FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

aswell as keeping plants i also have a passion for keeping reptiles, which means i use coconut fiber substrate for many of my animals. I have a lot of extra coconut fiber which i was wondering if i could use as soil for my Venus fly trap? i noticed some people did use it, and the only downside was the salt, and someone said that as long as the coconut husk didn’t come from a salt water area that it was safe. my coconut fiber is a packaged block from the pet store which you soak in water to make it like soil. can i use this?? it’s the same stuff even though it is meant to be used as reptile bedding. just trying to save a trip to the store buy peat moss since it is quarantine. let me know thanks!!

In order to use it you must do 4 things;

1: Wash

2: Wash

3: Soak

4: Wash

It doesn't matter where it came from, its best to wash/soak it.

wash it with what? just water or should i use some sort of soap

NEVER use soap. Use distilled, rain, reverse osmosis water only. Fill a bowl with distilled water and throw the coconut fibers in. Swish it around to help saturate everything. Let is soak an hour or so. dump out the old water and repeat until you feel it is safe to use. The amount of salt in the soil alters with the company producing it, so there isn't an exact number of washes.

i figured soap would be a no go just had to ask to make sure! but thanks for all the help guys. i’ve never tried keeping carnivorous plants before!

Well, good luck. What plant are you starting with?

Yes, I agree with the washing. If you have a TDS meter check the water after you wash a few times to make sure the ppm is low enough.

That kind for reptile bedding looks exactly the same as what I got for my plants.