Is Perlite Safe for Carnivorous Plants?

[@peterphan227]

Great video. I really like these "deep dive" science-based videos.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you! Yes, this was a fun video to produce. Glad you liked it.

[@gospeltruthtv]

Thanks for this demo! I have been using a 50/50 peat moss-perlite mix for years.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PistaKis-h6c]

Does perlite has different kinds or every perlite is the same?

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Perlite is manufactured from pumice, which is a generic term for volcanic rock. The composition of the pumice will differ on the region, but the process of manufacturing perlite renders the minerals inert.

[@kp1380]

I found a similar problem on one Polish forum. And the results were quite different - pH of mix of peat moss with perlite around 6. And author also summarized it as perlite is bad for your plants an you should definitely avoid it. And, to be honest, I was also afraid after reading it. But, I also did some research. Clean perlite does not affect pH of peat moss in any significant way - exactly as you showed in the video. But, cheap and low quality perlite is often polluted with some stuff that can affect the pH level. So, if someone is not aware of the quality of his perlite, it is good to mix some perlite with clean water and check the pH, and if it is alkaline, it is better to wash the perlite before mixing it with peat moss.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching the video! I wonder if he used perlite from Miracle Gro. They add fertilizer to the it. But, I've never heard of low quality perlite. It's super-heated to 1,700°F. That heat destroys any reactivity the rock might have. Most perlite sold in the USA is packaged by the manufacturer, which is how we always get ours. If the perlite is packaged by another company, then it may have contaminants, such as fertilizer. If you're concerned about the quality of your perlite, you can always rinse it thoroughly before mixing it with your peat moss, though that won't get rid of the fertilizer. Rinsing would only get rid of unintentional or transient pollutants. Otherwise, perlite by itself is inert.

[@HyeonsikLi]

Maybe it depends on the type of Perlite. As far as I know there is perlite which is called plant safe and gets sold as gardening perlite. But usually perlite is used for building insulation. Most perlite gets sold for this purpose and I read that you shouldnt use that one. Perhaps it contains unsafe ingredients for the plants.

[@twunderaquatics1770]

One of the things I found you got to be careful with is added fertilizer to perlite. Miracle gro has fertilizer in their perlite. Not a good thing.

[@valentinobrown5226]

Great video guys!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching

[@Jipswiftly]

Perlite is volcanic in origin and has a large percentage of pore space due to gases being evolved from the magma during eruption. The light color is an indication of the chemical composition. Light colored igneous rocks are referred to as "felsic" and contain high percentages of silica (more than 65%). Metal ions include mostly sodium and potassium which do not contribute to alkalinity. Felsic rocks are also referred to as "acidic" igneous rocks because when they weather they generate acidity. If you use dark colored scoria, which has similar pore space like perlite, you could potentially add alkalinity when it weathers because it is a mafic igneous rock (often referred to as "basic" igneous rock). Basic igneous rock has lower silica content and higher magnesium and calcium content. As the name suggests, basic igneous rocks (dark black and green) generate alkalinity when they weather.

[@Tommyr]

Well done Jacob! Can't argue those findings!

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you!

[@a7mdshri]

👋 thx for the explanation but is it possible to grow VFT’s in perlite only ?

[@jaked.5252]

Love your video and really helped me figure out what to use for my plants! You gotta be careful with those pH meters though as theyre very finicky and some ph meters work on only liquids or only solids!! The pH meter you were using specifically is only meant to test liquids and not solids, I use them to test the pH of my drainage water which gives you a very accurate reading. Perlite is definitely neutral and peat moss is definitely overall very acidic though, so the readings you got were probably just off in numbers. I would also be careful with how far youre dipping it in the water because thats how I ruined my first one 😂

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for the advice. We didn't show it, but we did calibrate the meter with solutions provided by the manufacturer. We also confirmed it with paper test strips, so we're very confident the meter is accurate and consistent. And yes, you can't really test the pH of solids, but some solids will react with acidic water. This video was to bust the myth that perlite will change the pH of soil (via acidic water). Because the pH of water didn't change, we can confirm perlite is chemically inert and doesn't react in an acidic environment of peat moss.

[@masespacecadette4466]

What about throwing a % of quarts sand into the mix? Or what about using raw sphagnum moss either as a thin bottom layer or thin top layer to help keep humidity and moisture in the soil?

[@TheIgnoramus]

I use pool filter quartz sand, and my Venus seem to not have any problem. Year and a half and a complete grow back and flowering from a $10 plant.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching the video! I plan to do another video about sand. For now, let's just say we haven't found a definitive need for it in the context of general growing of Sarracenia, Venus flytraps, and sundews.

