FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

My local Home Depot only sells Peat Moss and Perlite from Miracle Grow. Does anyone know if these are tainted with any type of fertilizer? I really dont think so because the description on the website doesn't say.

sweetlouis121 wrote:My local Home Depot only sells Peat Moss and Perlite from Miracle Grow. Does anyone know if these are tainted with any type of fertilizer? I really dont think so because the description on the website doesn't say.

I have always heard to avoid Miracle Grow products like the plague when it comes to VFTs. However, usually on the bag there is a better description of what is actually in the mix. I would play it safe and look elsewhere for something you know doesn't contain fertilizers or other dissolved solids.

If you can't find peat or sphagnum moss, you would have to rinse that miracle grow stuff many times over before trusting your plant to it. To test whether it's been rinsed enough, you could soak the peat in water over night. Then, take a cup full of that water and evaporate it from a dark container. If there's no residue, it's probably safe. Even then, I would top-water for a couple of months to the point of filling up the catch tray. Empty the catch-tray and repeat on a daily basis.

Sounds like finding the right stuff would be easier...

I know for a fact that Miracle Gro perlite and peat moss have liquid fertilizer added.
See here for the perlite
See here for the peat moss, and that's the label of the regular peat moss, not the specifically mentioned "enriched peat moss"

With it being spring, I've been able to find non-MiracleGrow stuff at Wal Mart, Canadian Tire (for the Canucks), and even Superstore (again- a Canadian thing). Check out the gardening centers at places other than Home Depot if you can, you might have better luck finding what you need.

Do they have any nurseries that sell CPs in your area? I was able to buy premixed stuff from one that's close to where I live..

Maybe a tip: I buy my peat and perlite very cheaply (€12.30 for 100L for the perlite, €15 for a 250-300L bag of peat) from a company that supplies the retailers like garden centers and professional growers.
Maybe you guys should also find such a supplier if you need big quantities

Do you have a Lowe's where you live? They tend to have more variety than Home Depot in my opinion. Also, have you asked the employees what they have, and also done a thorough search yourself? Both of these things can help you to find what you're looking for better than just doing one of them. Sometimes you might miss something, or sometimes an employee won't know what they're talking about. It seems crazy that they only have Miracle Grow brand. You should start a petition in behalf of VFT owners and small businesses! We want variety!

Thanks guys. Where I live there are only restaurants, a Home Depot, a Walmart, and a Kmart so I dont have much variety. Haha.

Check out home depot's web site. If they carry something you want but it's not in stock, you could still order it there.

i use the Miracle Gro Peat/Sphagnum and mine is doing ok. I think it does have some fertilizer in it but it isnt much, plus i top water anyway so i suppose it has flushed out most of the stuff anyway. Thats just me though, it might be different for others. I probably don't do all the things that VFT "experts" might, but i think its good to do things different as long as it doesnt hurt the little sucker.

Adam wrote:Check out home depot's web site. If they carry something you want but it's not in stock, you could still order it there.

Oh ok. I never knew that. I'll check that out. Thanks.

afh928 wrote:i top water

That's a good rule to follow if you're not certain about your soil. I did that all year last year just in case and the plants did great.

yeah, my 1st reply to this question was a bit uninformed because i eventually firgured out that the Miracle Gro stuff is just bad news altogther. Top watering or not...repot and get rid of that crap!