Cephalotus follicularis pure perlite experiment
- Thread starter WillyCKH
- Start date
I'll try that the next time the dwindles strike. Do you fertilize?
Green cephalotus,
Poking up through perlite bits,
Growing for Willy.
Poking up through perlite bits,
Growing for Willy.
ANTSPlantation
Carnivorous Plant Addict
This interesting because I am told that perlite is alkaline.
Muckydoo
Carnivorous Plant Addict
Thanks for the redirect! @John Yates is truly inspirational, a lot of things I do and I try are influenced by him.
Orchid fertilizer diluted to 50 PPM TDS or MaxSea 100 PPM. Light foliar feed or in pitcher maybe once a month or less.
The reasons why you have heard a lot of people including myself recommending beginners to stay away from fertilizer are that:
1) Most people would assume plant fertilizers work the same so they would grab what they use for houseplants or vegetables and use on the CPs, at same concentration -> bad endings...
2) Carnivorous plants are very sensitive to a certain minerals/ salt/ chemicals. You'd need a tested fertilizer at the right concentration for feeding them.
3) Most carnivorous plants are capable attracting bugs on their own. Some are rather good at it unless you have enclosed them in a container without access to bugs. Though they might grow slower without fertilizer, it is much lower risk than trying an unknown fertilizer on them.
4) Carnivorous plants in general live in nutrient poor soil mix, the excessive chemicals remaining in the soil will eventually reach a harmful concentration if we are not careful. Top watering and regular flush is highly recommended to get rid of any kind of build-ups.
1) Most people would assume plant fertilizers work the same so they would grab what they use for houseplants or vegetables and use on the CPs, at same concentration -> bad endings...
2) Carnivorous plants are very sensitive to a certain minerals/ salt/ chemicals. You'd need a tested fertilizer at the right concentration for feeding them.
3) Most carnivorous plants are capable attracting bugs on their own. Some are rather good at it unless you have enclosed them in a container without access to bugs. Though they might grow slower without fertilizer, it is much lower risk than trying an unknown fertilizer on them.
4) Carnivorous plants in general live in nutrient poor soil mix, the excessive chemicals remaining in the soil will eventually reach a harmful concentration if we are not careful. Top watering and regular flush is highly recommended to get rid of any kind of build-ups.
PingKing
Plant
Why would you fertilize a carnivorous plant when you can feed it. I recommend feeding then which is giving nutrients. To me is a way Safer way to keep your plants happy.
I think there's still a concern with a carnivorous plant missing out on some trace nutrient. For example, if you plant in pure perlite would this plant eventually end up with a boron deficiency? Such a deficiency wouldn't really be noticeable until one day the crown just dies, but isn't something you get from insects as far as I know.
In the wild don't cephs grow on a rocky cliff beside the ocean? I'm imagining there'd be some salt spray from the ocean, and possibly a lot of trace minerals in the clay and ocean spray.
In the wild don't cephs grow on a rocky cliff beside the ocean? I'm imagining there'd be some salt spray from the ocean, and possibly a lot of trace minerals in the clay and ocean spray.