Skullkeeper Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 HI i have repotted a few of my VFT,s and i am starting to loose some. I think it may be down to the potting mix but thought i would get some Advise first My Mix is 5 Parts Peat 3 Parts Silver Sand 2 Parts Perlite I Only use Rain Water collected from a Water Butt Any help will be Most Welcome Thanks Skull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFLguy Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I don't think that sand is any good, silver sand is usually quarts and a mix of other things so it could easily be mixed with minerals that would hurt your plant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I'm wary of using horticultural sand in carnivorous plant mixes. See here: http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=44223 and here http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50270]http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50270]http://www.cpukforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=50270 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 I have used sand in the mix before,but it was courser grit sand,which opens up the mix more. Your mix looks very dense,too much peat with small sized sand leaves no room for air or drainage. I would have used more perlite to open the soil mixture up a lot more. Unless the peat is contaminated with fertilizer,which has been spoken about in other threads. You didn't say how long they took to die. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Salter Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 To reinforce the above comments. Get them out of that mix and crop off all dead material. Make a fresh media with either just peat or mixed with perlite but forget sand (no need) and do not compact the new media too much. Lighten up on the watering and of course do not over water. Shamrock is a good quality product usually. I use a good quality 'Evergreen' peat and I have actually reverted to plain or mostly peat with good results but it will depend on conditions. You will hopefully recover your plants. Except for that last one. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuberousdrosera Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Oh dear!! Again agree with the others looks like fertiliser or some mineral issue, I know from a recent ferltiser trial that didn't work your plants have the same dying back issues, but I repotted them on the first signs of black showing on leaves. Tidy your plants and wash off any soil and just plant in peat and perlite as Ian said and just fill the pots do not firm the compost down and just plant your dionaea, they will grow very happily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest paul y Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 ANSWERS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoLongFairWell Posted June 8, 2014 Report Share Posted June 8, 2014 Looks like mineral damage from the sand. I'd say it wasn't as lime free as it claimed to be or had other minerals in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted June 9, 2014 Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 Everything looks good on the packaging and J Bowers is good stuff. How weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave Posted June 9, 2014 Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 Silver sand is very good for sowing very fine seeds if you mixed it together and spread the mix on top of composts . I would save the sand for that . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucien01700 Posted June 9, 2014 Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hirepot your VFT in a mixture of 60% sphagnum peat blonde, coco peat 20 and 20 quartz sand.Photo is your subsrat rots.Prevents perlite, I found it was bad for Dionaea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skullkeeper Posted June 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2014 Awesome, Thanks for the Replies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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