought it out or tried it. I also don't think I've seen it in CP-specific threads.

To make matters more confusing, there is a similar 'horse stall' product called 'Stall Dry' that is NOT pumice.

See the side bar here, that made me think - Dry Stall = pumice:
https://debraleebaldwin.com/pumice/#:~: ... es%20here.