A search to find the best Potting Mixture.

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:53 pm

Okay so i have been talking to Daiv about this. I recently bought a new cactus from Walmart... i repotted it, but i have some things i need to take care of. I read about getting the peat off the roots and all of that, well... I want to know what you guys opion is on the best Potting mixture. please note im not a great "green thumb" and there arent any nurseries around here but wlmart homedepot and lowes.

iann · Post by **iann** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:12 pm

Got a garden and a spade?

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:14 pm

Not a garden but a spade yes. lol I have some Red Sage I grew this spring... but its kind of dying now....

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:13 pm

Cactus soil mixtures vary from person to person. If needed you can dig dirt from your yard and mix in coarse sand, crushed lava rock (pumice), chicken grit (crushed cherry granite), perlite and so on.
For the few cacti and succulents I have in pots I grab a bag of potting soil from Walmart, a bag of chicken grit from the local feed store and some perlite. My mixture is about 60% soil, 30% chicken grit and 10% perlite. I also mix in a small amout of bonemeal as a nutrient for my cacti.
If you use alot of perlite it will try to float when you water so it's a good idea to use pea gravel or some small decorative rock as top dressing.
You'll find a fix that works best for you by doing a little experimenting. The key is to have a fast draining soil mixture-- cacti don't like having wet feet for extended periods

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:57 am

I repotted my plant this evening. I didnt have much to go by so... i took the cactus dirt it was in that was bone dry, mixed in some small rocks i had. at the bottom of the pot i put like 1/5" of straight rock, the mixture, the plant and then topped the pot with some crushed marble i had lying around.... well see if it works...

Post by **daiv** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:32 pm

Mixing in the rock is a good start. One draw back with pea gravel and similar rocks are the weight. This can really make your pot heavy. Your most cost effective material available is probably going to be cat litter. Just get the unscented (that might not even matter) kind and put some in a glass of water over night. If it doesn't dissolve, but stays the same as when you started soaking it, then you've got the right stuff. This will be lighter and easier to work with than the rocks.

Also, you can skip the layer of rock at the bottom of the pot. This just decreases the space in the pot for roots to grow.

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:13 pm

well i stuck the rocks on the bottom for the fact that i think i may have a pot that is to big fo rmy plant... so i attempted to make it seem smaller...

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:17 pm

You can get Diatomacous (sp?) earth at your local auto-parts store

NAPA has an oil absorbant that is 100% Diatomacous earth. 25lb bags for $7.

A smiliar product is Turface. Found at field sports suppliers. Used on the fields to absorb moisture after a rainfall.

hob · Post by **hob** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:21 pm

Sbradford89 wrote:well i stuck the rocks on the bottom for the fact that i think i may have a pot that is to big for my plant... so i attempted to make it seem smaller...

i do that if i have a pot that is deeper than i need for a wide shallow rooted plant however if a pot is too wide for a plant it is better to use a smaller pot

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:04 pm

lol well tell me if i need a smaller pot ill attach a photo. the pot is like 4 inches deep.

it is maybe 5 inches wide...

Sbradford89 · Post by **Sbradford89** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:51 pm

so yeah i tested my potting mixture today.... and i think may drain to well... I water my cactus today over the sink to see if it drained well, and within like 30 seconds the water was runnin out the bottom of the pot... is that good or bad?