FlyTrapCare Forums

Hello, i have recently ask u about the other substitute media for the carnivore plant lately. At first i want use a coir (coconut husk peat) because these product are very cheap and most abundant in market but canceled because i,am worry about the mineral salt that be contained in the coir peat After the couple of day ,i found a new moss product (not a peat or sphagnum moss) called tropical forest moss that sold in compact form at the pet store who actually not for potting media but used as reptile and small animal terrarium bedding substitute. Al through on the product packet are say the product is is completely natural and 100% chemical free but still contain a soil and mud and probably contain a dissolve mineral by a water that uses during processed before dried,compacted,and packed to shipping for marketed , i took a 1 week to remove the mud contain in the moss by using a lot of bottle distilled water and require a lot soak and squeeze before mix with already used sphagnum most and the tiny aquarium gravel instead a perlite and reuse them, 1 week later after repotted, my plant grow better than before, which now grow with slighter large trap size and start to grow a flower stalk.

Hmm, that's interesting, i may have to experiment with that, other factors may have been in play there, it may be coming out of dormancy which leads to better growth. I might try this in the summer...

I have a brick of forest moss that I haven't used for my critters yet.. may have to try this and see how well it works for me.
I'm going to wait until I find/get a TDS meter though so I can see how high it is in solids compared to my LFS.

vagabundos 91 wrote:Hello, i have recently ask u about the other substitute media for the carnivore plant lately. At first i want use a coir (coconut husk peat) because these product are very cheap and most abundant in market but canceled because i,am worry about the mineral salt that be contained in the coir peat

Coir or coconut husk pith is fine to use if you soak and drain it enough times to remove the soluble material, and is a great substitute for or alternative to sphagnum peat moss. I use a lot of coir in my potting mixes, and many of my Venus Flytraps are growing in coir and sand with no sphagnum peat moss at all. It's easy to prepare coir, especially if you have a TDS meter to measure the amount of dissolved material in every bucket of water drained from the coir after soaking. If you don't have a TDS meter, just soak the coir for 8-12 hours using only distilled water, rainwater or reverse osmosis water, then drain. Then soak again for another 8-12 hours and drain the water. Soak and drain for 9 or 10 times, and by that time almost all of the soluble material will be removed from the coir. Then you can dry the coir if you like, store it, and use it with silica sand or perlite in whatever kind of mix you like. I grow Venus Flytraps, Heliamphora and Orchids all in mixes that contain coir or are composed mostly of coir.

vagabundos 91 wrote:After the couple of day ,i found a new moss product (not a peat or sphagnum moss) called tropical forest moss that sold in compact form at the pet store who actually not for potting media but used as reptile and small animal terrarium bedding substitute. ... 1 week later after repotted, my plant grow better than before, which now grow with slighter large trap size and start to grow a flower stalk.

It is very nice that your Venus Flytrap is now growing better, but please be careful. Some types of "forest moss" (sheet moss, etc.) are actually poisonous to some carnivorous plants and do not make a good substitute for sphagnum peat moss. If your plant's growth and health seems to decline over a period of weeks or several months, it may be because of the "forest moss," in which case, if you can't find sphagnum peat moss, I would personally recommend treated (soaked and desalinated) coir.

You are also welcome to write in Spanish. I would love to learn a little more Spanish from a native speaker and practice translating and writing in Spanish, so you can correct me and teach me!

Steve_D wrote:Some types of "forest moss" (sheet moss, etc.) are actually poisonous to some carnivorous plants

Good to know.. I think I'll just save my forest moss for my critters!

I'm not risking using the forest moss but as Steve said it's great to know that your plant is doing great in the moss.

if u want to try this, go ahead, but i recommend u to mix with your already used media before planting ur plant because these forest moss are quite spongy

Thanks I'll maybe try that. What's the name of the company that the forest moss is from???

victor wrote:Thanks I'll maybe try that. What's the name of the company that the forest moss is from???

The brick I have is from Exo-Terra

he right, that moss is one of the premium Exo -Terra product ever i have ,actually the moss is used for reptile terrarium substitute or other small animal bedding, but its good if u want to try, but make sure u soak and squeeze repeatably with only rain, distilled,sr.o water before use because it is too "natural", which still contain a mud and mineral salt from the soil, after a cleaning process, it,s best if mix together with already used media ( peat moss or sphagnum moss for example) or mix with peat moss and perlite because i never use it alone as it too spongy .

Oh! okay thanks you two!