Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
xxlapollolxx

Miracle Gro peat moss?

xxlapollolxx
15 years ago

On wednesday i bought two Cape sundews from blackjungle.com and i should receive them in about a week. I was just wondering if i could use the Miracle Gro peat moss sold at hardware stores to grow them, because i looked up its description on Lowes.com and it said that it retains nutrients, and i'm well aware that CP's need low-mineral/nutrient soils.

Comments (9)

  • ltecato
    15 years ago

    Miracle Gro peat moss has fertilizer added to it. That's usually not a good thing for carnivores.

  • hunterkiller03
    15 years ago

    Peat moss mixed with regular potting soil help retain nutrients but for our CP, we only add perlite or sand and that has no nutritional value.

    One thing, the Miracle Gro Peat Moss does contain wetting agent that let the customer moisten the moss quickly.

    So basically, stay away from that brand! Look for peat that has nothing like fertilizer or wetting agents.

  • xxlapollolxx
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    OK, i'll make sure to buy the Greenmix peat instead. A little more expensive but i don't believe it has any kind of fertilizer in it. Thanks for the help!

  • hunterkiller03
    15 years ago

    Greenmix peat? What brand is that?

    What worries me is the word "mix". Mixed with what?

    You should buy pure sphagnum peat moss. No premixed soil!

    The premixes contain minerals & fertilizer. Avoid premixes, even if part of the ingredients includes sphagnum peat moss!

  • dethcheez
    15 years ago

    Hi,

    As already mentioned, Stay Away from MiracleGro or any other kind a potting soil that has Any Kind of "Plant Food", fertiliser etc. added to it...
    It might give it a quick "Rush" at first, but will kill your Carns in the long run...
    Mineral, mainly salt build up is like the #1 killer of carns...

    You should be able to get straight "Peat Moss" at pretty much any nursery or hardware store...
    I usually buy it in 40lb bags for around $12 - $14 at Osh, Home Depot, Lows etc...

    In general most Drosera prefer a sandy soil mix...
    Some say 1/3 sand to 2/3 peat ~ Some say 1:1 ratio of sand to peat ~ Ask 100 people & get 100 different answers ???
    When in doubt a hand full of this mixed with a hand full of that works... LOL...
    But seriously, a 1/3 sand to 2/3 straight peat should work fine a Drosera Capensis / Cape Sundew...
    Personally I like to add a little crushed lava rock to the mix...

    Good Light & Using Only Distilled Water on them is probably more important then the exact soil mix...
    If everything else is good a 1:1 or a 1/3 to 2/3 mix of sand to peat shouldn't really make that big of a difference / Not as much as good light & water will...

    Good Luck With Them,
    Eric

    Here is a link that might be useful: Soil Mix / Care Info. / From Cooks

  • xxlapollolxx
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Well Greenmix is the name of the company...and I'm pretty sure that brand of peat moss is pure, no added fertilizers.

    and thanks for the additional info dethcheez... but other than distilled water could I possibly use deionized water because the minerals have been dropped out in it just like distilled.

    and sorry to anyone who is frustrated by my multiple questions, i'm relatively new at this. : )

  • dethcheez
    15 years ago

    I'm sure I'll get some flack for saying this, even though you know we're "All" Guilty of it / Especially if you have a ton of Carns... LOL...

    No question that Carns will do best with pure/distiled water, but from "My" experience, it's not required 100% of the time / As Long As You Give Them A Good Flushing With Distilled Water On A Regular Bases / Constant watering with tap water will end up killing your Carns...
    And some plants will be more forgiving of this then others / Drosera Isn't really one of them...
    Sundews will definitely do better with pure water / Distilled, Deionized, Reverse Osmosis, Clean Rain Water etc. are all good...

    It's the water softeners (commonly Salt) & other minerals and #$*! like Fluoride that's added to tap & bottle waters that build up in the soil & kill the plant...
    So if you were to do something like water 2 or 3 times with tap water then flush the pot out with pure water the next 2 or 3 waterings it helps prevent the build up of minerals in the soil... + it saves you $$...
    Sarracenia & Some Neps seem to be more tolerant to this without any ill affects...
    Drosera / Sundews ~ Pinguicula / Butterworts and Utricularia / Bladderworths Are Not ~ Stick with pure on them...

    "Note: Just My Oppinions"

    Eric

  • dashman
    15 years ago

    I stay away from all miracle grow products for CPs. I bought a bag of Miracle Grow perlite thinking it was just perlite. But when I got it home and read the back I discovered that fertilizer was added to the perlite.

    That would have been bad!

  • mcantrell
    15 years ago

    I buy my peat moss and perlite in the local Fred Meyer, it's a brand called Whitney Farms. The blurb on the back insinuates that they add fertilizer but I've never had any problems.

Sponsored
HEMAX Construction Services & Landscaping, LLC
Average rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars34 Reviews
Innovative & Creative Landscape Contractors Servicing VA