[@joewwilliams]

Similar to @@TheIgnoramus, I use sand (in my case, play sand, also quartz/silica sand) to top VFTs because floating perlite is annoying :) I haven't had any issues either. Silica sand will generally be more-or-less chemically inert and pH neutral (so having no significant contribution either way) in your potting media.

[@aosundragonkiller11]

Curious as to what website said that 🤔

[@2004FordRangerXLT]

My guess is it was a forum and someone commented that, good example of not believing everything on the internet lol

[@florinvoicufv]

I’m using coco coir peat with perlite I think is best

[@jolladevices]

I bought a dionaea pot with 3 small plants inside, so I am experimenting: the dionaea into a 90% perlite with water it's not going well 😕dark traps and a bad green, the other in spunge/water is a bit better green, and the best one is the one into the amazon Carnivorous peatmoss/perlite 20%. Also maybe the plants are under transfer choc, maybe it's hot these days (35 Celsius), will update next week how the experiment goes.

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching our video. Yes, let us know how it goes for you.

[@jolladevices]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest The experiment after a week is going on, with that dionaea throwing some new leaf but it felt like it's slow. Now the weather has changed and it's 20 Celsius so it's only a matter of keeping under the sun the plants...

[@briankreisler589]

When I went to order perlite, they have different size chunks. Which should I order medium or chunky for my Flytraps? Thank you

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching! It depends on your pot size. If you're using small pots, such as 3-inch, go for the smaller size. But if you only have medium or chunky, go for medium, regardless of the pot size.

[@Jezebel066]

Just realized mine has fertilizer added

[@officialdoughbae675]

Should perlite be soaked before using in soil?

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thank you for watching! Sometimes perlite can be very dusty. Wetting it down will help reduce the dust when mixing it in the soil. That would be the only reason to wet it prior to mixing.

[@officialdoughbae675]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest thank you so much!

[@Omega3000-y9r]

My perlite is slowly turning greenish, is this a problem for vfts??

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching the video! Sounds like algae. It won't harm the plants.

[@Omega3000-y9r]

@@SarraceniaNorthwest Thanks for the reply ☺

[@BC-fh3jt]

A great debunking lecture, bro!

[@hpdutra]

It did increase the ph slightly

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching! Those slight changes are within the margins of error for the meter. Overall, the change is statistically insignificant. The change didn't even neutralize the natural acidity of deionized water, which would have moved the pH to 7. For all intents and purposes, perlite has no alkalizing effect on peat moss. There is no need to limit the use of perlite for this purpose.

[@EmileKleinhans]

I have 50/50 peat and perlite mix. What should I add to make it more alkaline for Pinguecula Gigantea?

[@HyeonsikLi]

I added some sand/really small gravel of 1mm. But it depends what kind of sand you use.

[@dondutch4107]

should have specified times. somethings take longer to dissolve. next week those test results could vary greatly

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching the video! I actually stated that the ingredients were soaking in water for several hours. Funny thing, about a week prior to filming, I practiced how I was going to fim it, but I never bothered to throwing them away. When I got to filming, I thought I better use fresh ingredients. Before tossing the old batch, the pH was essentially the same then as before. I just didn't think it was worthwhile to mention that. From a chemical point of view, running a week long test would have been unnecessary. The way perlite is produced is by superheating volcanic rock to 1700°F (900°C). That pretty much makes any reactive ingredient inert. This is also confirmed by the links I included in the description. I can't find any scientific literature that states that perlite changes properties when soaked in water. Given that it's used as water filter in some industries, I'm confident that perlite remains inert. Of course, I'm always learning. If you come across scientific studies that show opposite results, please share them and I'll do another video on the subject.

[@liamgosss]

is pumice safe too?

[@SarraceniaNorthwest]

Thanks for watching the video! Yes, pumice is perfectly safe to use with carnivorous plants. I plan to do another video on the different substrates available.

[@redneckweiser3672]

50/50 Mix S.Moss-Perlite are ok and no easy health carnivorous plant. My Nepenthes plants will hard grow.

[@zimmy1958]

Nice

[@robieosborne7369]

Woop Woop!!!

[@arpan.mishra]

hi I want to buy from you please guide me

[@TheIgnoramus]

I used layers of stones, than sand, then clean/no fertilizer soil/peat mixed with sand. Than a thin layer of sand on top. Pool filter quartz sand. Outside, with water bottle cut off as a sleeve to regulate constant water level. Its low maintenance. Just add distilled water when necessary. Year and a half, one flowering and one cut flowering. Complete grow back after winter. 10$ Venus from Home Depot and he’s still going.