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CP growing media..

OK... so I have my Amazon shopping cart ready... Is this the best place to get my supplies? or is there a better option? (I am not made of money, and was not expecting to be transplanting something I thought was complete) Or is there a place where I can buy a pre-mixed medium specifically for CP's?


So far I have in my cart:

Sphagnum peat moss
Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss
Silica sand

Now the amounts in each package now I have questions about..

The Sphagnum peat moss is 10 qts..

Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss 100 cubic inches ???

Do you think this is a good amount to purchase for a beginner project? I have no idea how much dirt 10 qts amount to???

or how much 100 cubic inches of sphagnum moss is???

Then when I searched for the silica sand.. I got 2 different items??

http://www.amazon.com/Hermit-Habita...F8&qid=1424538238&sr=8-5&keywords=silica+sand

http://www.amazon.com/Hoffman-14302...F8&qid=1424576648&sr=8-6&keywords=silica+sand

They both seem to be quite different... Which would be the best to buy for the transplanting of the CP's ???

Again sorry for all the questions... this is new to me and I do want to make sure I try and give them their best chance...

Thanks again,
Denise
 
I'd steer away from the hermit sand. Anything that is calcium carbonate is bound to dissolve and "leach" both Ca and CO3, and you want inert sand, like the silica sand. As a general rule, CPs don't extra minerals/nutrients. I'm not 100% sure if that Hoffman sand is perfect, but it at least looks safe to me.

As for amounts, it depends on how much you're repotting. ;)

I know you're pretty far north, so there may not be any garden centers open...but that's where I purchase 99.9% of my growing media. You can get large barrels of peat moss for not that much.

A few of the online CP shops will sell pre-mixed medias, usually a mix of peat moss and perlite, or something to that effect. It's not a bad option if you don't want the mess or need really small amounts. ;)
 
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Here's a link to a segment of the International Carnivorous Plant Society website that gives some helpful CP growing information.

I usually advise anyone, especially those new to CP cultivation, to consider most growing details in the context of their own unique micro-climates. Slightly adjusting details to suit your own plants and conditions. However, success at this will vary, usually increasing as you gain experience growing CP. There are many nuances that can be used under varying basic conditions. Many CP will survive, growing, blooming, etc. under some basic, minimal conditions. Various CP will do even better with adjustments to some of their environmental conditions. Some, will quickly expire if their growing conditions aren't exactly the way they prefer. Fortunately there are few species that are so exactingly particular.

It is a continual challenge to learn the optimal environmental conditions for each plant/group of plants, and then to continuously provide them.

What has helped me most, in my own endeavors, was taught by one of my first college horticulture professors. It was the concept of "limiting factors". It is about the balancing of the many environmental factors that plants need to prosper. Adjusting them to the plants best effect, and balancing them, especially against each other. I.e. more light = need for warmer temps, more water, and more nutrients.
 
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Dmina, don't you have a Home Depot or Lowes near you in Michigan? I live in Minnesota and we've got them all over. They sell this stuff in their yard and garden departments year round and you won't have to fork out more for shipping than the items themselves.

You will have to go outside in the outdoor garden dept where they keep the mulch to find all these items. It may be full of snow but you can still get but there and buy stuff.

Long Fibered Sphagnum is sold as a brick sized package called "Orchid Moss" made by Better Grow. I would say to avoid the sphagnum marked "Mosser Lee" as that's a low quality long fiber sphagnum. Look for Organic or Canadian Sphagnum peat moss usually sold in white and green bag. Most often it is sold in a huge 2.5 cu. ft bag but it's only like $6 to $10. As for sand they sell all sorts from play sand to super fine silica sand to paver base sand (which seems to be bigger grains). Everyone will tell ya the sand they use is the best and the rest is terrible and I'm not gonna get into an argument over all that. :lol:

But Just take a look locally before you blow a bunch of money on shipping.
 
Dmina, don't you have a Home Depot or Lowes near you in Michigan? I live in Minnesota and we've got them all over. They sell this stuff in their yard and garden departments year round and you won't have to fork out more for shipping than the items themselves.

You will have to go outside in the outdoor garden dept where they keep the mulch to find all these items. It may be full of snow but you can still get but there and buy stuff.

Long Fibered Sphagnum is sold as a brick sized package called "Orchid Moss" made by Better Grow. I would say to avoid the sphagnum marked "Mosser Lee" as that's a low quality long fiber sphagnum. Look for Organic or Canadian Sphagnum peat moss usually sold in white and green bag. Most often it is sold in a huge 2.5 cu. ft bag but it's only like $6 to $10. As for sand they sell all sorts from play sand to super fine silica sand to paver base sand (which seems to be bigger grains). Everyone will tell ya the sand they use is the best and the rest is terrible and I'm not gonna get into an argument over all that. :lol:

But Just take a look locally before you blow a bunch of money on shipping.

It's been too long out of the great white north, I didn't realize HD/Lowes had their garden centers open year round. :D

By all means, DEFINITELY check out local shops for media first. Much cheaper. I only resort to online when I've exhausted those options.

Pool filter sand is another silica sand that you may find in home improvement stores. Same difference...I've used that, play sand, etc. My only poor experience is that some of the super fine grained material can act like cement when wet and mixed with other things.
 
Yes, Thank you... I do have both about a mile from me..

I didn't even think of them...I know they sell all kinds of dirt.. but didn't think they would have stuff there for CP's I will go there and check them out..
Any tips on planters I should look for... I have the basic garden green ones (that I got my garden plants in).. should I invest in something more proper...
 
The 4" or so plastic pots you find at garden centers, and get the smaller annuals in, are perfect for smaller CPs. You may want something a bit bigger for the Sarracenia you have (I'm not sure how big it was based on the picture in your intro post).

I would just take some precaution and rinse the heck out of them to get rid of any residual fertilizers or pesticides.
 
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