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Peat + perlite or sand? Your experience...


vincent

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Hi everyone,

 

It's about time (well, in a few months, in early spring) to repot my Sarracenia, and I'm wondering what is best to mix with peat: sand or perlite?

 

Did anybody compare these 2? I'm particularly interested in long-term experience, as I don't want to repot too often.

 

Thanks

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perlite every time, I only use sand now if the species really prefers it which tbh is a rarity, tuberous drosera, drosophylum, got some in my byblis pots, every other cp grows perfectly fine without it, my vfts seem to prefer pure peat.

if you do get sand then buy silver sand or granite sand washed lime free and test it with an acid before you use, if it fizzes it still contains lime and it should be rejected.

plus sand washes out of the bottom of pots really quickly and it can compact in pots over time forming causing the medium level to drop in the pot.

theres a lot to be said and explored for just pure peat, ive seen a few people using it with good results, leads me to think a lot of the extras we put in our mixes aren't actually required, more of a case of that's how everyone else has been doing it so it must be right

hope that helps

paul

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i use peat and perlite in 2 to 1 mix.I have used sand in the mix too but found it to be too claggy in the winter with sand in the mixture.

so gave up with it.

 

It all depends on the quality of the peat you use.If its black its crap in my opinion,you need the light brown crumbly peat.

 

ada

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  • 3 weeks later...

1:1 peat and perlite.

Over the years I've found sand to be just too inconsistent. It's hard to be 100% sure where it's come from and what impurities are in it especially grit/sharp sand. Even washed horticultural, branded stuff seems to not be consistent enough for CPs. One bag will be OK, with the roots growing out of the pot, the next bought a few months later the roots will never explore the new media and there'll be poor growth.

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I have observed lime free horticultural sand/grit fizz when exposed to acid and have had plants fail over time when using it. I therefore no longer use it, with the only exception if I collect it personally from a local granite quarry.

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I've tried different ratios but only of peat and perlite as already said, sand quality is hard to judge.

I used a 1:1 ratio of peat and perlite this season for the first time and my plants seem happy enough, sarras looking healthy and dividing up readily, the vft's have done very well in it.

My only issue with this mix has been that due to my plants being outside with no protection, some heavy downpours caused the perlite to get washed out of the pots making a real mess.

I now either " top dress" the pots with sphagnum ( which I think makes the plant look nicer too) or I put neat peat on the top which again looks better than seeing the perlite in the media.

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Peat and perlite, I too, find that the (pardon the pun) bog standard horticultural sand I seem to get these days is too claggy and doesn't provide a very open texture. I have only used peat and perlite for my sarracenia for twenty plus years now, increasing or decreasing the perlite amount from a maximum 1:1 ratio amount, depending on what your peat looks like when you open the bag.

 

Cheers

Steve

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