Glad to help however I can. And I totally agree with you here -- treating all cacti the same doesn't work out well, but if you develop a general rule and identify the exceptions that are appropriate to certain "difficult" species, you'll find they're not that difficult at all. This is really just a matter of gaining experience, and we're blessed to have online resources for advice which didn't exist when I first got into cacti almost 50 (50?!?) years ago. Speaking of...WayneByerly wrote:SO many "experts" seem to think that all cacti should be grown in the same medium and watered in the same fashion and given the same bright light conditions. I have learned in the last couple of years that this is not so, and so solicit the opinions of the true experts here at this forum.
thanks for your input.
WayneByerly wrote:How about this stuff... Nothing organic, readily available from Amazon...
https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Soil-Mix- ... +amendment
Or maybe this stuff with very little organic content?
https://www.amazon.com/Quarts-Bonsai-Su ... onsai+jack
The pine bark in the 2nd mix would be a deal-breaker for me. The 1st mix is better, although I'm not sure if the charcoal does anything for cacti (I don't think it would hurt, anyway). I'm a firm believer in keeping things simple, so IMO both mixes are needlessly complicated. (I could never figure out why some growers like to "over-engineer" their mixes.) Pumice is the ideal mineral due to its unique combination of open porosity and good water retention. Quite a few growers do well growing their cacti in pure pumice and nothing more. Whether or not that would work for you depends on:
1. Your climate. In desert-type conditions with constantly low humidity, straight pumice dries out too quickly, so a certain amount of soil is needed for better water retention. If you live in a fairly dry climate, you may need some soil in the mix.
2. Wind. Relatively speaking, pumice doesn't weigh much, and you don't want light pots tipping over in the wind (especially smaller ones). Don't know if that's an issue for you, but it certainly is for me -- the primary reason why I mix pumice with granite gravel to make the pots heavier.
We can find straight pumice online through Amazon and eBay, but I noticed that it seems to be a pretty expensive proposition for people who are keeping more than a few plants. Bonsai nurseries sell pumice, so if this is a problem for you, find out if you have a brick-and-mortar bonsai nursery within driving distance. If you do and they sell it, this'll be more cost-effective.
Don't want to veer too far off from your original reason for posting here, but if you visit my Member Topics thread, you may find a few cultivational items of interest in my end-of-summer review. They'll lead off Part 1 (which I'm still working on), and I hope to have it up by the end of the day. If any of them turn out to be useful, excellent.