Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 20:55:01 -0400 From: "Dave Evans" <dpevans@rci.rutgers.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3074$foo@default> Subject: Re: poor VFT
Dear Carl and list,
> of time (several months over thew active growing season.) There is
> something about staright peat plus deep water that causes many root
systems
> to fail due to rot. I assume there is some fungus that likes those acidic
> conditions.
What it is is that O2 from the air cannot penitrate into the peatmoss.
That's the reason it builds up over 100's and 1000's of years to form deep,
mine-able, layers. Bacteria cannot eat these layers, because there is no
O2, your VFT roots died because there was not enough O2 to keep them alive.
Sand and living Sphagnum moss breakup the peat and aerate it. So does
allowing the pot to dry a bit before refilling the tray, but you're better
off with aerated soil based on it's composition (by adding sand and other
goodies) and letting the water level drop to nearly empty or just empty for
a day before refilling.
Dave Evans
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