FlyTrapCare Forums

In my area, everyone uses sphag moss and perlite for their vfts. Is this a better alternative to peat in my case? Location is in Davao, Philippines.

I am not going to say one is better. Being in the Philippines I would guess Canadian peat is not really a option but sphagnum you could easily obtain and even grow yourself.

Coco coir or coco peat is a worthwhile alternative, made from coconut shells. Just be sure to rinse it thoroughly to remove any lingering salt in the product.

I grew Dionaea in a peat mix for around five years and got decent results. This last year I switched my plants over to sphagnum moss and perlite and they've done absolutely amazing. I know Matt prefers sphag as well. Maggie Chen, who may have the largest Dionaea specimens I've ever seen, grows her plants in sphag too.

Flytraps seem to grow faster in long-fiber sphagnum but I think they can actually get slightly larger in sphagnum peat moss mixes. The biggest plants I've ever seen were grown in a peat/silica sand/perlite mix.