Top Dressing for Carnivorous Plants

Top dressing has the advantage of preventing soil erosion during heavy rain while providing a decorative backdrop for your plants. Top dressings that are safe to use with carnivorous plants are pea gravel, silica sand, long-fiber sphagnum moss (dried), and live sphagnum moss. Avoid desert sand, succulent sand, and beach sand.
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[@twunderaquatics1770]

All the plants I bought from y'all are doing great. Thanks so much.

[@TheOldestSoul]

I really love to use ALL KINDS of moss for my dressings and even my display trays for my nepenthes and sarracenia. I use live sphagnum, fern moss, carpet moss and even spoonleaf mosses. In my grow trays where my plants grow in pots next to one another, I keep the mosses dressed in the pots themselves and in the trays. It just makes everything look nicer and greener. I have also managed to keep all of those moss species alive together in an indoor bog garden I created for my greenhouse. Like Jeff said, though, sphagnum will die out if exposed to the sun all day and doesn't do too well outside unless you can manage to grow it with a sarracania species that can at least thrive alright in mostly shade like alata or even psittacina.

[@robertarthur3532]

Always appreciate seeing these, thanks for taking the time for us.

[@12nites]

I'd also add that top dressing with rocks and sand prevents soil evaporation. In my case I want some evaporation to increase the humidity around the plant so I use sphagnum.

[@Plant_Mama]

So helpful, thank you!

[@jimmiescott985]

thanks for the information, good clear video feed

[@thesmoviemaker21]

I have a river, which has a small island of small river washed pebbles that I am pretty sure was natural occurring over many years due to water pushing the small pebbles on the side of the river making a little river beach.Nice to have some free pebbles.

[@joeymirandi2704]

I learned the hard way that rock top dressings are terrible in hot climate they got scorching hot and cooked several of my sarracenia, caused lots of rot

[@xxpowwowbluexx]

Rot means they stayed too wet, though.

[@robieosborne7369]

Yyyyyeeeeeeaaaaaahhhh!!!!! More vids! More vids! More vids! More vids!

[@ryusgplay5731]

Hi, I've started up 2 half barrel bog gardens and top dressed with the pea gravel. I love how it looks but it did make me wonder does it move and allow the plants to grow through it and expand and make divisions? And I also grow drosera anglica in the same garden and wanted to know if that too would be able to spread out beyond where its planted.

[@alejandrozamudio4038]

Hey hi I have another type of peat gravel that is very safe to use and it is Aquarium gravel very safe to use and declarative

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, they could work. We just don't know how well they stand up to UV light when outdoors. They may discolor over time. I guess we'll need to experiment with it to find out.

[@alejandrozamudio4038]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest Yes very true I decide to test that up a few months ago they look good so far.

[@sumerbc7409]

Where did you buy your round pools and liners at ?

[@kklim2779]

Hi. Is akadama suitable for use as a top dressing for carnivorous plants?

[@NightChild420]

I live in the foothills of North Carolina, would the rainbow pea rock get to hot in the summer here if I was to use it on the top soil of my plants? Btw my Dente I got from ya'll is doing just fine. I'll be ordering from you again soon.

[@zay_rat8942]

It would probably burn your plants

[@IndoCropCirclesOfficial]

Why your video doesn't have a subtitles

[@mbunaorchid]

How about using collected native mosses used for top dressing? Any possible harm?

[@xxpowwowbluexx]

Mosses will naturally find their way onto the surface. If you transplant moss, you’ll need to remove all the soil or clay it’s growing in because it contains minerals. You can also buy live sphagnum online or perhaps at a nursery in your area.

[@bobbyhogan1823]

Anyone ever use orchid bark?

[@clintparsons3989]

Nice but that first one needs a bigger pot.

[@michealhyatt521]

What is the purpose of the gloves applying Sphagnum moss?

[@howietark5629]

There's a very small chance, like being struck by lightening chance, of the presence of a very nasty fungus that can enter your skin and require months of prescription drugs to rid the infection.

[@michealhyatt521]

@@howietark5629 thx for the info! I had no idea of this I’m the type of person that tries to stay informed. I appreciate you letting us know. I have had a few dermatological reactions over the years from it, but I’ve always contributed it to an allergic reaction or potential insects in the moss. Wow, you may have saved my life! Thx

[@TarantuLandoCalcuLingus]

Wow glad i know that now!

[@TheDansana]

Open House? When?

[@zeahlessley6108]

This video has no sound 🥺

[@qalandaryar]

I bought a plant but it ate me.