Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

if the acid is very strong, anything will dissolved... Remember "Alien"?*biggrin2**biggrin2**biggrin2*

Inert usually means it doesn't contain excess salts and minerals that will leech out and will not react chemically especially for horticulture term.

I have used both perlite and pumice extensively with no ill effect for neps. :smile:

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

how about sea corals.....?

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

Not recommended to use even if you rinsed throughly to get rid of any trace of sea salts and minerals. Corals are mainly calcium carbonate which will be eventually dissolved in acidic media that most nep prefer. When that happend, the pH of the media will actually become higher (ph >7 = basic) and that's is not what most nep prefer.

However, there's always exception to the rules, neps like N. northiana, N. campanulata and other lithophytic neps where it originally grew on limestone substrate, coral chips "might be" a suitable replacement for limestone.

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

thank you for the 'might be' reminder and will take note about it.*biggrin2*

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

You're welcome, I did mix some coral chips with one of my N. northiana, so far so good... *biggrin2*

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

ok, will add some into my northiana tonight!! he he he*biggrin2*

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

Ooh..I go buy some tonight kekeke..*biggrin2*

Re: Hort. Hybrids
 

Just to let you guys know that Shawn have been having some problems with his computer. As such he apologises for not being able to answer some of your questions for him. Each time he log into this thread, his computer hang and shut down.

Please give him some time and he'll be back ya.