Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 17:30:15 -0400 From: "Dave Evans" <dpevans@rci.rutgers.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2314$foo@default> Subject: Re: wood mediums
Dear Joe,
> What makes a wood substrate for Nepenthes medium usable? I have heard
> people using anything from orchid bark to pine chips with apparent
success.
> Are there woods/bark chemically unsuitable? Do people use orchid bark
over
> much cheaper garden center stuff because it's sterile? If so, how does
one
> sterilize bark?
Well, I think the best wood/bark material for Nepenthes is cedar mulch.
It's very fiberous, a bit like Rock wool, and it lasts a long time. I have
been mixing it with peatmoss and sand/perlite like this: 1/2 cedar mulch,
1/4 peat moss, 1/8 sand, 1/8 perlite. Sometimes I use more perlite.
Seedling Orchid mix with a little peat moss/shredded Sphagnum is also a
good mix.
> Some people don't use any bark in their mediums.
> What pros and cons have people noticed to any of these questions? Any
> input would be very interesting to me, and hopefully others.
Well, I would say that cedar mulch is better than bark, seedling Orchid
mix is better also. But the bark is still good t use.
Dave Evans
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