Quote:
Originally Posted by David
In my exoperience, sphagnum peat moss (s.p.m.) when dry does not absorb water readily. If you are using pure s.p.m. that would explain the water flowing right through. You are using a coconut fibre basket which would dry out your s.pm. very quickly as well because air can just flow right through. If the s.p.m. is kept continueously wet then there is no problem. It would absorb alot of water everytime you water. But using just s.p.m. for Neps media is not so good as there is little air for the roots.
I would suggest mixing your s.p.m. with sphagnum moss. It is also best to have some coarse material in the media like coconut chips, polysterine pieces, coarse perlite, etc.
Just what I think from my experiece.  |
Thanks. I am going to try and do an intense soak of the SPM. Hopefully the moss will start to absorb better. I was hoping that the cocofiber planter was going to provide more gaseous exchange and prevent root rot. My neps are indoors and don't get a lot of circulating air. I didn't count on my very dry/dusty spm on being reluctant to take water. I guess I will just have to experiment a bit. If the plant starts to look a bit pissed then I will change out the potting material.
Either way it is a N. Miranda which is pitcherless. I bought for quite a bargain at Calloway's. I haggled 50% off. It was flowering at the time, so when I got it home I chopped off the flowers and left it in its origenal state for about 3 weeks. I see new growth and the leaves look healthy, so i decided to replant. Hopefully it will rebound from the flower cycle and give me some pitchers.