Questions on media used for Drosera.

[Cheng]

Hello everyone! What's your experience in using different media other than sphagnum moss for sundews? I'm using coco peat+sphagnum moss for most of my sundews due to lack of moss. Yes, I'm somewhat a miser.

Any other media that you guys use for sundews? Do give a few pointers as I'm trying to find cheaper substitutes for sphagnum moss. Do include your experience on using those medias as well.

Muchos gracias!

[edwardyeeks]

Perlite is a media commonly mixed with peat moss/sphagnum/both as it helps aerate the soil. It's not very common though, so recently I've started using the aquarium sand you get from fish shops and mix them with peat moss. It works well without any harm and side effects. You can mix the sand with coco peat and sphagnum mods too.

[zoit]

I use a 50:50 mix of river sand and peat moss for my D capensis and other CP with very good results. Plants like D capensis will even grow in just plain washed riversand as they grow here that way in the wild. The peat moss is just there to retain moisture. I also use 50:50 peat and perlite.

In my barrel bog I have S Leucophylla, S Godzuki, D capensis and VFT growing and flowering happily in peat and sand mix.

[kepikimut]

50:50, cocopeat : burnt rice husk

[Cheng]

Originally Posted by kepikimut

50:50, cocopeat : burnt rice husk

Wow! That's an amazing clump. D. Spatulata? You did not use moss? How did you manage to keep the sundews happy in a dry-soil condition?

[edwardyeeks]

Coco peat and burnt rice husk can hold water, especially if the pot is very big. The bigger the pot filled with media, the more water and the longer it can hold water.

Burnt rice husk is quite an ingenious method!

[strath76]

The majority of my plants grow in a mix of peat and sand. You can also use perlite as mentioned or vermiculite. You need to be carefull with coco peat as it can have a high salt content and may harm your plants. If the plants are in a mix with coco peat look for signs of salt damage, burnt leaves or stunted growth, and repot. Cheers.

[Cheng]

Originally Posted by strath76

The majority of my plants grow in a mix of peat and sand. You can also use perlite as mentioned or vermiculite. You need to be carefull with coco peat as it can have a high salt content and may harm your plants. If the plants are in a mix with coco peat look for signs of salt damage, burnt leaves or stunted growth, and repot. Cheers.

Thank you for the heads up! I was just recently informed by another member about the salt content as well. I used a mix of cocopeat+sphagnum moss for D. Binata and they seem to love it more than pure sphagnum moss mix.

Thanks for the replies. Now I have a general idea of what to get as media. Thanks a lot!

[kepikimut]

Originally Posted by Cheng

Wow! That's an amazing clump. D. Spatulata? You did not use moss? How did you manage to keep the sundews happy in a dry-soil condition?

i put them outdoor, without any cover.
give a water tray, refill everyday. nothing to worry

edwardyeeks: my pot only 12cm diameter.
the d. spatulata grow side by side with sarracenia flava var rugelli

[kepikimut]

another new experiment..
100% silica sand



running for amonth ago..
everything look fine

note: this drosera not sown on silica sand. but i re`potting this plant when it big enough to this new media