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Ask questions about how to grow and care for Venus Flytraps

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By iProcreate
Posts:  138
Joined:  Sat Jan 10, 2015 4:17 am
#221312
So I'm thinking of trying to grow some plants in LFSM and even sowing some seeds in it as well but have a couple questions. I've read some have had issues with rot because it retains water really well and overwatering is an issue. Should I leave my pots in a tray of water with it? I live in a desert so i think the moisture retention and added humidity would benefit the plant and seeds. Also should I add perlite to the mix after i chop it up finely to kind of help with the excess moisture or just leave everything in 100% LFSM? Should I do a 50/50 mix? How long should I also leave the LFSM sitting in hot/boiling water?

I saw this tray of seedlings in a LFSM that I want to emulate because it looks really cool and a lot cleaner than a pot of peat moss/perlite mix.

http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/2014- ... 25346.html
By katya_dog1
Posts:  2412
Joined:  Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:45 pm
#221317
I would leave it sitting in water if I were you.

Personally, I hate LFS for seeds, unless it has a water tray. You basically have to top water every day and that displaces the seeds. Go ahead and use 100% LFS, adding perlite makes it REALLY airy and suitable probably for just neps, that's the mix I use. But I do know people use perlite/LFS in adult flytrap mixes.

I sterilized my LFS by boiling rainwater and putting it in there for five minutes. Don't know if LFS really needs the sterilization, but hey. Maybe it does something other than kill off all the dormant spores.


As you can see, I have not had problems with rot or anything, quite the opposite in fact. I have a fan, IMO as long as you have everything well ventilated (outside for instance) you're good to go.
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By katya_dog1
Posts:  2412
Joined:  Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:45 pm
#221318
And yeah, Kevonicus's Earthboxes look really cool, don't they? I will definitely be trying that this year with some seeds.
By iProcreate
Posts:  138
Joined:  Sat Jan 10, 2015 4:17 am
#221319
katya_dog1 wrote:And yeah, Kevonicus's Earthboxes look really cool, don't they? I will definitely be trying that this year with some seeds.
Haha yup, only reason why I want to give LFS a shot. Great, sounds good,so as long as I have the LFS with seeds in a water tray, it'll be ok? I'm just focusing on VFTs for now.
By bvalente
Posts:  892
Joined:  Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:58 pm
#221331
It honestly depends on you're growing style and that is something you're going to have to figure out for yourself. I personally love 100% LFSM because it is a lot lighter than a 50/50 mix or any other mix for that matter. For me, it provides my plants roots with a lot better aeration and looks a lot cleaner to the eye.

However, there are other members on here who swear by 50/50 or a 60/40 mix of peat/perlite or peat/sand. It honestly depends on you're growing style.

Just to see where I stood with either, I tried 50/50 at the beginning of my growing experience and didn't like it. It got everywhere and was a pain to water because it was messy and everything floated to the top. I know you can do a top dressing but still didn't like it. So I switched to 100% LFSM after talking to Matt about it and so far I love it. My plants grow a lot quicker in it than a 50/50 or 60/40 mix. Just to compare the two I switched back to a 60/40 mix of peat/sand a few months ago and I still do not like it. So in my personal opinion, I like the LFSM mix, whereas others do not.

You honestly have to figure out what works best for you :) However, with either of the mixes, depending on the size of your pot, I would not leave them in standing water, this can open up a whole laundry list of problems. Instead you should water them when the top media starts to dry out. Do not think "every Monday I am going to water" because it doesn't work like that. You honestly have to go to what your plants need.

But for sowing seeds, I wouldn't use LFSM because the seeds can get lost in the fibers, to sow seeds I would use a mix.
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By katya_dog1
Posts:  2412
Joined:  Sat Aug 09, 2014 1:45 pm
#221337
I'm sorry, I did not clarify in my original post. (for seeds) Only fill the tray once a day, leave for a few minutes, and then drain. I don't have time for that though, so I just water with a tray and have no problems. Once they are seedlings, do whatever you want, just do NOT let them dry out.

You *can* use LFS for seeds just so long as you mill it. But you want a nice even layer so the seeds are easily visible.
By Mufasa
Posts:  858
Joined:  Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:45 am
#221350
I have in the past left my pots in dishes full of water for months, lately i have been only putting enough in that it will dry up by the next day, i think even watering without a saucer might be ideal in an appropriate climate.. My plants are usually pretty moist\wet
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By Alvin 415
Posts:  301
Joined:  Tue Jul 08, 2014 11:53 pm
#221364
I was lazy and didn't mill the LFSM. I just stuffed a handful into a pot, and scattered the seeds on top.

I'm like katya_dog1 - no time to soak and drain.

I just keep it sitting in 0.5 to 1 inch of water all the time.

They seem to be doing fine.
seeds in LFS cropped.jpg
seeds in LFS cropped.jpg (319.93 KiB) Viewed 3020 times
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By xr280xr
Posts:  2807
Joined:  Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:29 pm
#221618
I wouldn't chop up your moss too finely. If you plan to tray water, pack the moss in fairly tightly at the bottom to make sure it wicks up the water but I would keep it more loosely packed near the top. Some perlite mixed in may not be a bad idea. Packed too tightly and it can easily stay too wet too long and get stagnant and slimy. But too loosely and it will go from perfectly moist to completely dry too quickly.

LFSM is a great medium but can just be difficult to get right when it comes to watering. One other downside is it can be really difficult to get the roots free when transplanting. That's where chopping it into smaller strands helps, though.

So like bvalente said, it's really a personal preference. If you can manage LFSM effectively, I would definitely go with it.
By entropy81
Posts:  302
Joined:  Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:10 pm
#222186
I don't really ever chop up the dried sphagnum when I use it, I know a lot of people do but I just leave it long.

When it comes to rot, live sphagnum won't cause it it's probably less likely than straight peat. It's probably got something to do with the acidity of the sphagnum but plants will love being way wetter than usual in it. It has some anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

I've put seeds and seedlings in it too but it's less great for them because you have to watch that the sphagnum does not overgrow and bury them. Plan on keeping a close eye on them and if you're not trimming the sphagnum back away from them regularly you will probably have to search through the sphagnum to find them and dig them out every month or two until they get big enough to outgrow it.

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