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Carnivorous Plants/Venus Fly Trap Soil
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Question
Hi
I live in Scotland (the home of peat bogs!) and I'm struggling to find peat moss as it is considered environmentally unsafe here, harvesting it kills off peat bogs and turns them into wastelands, as a result no garden centre, mainstream or independent, stock it. Is there anything else I can repot my flytraps in?
Hi Alex,
I don't have a real solid answer on this one for you. If you can find long-fiber sphagnum moss, that mixed with some perlite will work. I understand you have a peat alternative in the UK called "Moorland Gold" that has been reported to work well with Sarracenia and Drosera. You probably have Coir available also, and I've used that some with varying results. If you try Coir (coconut fiber) be sure to soak it overnight, and rinse it several times to remove any salt that might be present.
The only other possibility is if you could order some pre-mixed soil from a U.S. or Canadian cp dealer.
The unfortunate thing here is that peat is what carnivorous plants actually grow in in their natural environments. That isn't the case with all the peat used for other purposes. Canada does have tighter laws for more ecological harvesting.
Good Growing!
Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com
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Answers by Expert:
Sarracenia Northwest
Expertise
If your plant is showing poor growth, discoloration, abnormal leaves or possible infestation, the growers at Sarracenia Northwest can help! Carnivorous plant experts Jeff Dallas and Jacob Farin will help you diagnose the problem and get your plants on the right track. Their no nonsense approach has helped thousands of growers all over the world. They can help you too!
Experience
With over 40 years of combined experience, Jeff and Jacob has definitely taken a straight forward approach to growing carnivorous plants. They have encountered many types of diseases, abnormal growth and infestations related to carnivorous plants, and they know what it takes to get plants looking beautiful and healthy again.
Education/Credentials
Authors of Secrets to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden and producers of the Grow Carnivorous Plants! DVD Series. They also produce a monthly video podcast to illustrate how plants cycle through the seasons.
No terrariums. No myths. No nonsense.
Just the straight facts from guys who grow and propagate
thousands of carnivorous plants each year.
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PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR QUESTION: We no longer answer how-to questions (i.e. How do I propagate...?; How do I grow...?). Instead, we help growers by diagnosing a specific plant problem and offering solutions (i.e. Why is my sundew not producing dew?; Is now a good time to divide my Sarracenia?; Why are the traps turning black?; What's a good substitute for perlite?; Why didn't my seeds germinate?; Can you identify this carnivorous plant for me?) For general plant care, please read our care sheets on our main website: http://www.cobraplant.com/caresheets For business questions: http://www.cobraplant.com/contact |
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