guillaume Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 Since 3 years a use a new growing medium, it's granitic sand and in this medium I can grow, nepenthes, sarracenia, droseras( hardy, tropical, tuberous and pigmy) , pinguicula, genlisea, utricularia, cephalotus, darlingtonia and tropical orchids. Here are some pictures: I will put some more pictures soon. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlytrapCare Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 Very interesting Guillaume! I'm not sure I know what granatic sand is or how I would obtain it, but your results look very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlytrapRanch Posted January 19, 2013 Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) Guillaume, do you add any other ingredient to the granitic sand, to make the growing medium more moisture retentive? It seems to me that in my arid environment, where pure silica sand dries out too fast, granitic sand by itself would probably dry too fast also. But you might grow your plants in an environment sheltered from the wind and possibly from some of the intense summer sun? I'm guessing that "granitic sand" is naturally or artificially crushed granite rock. In the United States, granite is roughly crushed into large chunks for a decorative covering for flowerbeds and maintenance-free yard areas, and there are at least two grades or sizes of small-to-fine crushed granite available for such uses as avian grit, the sharp material birds need in their crop to grind food into digestible bits. This type of crushed granite is often available at farm and ranch stores in rural areas where chickens and other birds are raised, and in cities is sometimes sold in fairly small amounts in pet stores. I live in a rural area where crushed granite for bird grit is available. I might try some in a mix. I'm currently experimenting with a sphagnum-free mix that contains only: silica sand, chopped pine needles, bits and pieces of pine bark, and desalinated coir (tiny pieces of coconut husk pith). Thank you very much for the report and the photos, Guillaume. Edited January 19, 2013 by FlytrapRanch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 I don't add anything with it, it's only granitic sand naturaly crushed by water. I use very big pot for the plant I grow and it don't use more water than peat, when the weather is hot a thin layer of sand a few millimeters forming so the water don't evaporate and the substrat keep the moisture. I also use large reserves of water under the pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) Edited January 19, 2013 by guillaume Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkmplants Posted January 20, 2013 Report Share Posted January 20, 2013 This is a really interesting topic. Wher do you buy this sand? Thanks and best regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zlatokrt Posted January 21, 2013 Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 (edited) Very interesting and clever. Are your experiences with sundews in this substrate also as good as with the plants you have shown? Where do you take it? Do you buy it or take in a river, where it occur naturally? Do you wash it before planting the plants? I can imagine, where i would get a lot of granitic sand, but i can also imagine the amount of the particles from the woods around. And what water do you use for watering, rain or reverse osmosis? I can imagine, that this kind of subsrate has much lower buffering capacity than peat, so i suppose it is more sensible on water quality. Regards Adam Edited January 21, 2013 by Zlatokrt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 I take it in an old abandoned quarry. Sundews grow very well too. I used only rainwater. I don't wash it before use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Very interesting. I work in the 'granite city' and live in an area known for its red granite. I might scoop some up from the local abandoned quarry next time I pass. I'm not so sure I'd want this radioactive material in my house though ☢ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodrigo Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Hello Guillaume, first of all like to congratulate you for the beautiful plants in your collection. The use of alternative substrates is something that interests me a lot and, so I just have to thank you for creating a topic as interesting as this. Note: This substrate is composed only of sand or you add something to the mix? Best Regards, Rodrigo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 I'm not so sure I'd want this radioactive material in my house though ☢ The granite is actually radioactive, like many things in nature, and a dose really very low. Our body is even radioactive. And this radioactivity is natural, nothing to do with industrial radioactivity where there the materials reach levels of contamination completely crazy. Rodrigo: granitic sand is composed of quartz, feldspath, micas, I add nothing in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 I'm not so sure I'd want this radioactive material in my house though ☢ The granite is actually radioactive, like many things in nature, and a dose really very low. Our body is even radioactive. And this radioactivity is natural, nothing to do with industrial radioactivity where there the materials reach levels of contamination completely crazy. I was only joking The exterior walls of my house are made out of blocks containing granite and many of the buildings in the town are granite too... so a little extra won't make much of a difference On a serious note, don't you have problems with the media compacting and also with keeping it wet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 You got me Mobile! Not ta all, plants produce amazing roots and the substrate keeps a good moisture thanks to this extremely varied grain size ranging from the large piece of quartz to the dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodrigo Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 (edited) Rodrigo: granitic sand is composed of quartz, feldspath, micas, I add nothing in it. Thank you for the explanation. Note: When possible post some pictures of your Nepenthes grown in sand granite. Best regards, Rodrigo Edited January 23, 2013 by Rodrigo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prompt Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Hello, this topic is very interesting, I had tried to grow a small Nepenthes pervilleii in a mix of granite , Brazilian quartzite and vermiculite, the results were encouraging until a worm has eaten the whole plant Now, I'm experimenting with 2 highland Nepenthes a very mineral substrate, composed of 70% Kanuma and 30% peat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 As the media is inert, the plants are basically growing in passive hydroponics without the fertiliser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prompt Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 The plants are very adaptable, some plants that live in the highlands of the tepui grow in soils almost exclusively of quartz, other species in the wild they grow in sand. Surely the water level should be high especially in areas where the summer is very hot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The body snatcher pod Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 Near I live I have seen some D rotundifolia growing in pure quartz sand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoShiatar Posted January 23, 2013 Report Share Posted January 23, 2013 It could be a good medium to mix with coir, perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Here are some more pictures to make you an idea of how many differents carnivorous plants it's possible to grow in this media. Nepenthes lowii I don't grow that species since many times in this medium but what I can say is it's growing faster now. some droseras tuberous drosera, on the background you can see darlingtonia Genlisea I will could try some seedling with this species! I hope this topic will give other growers to want to try new alternative medium. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodrigo Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 (edited) Cultivation impeccable Guillaume, congratulations. As stated anteriorly this topic is being very useful, since it shows that it is possible to grow carnivorous plants on alternative substrates. I just have a doubt as to its use in growing Nepenthes; its long-term use does not compromise the roots of this plant? I ask this because over time the sand tends to compact and this could compromise the development of the plant. Note: If possible I would like to see photos of your the vase of N. lowii. Best regards, Rodrigo Edited January 26, 2013 by Rodrigo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted January 27, 2013 Report Share Posted January 27, 2013 Compaction would be my primary concern, as I have tried sand/grit mediums in the past and they compacted around the roots. I'll be very interested to see how this works long-term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewjlamb Posted January 30, 2013 Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 This is really great. I am sure many of us read of, or seen pics of sundews, etc., growing in what looks like quartzy sand, only to be advised on how much peat to mix in when trying this at home! So hooray for such achievement through experimentation. Among my plants, I am trying something similar with a very high grit level version of the accepted 'Drosera mix', in which I have some 18-month seedlings of D. intermedia (Tropical ecotype). I will try and post a photo next time I visit the planthouses. Thanks for the encouraging post Guillaume, Jonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted January 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2013 Compaction is not a problem for me, the media don't compact as much as peat and I grow most of my plants in the greenhouse. Jonny don't hesitate to show us your experimentation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guillaume Posted February 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Some news with the nepenthes. I grow 7 highlands nepenthes in granitic sand since few months only but the results are very good. here are some pictures: Nepenthes alba, argentii and burkei , no pitchers because I crashl the pot on the ground one month ago at time plants were crushed by the substrate, the pitcher are dead but news are in preparation and new leafs are bigger than the others. nepenthes attenboroughii seedling nepenthes villosa seedling nepenthes robcantleyi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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