CactiGuide.com

ImNotTelling wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 6:21 pm Don't know about perfect. I was terrible at making soil
My secret ingredient? Gravel. At least 40% of the soil per volume has to be gravel.
I also have used pearlite, baked clay, , lake gravel as supplementary components and crushed brick, leca and orchid bark as additions. Only peat as organic component, or re-used standard cactus soil.
Have even grown plants in pure gravel (almost, at least, still had some soil on the roots) like rebutia steinmanii ,armatocereus etc.

I too started off with about 50% gravel mixes an stressed a lot about where I could source 'exotic' ingredients like crushed and size graded pumice or crushed lava rock or diatomaceous earth or such like.
Then one day, quite by chance, I had bought a sickly looking Astrophytum from one of our local warehouses (Bunnings). I didn't bother going to the garage and dragging the bag of specially formulated cacti mix I had there. So, rather lazily, I scooped a couple of handfuls of builders sand from the side of the garden into a terracotta pot and shoved the Astro into it. Its been there for about 2 years now and looks absolutely gorgeous and healthy. Its even beaten other Astros that were grown in these so called speciality mixes.
The point I'm trying to make is - if there's a way to make money from dirt, people will so do - its called capitalism.
Now, I'm not advocating against capitalism, in fact I'm for it. But, why would you succumb to those pressures and buy these products when plain sand in a terracotta pot will do a simply amazing job?
The proof of the pudding is above in one of my earlier posts in this page - check out how healthy those cacti are.
Also, I don't have to worry about accidental over-watering due to the fact I am using terracotta pots - they are amazing products, not to mention completely recyclable (I know plastic pots are too).

My friend maintains after seeing many of the soils our plants grow in habitat or thrive in cultivation in that you can grow cacti in virtually anything if you get the watering right. Probably not quite true, to that should also be added getting the PH of the soil right.

DaveW wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 9:29 am My friend maintains after seeing many of the soils our plants grow in habitat or thrive in cultivation in that you can grow cacti in virtually anything if you get the watering right. Probably not quite true, to that should also be added getting the PH of the soil right.

I learnt most of my watering regimes from some person on youtube. I think he was australian.
Anyway, Overwintering was a huge problem as well. He taught in his video about how cacti behave in winter.
For the most part, plants like astrophytum, gymnocalycium , rebutias, mammillarias, ferocacti/echinocacti, stenocacti, echinocerei, thelocactus etc have a winter rest period. To keep watering to a bare minimum until new growth pops up on spring.
Plants like melocactus, epiphyllum, mainline echinopsis and trichos, most parodias, and euphorbias and the like prefer watering throughout winter(though still less of it).
Out of personal experience, leafy succulents are easier- access leaf firmness. This applies to hoyas, echeverias, sempervivums, crassula etc.

The_Nikon_Guy wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 3:33 amHi Steve,
I have extensive experience growing cacti of different varities, in pure sand. You read it right - pure beach , builders or playground sand.

Just out of curiosity, I'd like to ask you a few questions:

Do you fertilize your plants? If so, what kind of fert are you using, how much per watering, and how often?

How many years have you been growing them in pure sand?

Steve Johnson wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 3:46 pm

The_Nikon_Guy wrote: ↑Sat May 16, 2020 3:33 amHi Steve,
I have extensive experience growing cacti of different varities, in pure sand. You read it right - pure beach , builders or playground sand.

Just out of curiosity, I'd like to ask you a few questions:

Do you fertilize your plants? If so, what kind of fert are you using, how much per watering, and how often?

How many years have you been growing them in pure sand?

Hi steve,
(1) Yes, I use a 6 monthly slow release fertilizer (Osmocote brand). I try and place this about 10mm below the soil level. Every 2-3 weeks or so, I apply a 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer at 50-75% recommended strength. I fertilize a bit in autumn, but mostly in spring and summer
(2) I started growing in pure sand about 3 years ago. Some of those mature plants were growing in so-called grits (self-made) an specialty potting mixes. But nothing beats the way they took off after re-potting them in pure sand.
Hope this clarifies.

Sorry Steve Johnson,
Forgot to address your question about watering: I water everyday in summer - the sand and terracotta combination does not allow the roots to be soaking wet and have great wicking capacity - this ensures that the water spreads beautifully in the sand.

Never heard this but if it works why not. You have to use what works for you. I use clay for bigger pots but in Arizona Plastic worked great. It just depends on so many things.

"I water everyday in summer - the sand and terracotta combination does not allow the roots to be soaking wet and have great wicking capacity - this ensures that the water spreads beautifully in the sand."