Question for the UK people, best nutrient POOR soil purchase please...

[Noddy]

I know it's very important to use nutrient POOR soil to grow Venus Flytraps.

It seems that the most widely accepted medium to use is a 1:1 mix (in terms of volume) of peat and perlite.

However whats the best brand to obtain in the way of nutrient POOR peat.

I know it may sound stupid, but I think it seems to be either some close secret or people in the garden centre just do not know anything, scratching their heads...

So this is a very simple post whom in the UK has purchased a brand and made their own mixture of soil to which VFT succeed in...

Brands please so I can go armed when I next go to the garden centre.

Many thanks Wayne

 

[Alexis]

I recommend Shamrock and J. Arthur Bowes.

I would avoid Westland - they seem to have had some dodgy batches recently.

 

[Noddy]

Hi thanks Alexis

Shamrock was the old fashion one I could not remember...

But my garden centre only has Westland ... Arr

Did the Westland kill all your plants? Or is there a chemical in it..

Thanks Wayne

 

[Noddy]

May I ask ...

There's a lot of people advising about repotted, with tap water I see the point but with use of rain water?

If the you need nutrient POOR soil, then why replace it if you going to replace the soil with nutrient POOR soil again... I scratch my head...

As for the mix perlite and sand is to displace the peat a little.. Please can I have the benifits of these methods..

Noddy

 

[Not a Number]

Peat is partially decayed vegetable matter. Moss peat or peat moss typically refers to partially decayed Sphagnum moss. What nutrients there are in the vegetable matter gets released as the peat decomposes further. Sphagnum moss peat breaks down (decomposes) slower than many other types of peat.

 

[Alexis]

I suspect they've added some sort of wetting agent, or they have just been digging in bad parts of the bog.

My VFTs were repotted in it for about 2 weeks in the spring, looking poorly. I repotted them in Shamrock and they perked up over the following few weeks.

Perlite lets more air to the roots and reduces the risk of rot in winter.

 

[Noddy]

Arr I see ...

Sand what type of mix... does it really matter...

Noddy