It seems like your mixture should work; I've tried various materials, like coir (coconut husk fibers) and partially-composted palm fronds, with success. The principal requirements are that it be able to retain moisture but also circulate a bit of air. Sphagnum/perlite fits the bill. If the mixture contains a lot of perlite, making it loose, then in might be harder to work with, but that's not really a reason not to try. You could also just pick out some of the perlite in that case. Good luck.