Expert: Sarracenia Northwest - 4/16/2010

Question
QUESTION: i am living in northern florida.my question is this....the soil here is largely sand,and very little actual soil.would the soil here near jacksonville be usable for growing cps?if so,is there anything that can be done to make it fit to grow cps?

ANSWER: Hi Steve,

Yes and no.  Sarracenia grow in your region, so it's possible that the soil in your backyard may be the same composition as what you might find in Sarracenia habitat.  However, keep in mind that Sarracenia habitat are fed by springs, so nutrients are regularly flushed out.  

You can give it a try with your plants.  That's the only way to really test it.  Sarracenia, of course, would be the most tolerant, so it might be a year or two before you can determine whether or not it's appropriate.  Flytraps and sundews are often the most sensitive, so those plants will let you know within a few months if your soil is adequate.  Whether or not you should add some peat moss is entirely up to you.  I'm not familiar with your soil composition or the amount of sand that's in your soil, so you will need to experiment with several plants.  Keep us posted about what you find out.

Good growing!
Jacob Farin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok...makes  sense.what if i flush the soil with distilled water or rain water.i would be using maybe a two gallon container to flush the soil.would a five gallon bucket be sufficient to adaquately flush enough nutrients from the soil?or....any suggestions how to flush?

Answer
Instead of just pouring buckets of water over the soil, put the soil in a large container with holes in the bottom.  Get your garden hose and simply run the water for about 15 minutes over the soil.  That will usually get rid of excess nitrogen and minerals in the soil.

Of course, you should also weigh the cost and benefit of your venture.  Since this is unexplored territory, is it worth it to experiment on your plants this way?  How does the time and labor to rinse the soil compare to simply buying peat moss and perlite or other appropriate substitutes.  I'm all for saving money, but it also has to save time and still produce the desired results.  So keep this in mind if you proceed with this on a long term basis.

Jacob