In this episode we examine why carnivorous plants and bonsai often struggle in coco grow media — coco (coir) can contain high sodium and is frequently buffered with calcium nitrate, resulting in elevated calcium and nitrogen compared with peat.

The host suggests a fix: use raw high-sodium coco and flush it with Liquid Gypsum (calcium sulfate) to remove sodium without adding nitrogen, creating a peat-free grow medium suited to carnivorous plants and bonsai and a potential niche business idea.

https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/soil-conditioners/liquid-gypsum/

Ryan Neil — Bonsai Mirai

Bjorn Bjorholm — Eisei-en Bonsai

Michael Hagedorn — Crataegus Bonsai

Peter Chan — Herons Bonsai

Walter Pall — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Mauro Stemberger — Italian Bonsai Academy

Kimura Masahiko — Kinbon Bonsai Garden

Takeyama Takashi — Fujikawa Kouka-en

Shinji Suzuki — Kaizen Bonsai

Boon Manakitivipart — Bonsai Boon

Jonas Dupuich — Bonsai Tonight

Sergio Cuan — Bonsai Empire

Colin Lewis — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Kevin Willson — Bonsai Willson

David Easterbrook — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Graham Potter — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Mauro Di Lorenzo — Bonsai Studio Italiano

Eric Schrader — Bonsaify

Andy Smith — Golden Arrow Bonsai

Tony Tickle — Yardley Bonsai

Jim Doyle — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

Kathy Shaner — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

Kathy and Jim Doyle — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

Bill Valavanis — International Bonsai Arboretum

Frank Mihalic — Bonsai Artist

Nick Lenz — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Dan Robinson — Elandan Gardens

David Benavente — Bonsai Kai

Pedro Morales — Bonsai Sur

Salvatore Liporace — UBI Bonsai

Jan Schlauer — Carnivorous Plant Society Europe

Barry Rice — Carnivorous Plant Society

Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History

Andreas Fleischmann — Botanische Staatssammlung München

Charles Clarke — Monash University

Fernando Rivadavia — Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Robert Cantley — Borneo Exotics

Alastair Robinson — Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria

Andreas Wistuba — Wistuba Carnivorous Plants

Lubomír Adamec — Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences

Peter D’Amato — California Carnivores

Barry Meyers-Rice — International Carnivorous Plant Society

Richard Nunn — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower

Ivan Snyder — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower

Thomas Carow — Green Jaws

Marcel van den Broek — Carnivorous Plant Nursery

Christian Klein — Kleins Carnivorous Plants

Marcel van den Berg — Dutch Carnivorous Plant Society

Brian Barnes — California Carnivores

Tamlin Magee — Meadowview Biological Research Station

Aaron Ellison — Harvard University

Paulo Gonella — Universidade de São Paulo

Kai Müller — University of Würzburg

François Mey — Société Botanique de France

Nicolas Riddick — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower

Adam Karremans — Lankester Botanical Garden

Kamil Pásek — Best Carnivorous Plants

Christian Dietz — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Researcher

Adrian Slack — Carnivorous Plant Author

Paul McMillan — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Researcher

Tony Tickle — Bonsai Artist

Koji Hiramatsu — Shunkaen Bonsai Museum

Kunio Kobayashi — Shunkaen Bonsai Museum

Masahiko Kimura — Kinbon Bonsai Garden

Naoki Maeoka — Japanese Bonsai Artist

Taiga Urushibata — Japanese Bonsai Artist

Ryuji Suzuki — Japanese Bonsai Artist

David De Groot — Bonsai De Groot

Andrew Robson — Rakuyo Bonsai

Leo Eshkenazi — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Jason Chan — Eastern Leaf

Kevin Wilson — Bonsai Willson

Mark Fields — Evergreen Gardenworks

Brent Walston — Evergreen Gardenworks

Michael Tran — Muranaka Bonsai Nursery

Roy Nagatoshi — Royal Bonsai Garden

Mas Iida — Iida Bonsai Nursery

Peter Tea — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Tony Remington — Freelance Bonsai Artist

Harry Harrington — Bonsai4Me

Damon Collingsworth — California Carnivores

Mike King — Carnivorous Plant Nursery

Andreas Fleischmann — Munich Botanical Collection

Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History Productions

Matt Opel — International Carnivorous Plant Society

Bob Ziemer — Meadowview Biological Research Station

Ron Determann — Meadowview Biological Research Station

Tom Luecking — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower

Richard Myers — Carnivorous Plant Society UK

Adrian Yeo — Singapore Botanic Gardens

Ch’ng Khoon Meng — Singapore Botanic Gardens

Paul Harwood — Carnivorous Plant Society UK

Jan Schlauer — Botanical Researcher

Barry Rice — ICPS

Peter D’Amato — California Carnivores

Ryan McEnaney — Chicago Botanic Garden

Kevin Wilson — Bonsai Willson

Jonas Dupuich — Bonsai Tonight

Bjorn Bjorholm — Eisei-en Bonsai

Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History