Is Miracle Gro perlite safe for CPs?

[Wolfn]

Howdy. I went to Home Depot this afternoon picking up some supplies for tomorrow's repotting session. I needed perlite but the only perlite they offered was Miracle Gro perlite. Is this perlite safe for CPs? Many years ago I used Miracle Gro peat moss and it killed my plants because it had fertilizer in the soil. But I was looking on the bag and it didn't say that the perlite had fertilizer in it.

Is this perlite okay?

 

[Not a Number]

The MiracleGro website says this about their perlite:

Enriched with Miracle-Gro® Plant Food for beautiful plants

Benefits

• Improves drainage and aeration in potting mixes.
• Excellent for starting cuttings and storing bulbs.
• Helps prevent soil compaction in containers and promote strong root development.
• Contains Miracle-Gro® Plant Food.

Fertilizer Analysis

0.04 - 0.01 - 0.06

I would avoid this product but you might be able to use it with Cephalotus

 

[pills23]

I use it. I read somewhere that the amount of fertilizer in it is minuscule (and the above seems to confirm that). I just wash it really well first and haven't noticed any problems.

 

[lance]

Don't use it this killed all my sarr seedlings once and I don't even want to see what it does beyond that D: .

 

[Whimgrinder]

I would suggest avoiding anything made by MiracleGro if you plan on using it for insectivores, they put fertilizer in everything they make. I wouldn't feel safe using that Perlite even after washing it. However, if this is all you can find (you did check Amazon?) then soak it overnight, then rinse it very well. You should probably do this at least twice.

 

[thez_yo]

NO

Everybody else wrote too much. Considering that butch has had cephs grow in miracle grow before, maybe cephs then but otherwise, big fat stinkin' no.

 

[Nepenthesis]

Here's the info on it... http://oda.state.or.us/dbs/heavy_metal/detail.lasso?-op=eq&product_id=1720

They only add enough fertilizer in it to be able to say it has fertilizer in it. It is 0.04-0.01-0.06. I just rinsed it in RO/DI and used it. My N. x 'Ventrata' was repotted in 50/50 perlite/sphag using perlite from MiracleGro... It didn't even stop pitcher production or wilt when I repotted it.

I've read quite a few accounts on here in which people have used MiracleGro unknowingly and their plants were fine.

 

[sarracenia_X]

sounds like pineapples Ventrata is lovin the fertilizer! i bet its leaves will get much bigger, and it will kick into high gear with its pitcher production. i guess we will have to wait and see how it does!

should be fine for CPs that grow in slightly richer soils than most CPs, like nepenthes and mexican pinguicula. but avoid using it on more mineral-sensitive plants, like sarracenia and dionea.

 

[gill_za]

Considering the abundance of other perlite suppliers (such as Hoffman for example) I tried avoiding MiracleGro products by default. A couple of warnings from members of this community should be sufficient to avoid "playing with fire" so to speak.

 

[mato]

I wouldn't use it, personally, but if that's all I had, I would not be afraid to mix a little bit of it with my neps, helis, cephs, or pings. That being said.. I would not use it on dews, sarrs, or dionaea. Just try to think of the plants you would never fertilize and go from there.

 

[gill_za]

Um.. one should also think of aftereffect. Let's say this perlite was used on pings. Fertilized media will be a heaven for fungus and algae. They will proliferate and release a lot of nutrients into the soil. Next, gnats and nematodes and other pests will follow. Future prognosis: your plant is doomed (and the ones surrounding it also, as pests will travel from pot to pot in the tray, especially nematodes)

 

[scottychaos]

another thing to consider..
many people don't use perlite at all..ever.
personally I cant stand the stuff..haven't used it in decades, plants are doing just fine!

Scot

 

[mato]

another thing to consider..
many people don't use perlite at all..ever.
personally I cant stand the stuff..haven't used it in decades, plants are doing just fine!

Scot

Yeah, I use pumice instead.

 

[afrodisa]

I don't really think they add fertilizer to everything they sell. It probably comes from cross contamination of equipment that is inadequately cleaned between product processing. It's cheaper to say fortified with growth stimulating fertilizer than it is to clean the equipment.