FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hedonista wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:08 pm

hollyhock wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:44 pm What is it you like about the black gold perlite? It looks very spendy compared to, say, Schultz, which is what I’m currently using.

I haven't used Schultz but I was always so afraid to get anything enhanced with fertilizer like miracle gro. So I picked black gold and just stuck with it. If Schultz is less $ and isn't enhanced with anything then I'm sure it's fine

I’m not sure I’m relieved or disappointed with your answer. On the one hand, I think it’s safe for me to continue using the Schultz perlite. On the other, I kinda thought you were going to tell me the black gold had some kind of magical property, like that it wouldn’t rise up and float out of my pots.

Hedonista wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:18 pm

andynorth wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:10 pm

Just to make sure I understand what you are saying; your VFTs are in 100% LFSM, the bottom 3/4 of which is the cheap stuff and the top quarter of which is the orchid stuff? And your other plants are in a mixture of peat and LFSM? What kind of ratio? So far I’ve only planted drosera seeds, and I used 50/50 rinsed peat/perlite, with a top dressing of chopped Mosser Lee (I know it’s junk, it’s what I had). In the future I imagine I will try VFT and sarrs seeds, and get some actual plants, so I will need to branch out with my media.

Yes, 100% LFSM. LFSM and peat mix is 1:1. They all seem to like it but I am looking for sand to add to that, I just need to get the correct grade. Some is too fine and others seem too coarse. Trying to locate a happy medium.

Here is the response from Better-Gro:

“Both of our mosses are sustainably harvested. The Premium Orchid Moss is a higher quality, cleaner, sphagnum when compared to the regular Sphagnum Moss. Per package, there is more material in the regular Sphagnum than the Premium package. Premium Moss is .3lbs and Sphagnum is .5lbs.”

Maybe I'm just not looking/searching properly, but suddenly it seems that the Better-Gro Long Fibered Moss is missing from the listings. On Lowes site they have options of "Fine" and "Coarse"...in the past the fine has been for the Orchid moss version while the coarse was for the LFSM version. Now it appears the Long Fibered option is missing and has been replaced with an "Orchid Potting Mix". On Amazon I'm only finding the Long Fibered version offered by third-party vendors at an exorbitant price. I wonder if Better-Gro is discontinuing the lower-cost LFSM? It seems they *have* lowered the price on the Orchid moss.

ETA: Okay, I just did some more digging and *did* turn up the Long Fibered version on Lowes for $0.30 less than the Orchid moss.

I show Lowes carrying both, although I had not seen the long fibered variety before.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/BETTER-GRO-Orc ... x/50284907
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sphagnum-Peat- ... /999984956
I've been using the first one, the "Premium Grade".

Panman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 30, 2024 12:40 pm I show Lowes carrying both, although I had not seen the long fibered variety before.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/BETTER-GRO-Orc ... x/50284907
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Sphagnum-Peat- ... /999984956
I've been using the first one, the "Premium Grade".

I agree. The second one, although it contains more is of a lesser quality. Seems to maybe not be cleaned as well and contains more sticks, etc. It still works well though. I actually utilize both. I grow all my VFT's in LFSM. The bottom half gets the second type while the top half gets the good stuff. Seems to be working well so far.