Soil Medium (Drosera)

[droseraorbitus]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

I'd like to know what everyone's preference is regarding soil medium--specifically concerning Drosera. (and more specifically D. Aliciae)

In any case--What have community members identified as the best growth mediums for D. Aliciae? Specific brands of peat or sphagnum would be much appreciated. Ratios of mixture would be excellent! I'm open to ANY type of medium, be it perlite, sand, peat, etc. etc. etc. etc.

I'm attempting to breed the largest specimen of Drosera Aliciae I possibly can.

I intend to utilize 250watt Metal Halide HID lamp.
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A Little Cultivation Background---
(This is my first go 'round with carnivorous plants. While I have negligible experience regarding murderous vegetation, I've cultivated Chili peppers and tomatoes (and a few odds and ends) under HID lights and outdoor setups for several seasons now.

Typically I'm attempting to achieve the most nutrient-rich, and yet aerated soil medium possible--much the opposite of what CP's required in their growth medium.)
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[Not a Number]

D. aliciae isn't very picky about substrate. The standard CP mix of 50-50 peat moss - sand/perlite/lava rock will do just fine.

As for brands it depends mainly on what is available local to you. Avoid anything with fertilizer and make sure the sand is silica or quartz.

As for the size of D. aliciae much of it depends on the amount and quality of light the plants get. On my east facing windowsill the plants get to over 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Outdoors on my west facing balcony they grow to less than half that size. D. venusta grown side-by-side shows very little difference in size between the two areas.

[paulbarden]

+1 what NaN said.
Regarding the peat moss; I know many don't bother, but I prefer to "wash" my peat before use to remove all mineral content. (Overnight soak in clean water, then squeeze out as much as you can; discard the water). I have found that even "no fertilizer added" brands can still have some mineral content and I choose to err on the side of safety. Opinions vary in this matter.

D. alicea is very easy to cultivate and not at all picky about soil, so a 50-50 mix of peat and silica sand is fine. You could try doing a study and raise some in live Sphagnum to see which does better. I've found a number of genera respond beautifully to growing in living Sphagnum.