Peat Moss and Perlite or Sand?

[JMurphy97]

I'm getting some seeds for some VFT's soon and I was wondering what would be better to use for the soil mix, peat moss and perlite or peat moss and sand? Would sand look and feel more natural to them or will it not make a difference?

 

[JMurphy97]

I'm also getting some Drosera Rotundifolia and Sarracenia Purpurea seeds so how about the soil for them as well?

 

[ZAK]

Either will work fine. I've also in the past crushed up pine needls to put in the soil mix for VFT's/ Sarracenia. This helps with acidity, and also duplicates their natural habitat a bit. I tend to use sand, because I hate the way perlite floats when I top water or it rains. A good 50/50 mix should work on all of them.

 

[chloroplast]

I use a 2:1:1 peat:sanderlite mix for VFTs. You can use the same mix for the drosera & sarrs, but pure LFS also works great for these. I think everyone on these forums has their own favorite mix recipe--but they're nearly all variations of the same theme.

FYI.....Make sure the sand you use is coarse quartz/silica sand (often sold as pool filter sand). "Play" sand or sand that is too fine may contain large amounts of harmful minerals or will make your mix too dense. Any type of sand should be thoroughly washed before use.

Good luck with your seeds.