Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 09:28:29 +0100 From: "Tim Williams" <Tim@jint.jasco.co.jp> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3966$foo@default> Subject: Nep potting mix
Trent Meeks wrote:
"My growing mix has evolved over the years, and is very porous. For me,
my best mix is the one I'm using now. The ingrediants are : lava rock,
pumice, sponge rock, perlite, silica sand, spaghnum moss, canadian
peat, seedling grade fir bark, osmunda, aliflor. I mix this stuff
together like a chef, I do it by inspection until it has the right
consistency-spongy and fluffy, and slightly muddy from the peat. Sorry
I'm not very scientific about this aspect, but it seems to work. It's
more the zen of potting Nepenthes.
Hope this is helpful."
Trent, what kind of granule sizes do the first 4 ingredients in your mix
have? I have not found the first 3 for sale yet, and perlite seems to come
in a variety of sizes. Could you or anyone else comment on the use of
vermiculite in nep potting mix? It too comes in a variety of sizes and is
light and porous, I wonder if its ion-exchange properties have any benefits
for controlling buildup of harmful (alkali) cations? Also, doesn't your
silica sand wash out from this porous mix? I always seemed to lose it while
watering so don't bother putting any in now...
Most of my neps are growing fairly well in mostly orchid mix, which
hereabouts seems to include pumice-like material and perlite, but I wonder
if they would benefit from having peat and sand etc. as well, and as such is
it worth re-potting them?
For that matter, can anyone give me an idea of when to repot nepenthes?
Their root systems seem very delicate and none of my plants seem to outgrow
their pots... is it a matter of repotting to refresh the medium?
Cheers,
Tim Williams.
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