A soil question for Nepenthes growers

A soil question for Nepenthes growers#419600

By MikeB -  Sun Sep 04, 2022 1:19 am
Location:  Clayton, NC, USA - Zone 8a
Posts:  1911
Joined:  Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:13 pm

- Sun Sep 04, 2022 1:19 am #419600

I was at Lowe's today and spotted this: Better-Gro Special Orchid Mix

Ingredients: Western fir bark, hardwood charcoal, and coarse perlite

I'm looking for an easy, inexpensive soil mix for people who ask me about repotting their Nepenthes. Would a 50/50 mix of sphagnum moss and this product be a good match? The orchid mix costs $5.40, and a brick of Better-Gro sphagnum costs $5.80.

Re: A soil question for Nepenthes growers#419606

By Bluefire -  Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:25 am
Location:  Tucson, Arizona
Posts:  663
Joined:  Thu Jun 30, 2022 4:58 pm

- Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:25 am #419606

I have used orchid mix + sphagnum for repotting Nepenthes before, and I have indeed gone for 50/50. I'm not sure how good of a mix it is as I only used the orchid bark because I had nothing else on hand to loosen/ aerate the mix. However, a suffering N x 'Lady Luck' rooted and grew wild in it, to the point of becoming a giant mass of basal shoots (I cut the main stem). So I think it could work.

Burning in Arizona with 100+ plants.
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Re: A soil question for Nepenthes growers#419613

By Supercazzola -  Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:29 am
Location:  Merritt Island, FL
Posts:  1504
Joined:  Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:57 am

- Sun Sep 04, 2022 11:29 am #419613

As long as there is no miracle grow in it, it should work well. But in the long run, I think buying the perlite, bark, and LFSM individually and mixing their own would be best, as you could adjust the quantity.
I try to go for 50% LFSM and 50% big perlite, and then will occasionally use some bark mixed in.

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Re: A soil question for Nepenthes growers#419639

By DragonsEye -  Sun Sep 04, 2022 4:30 pm
Posts:  1338
Joined:  Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:22 pm

- Sun Sep 04, 2022 4:30 pm #419639

I've done it. Plants have done fine.

Blessed are the "cracked" ... for it is they who let in the light.

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