Top dressing question

[Devon]

Hello,

I bought some aquarium gravel from the pet store and was hoping to use it as a top dressing for Drosera such as D. aliciae, slackii, and Pinguicula too.

It is top fin aquarium gravel.

It says on the back that it may change the Ph of the water, but I don't supposed it would really affect the ph in the soil. . . Would it?

Anyway, if you think it's good or have suggestions to better stuff, let me know please!

Thanks!

 

[mylesG]

id def rinse it thoroughly but after that, it should be good to go and work well for ya

 

[Devon]

Thanks. When I washed it there was no cloudiness, so I think it should be fine.

 

[MICKEY]

it will slowly change the ph and also leach out minerals, you need quartz gravel or sand to top dress or better live moss

 

[Nepenthesis]

it will slowly change the ph and also leach out minerals, you need quartz gravel or sand to top dress or better live moss

+1

Not sure how much rocks would leach out chemicals, but sand or live sphag would look super nice opposed to aquarium gravel... but to each his own.

 

[Devon]

Live sphagnum would not grow on my Drosera aliciae pot, and sand moves or "spills" so easily. So these rocks were a bad idea? They will leach minerals?

 

[MICKEY]

you can use glass fish gravel , hot pink or purple might be nice, with a green ping

 

[Devon]

That would be pretty neat, but I'm going for more of a natural look.

 

[MICKEY]

brie grows her pings in holes in lava rock

 

[Devon]

But I can't grow my D. aliciae in a hole in lava rock without taking up a lot of space and re-potting.

 

[MICKEY]

i have mine topped with live moss

 

[Devon]

Like I said earlier, live moss would not survive on top of my aliciae pot. My conditions are not humid.

 

[MICKEY]

my winter humidly is 20% without a humidifier you need to get 1 or you very limited in what plants you can grow

 

[Devon]

I grow lots of plants in low humidity without a problem.