Soil Acidity

[dave2150]

I read that the soil acidity has to be maintained so that the Vft can have red traps. I have just potted a S.W.Giant and a Royal Red I have recieved and want to keep the soil's PH acid. Anyone know how to do this ?? I hear you can make 'acid teas' , but do not know what you use........

 

[Alvin Meister]

Hi Dave.
New peat is already as acidic as you can get it really, about pH 4-5 I think. It's over time that the acidity declines and it's then you might need to make peat tea, which in effect is a way of adding the effects of new, acidic peat without repotting.

 

[chinski000]

every two years you may want to transpant or add more sphagnum to keep it acidic enough but another thing to keep the traps or the whole plant red is light more than soil

 

[dave2150]

Thanks for the replies. I have had a standard type of venus fly trap for a year now, and since it is growing very well i do not want to repot it. However, despite recieving plenty of light, the traps are not red at all, last year they were. So i want to make a 'peat tea'. How is this done ? Add some peat to water for a couple of days, then add this to the water of the plant ?

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Peat tea... Make Tea! You can just toss the peat in some water and strain it later or you can put the peat in some cheesecloth and tie it off like a giant teabag. Either way..let it sit for a few days.. a week.. etc in a warm spot until the water is brown. The idea is to leach the tannic acid out of the peat.
Tony

 

[dave2150]

Thanks Tony. Peat tea here we come!