Whats the best pre-made cactus soil?

[darth1211]

Hey! I'm just wondering what the best pre-made cactus soil is. I've heard that, Miracle gro cactus soil is good, and also Black gold cactus mix. I'm also wondering if there's more pre-made cactus soil around the same price as Miracle gro cactus soil and Black gold cactus mix. For my 5 inch golden barrel cactus

[loyall]

Of course there are a number of good recipes and discussions of custom cactus mixes on this forum by successful and experienced growers. As a small window sill cactus grower of commonly available species, I have had good luck with Espoma Organic Cactus Mix. My Golden Barrel (Echinocactus grusonii) seems to be doing well on it.

[darth1211]

Espoma Organic Cactus Mix is another good brand. I saw a brand called The Valley Garden. Looks promising. Might buy Espoma Organic Cactus Mix or The Valley Garden Cactus Mix.

[greenknight]

You should add additional grit for better drainage, makes it much easier to avoid overwatering. Most commercial potting mixes retain too much water. This goes for general potted plants, too, but especially for cacti and succulents.

[darth1211]

Do you know how much grit costs?

[Steve Johnson]

Do you know how much grit costs?

Try this:

https://www.amazon.com/Country-Heritage ... 918&sr=8-4

Pumice is also great, but I think it's more expensive than crushed granite.

[darth1211]

https://www.amazon.com/Horticultural-Pe ... 1695&psc=1 will this work too?

[Steve Johnson]

https://www.amazon.com/Horticultural-Pe ... 1695&psc=1 will this work too?

I'd go with straight pumice and nothing more for the mineral gravel component in your mix:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pumice+for+p ... -doa-p_2_6

You have a good number of choices there. I don't know how many cacti you're growing, so you'll need to figure out the amount you'll require. If Amazon's prices seem a bit steep, Bonsai nurseries often sell pumice, and you may be able to get a better deal from a local Bonsai nursery if you have one in your area. By the way -- my default recommendation is a mix of 50% soil and 50% pumice. Other members might suggest a mix tilting more in favor of pumice.

[darth1211]

https://www.amazon.com/Horticultural-Pe ... 1695&psc=1 will this work too?

I'd go with straight pumice and nothing more for the mineral gravel component in your mix:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pumice+for+p ... -doa-p_2_6

You have a good number of choices there. I don't know how many cacti you're growing, so you'll need to figure out the amount you'll require. If Amazon's prices seem a bit steep, Bonsai nurseries often sell pumice, and you may be able to get a better deal from a local Bonsai nursery if you have one in your area. By the way -- my default recommendation is a mix of 50% soil and 50% pumice. Other members might suggest a mix tilting more in favor of pumice.

I have a singular 5 inch Golden Barrel Cactus. I might check a local Bonsai Nursery, since amazon is a bit too expensive.

[Steve Johnson]

I have a singular 5 inch Golden Barrel Cactus. I might check a local Bonsai Nursery, since amazon is a bit too expensive.

If you strike out there, I don't think you'll have much trouble finding a local source for granite gravel. The point is to have a gravel component in your mix so that the soil drains freely. The 50/50 mix I'm recommending applies regardless of the mineral you go with.

[darth1211]

I have a singular 5 inch Golden Barrel Cactus. I might check a local Bonsai Nursery, since amazon is a bit too expensive.

If you strike out there, I don't think you'll have much trouble finding a local source for granite gravel. The point is to have a gravel component in your mix so that the soil drains freely. The 50/50 mix I'm recommending applies regardless of the mineral you go with.

Thank you! And if you don't add any pumice to the soil, it would be too wet?

[Steve Johnson]

And if you don't add any pumice to the soil, it would be too wet?

Not just pumice -- if you don't have any sort of mineral gravel mixed with the soil, you'll have a couple of problems:

• Once the soil is saturated, it'll take forever to dry out. Cactus roots staying in "wet feet" all the time end up rotting.

• A potful of soil and nothing more suffocates the roots. Mineral gravel in the mix aids aeration of the roots, and this gives the cactus the ability to grow a strong, healthy root system.

Besides pumice and granite gravel, 2 other good options are Turface and calcined clay. If you go with one of the commercial cactus soils you mentioned in your thread, you'll still need to lean it out -- quite frankly, all of these gravels do the job.

[darth1211]

And if you don't add any pumice to the soil, it would be too wet?

Not just pumice -- if you don't have any sort of mineral gravel mixed with the soil, you'll have a couple of problems:

• Once the soil is saturated, it'll take forever to dry out. Cactus roots staying in "wet feet" all the time end up rotting.

• A potful of soil and nothing more suffocates the roots. Mineral gravel in the mix aids aeration of the roots, and this gives the cactus the ability to grow a strong, healthy root system.

Besides pumice and granite gravel, 2 other good options are Turface and calcined clay. If you go with one of the commercial cactus soils you mentioned in your thread, you'll still need to lean it out -- quite frankly, all of these gravels do the job.

Thanks! I think the soil I bought has 25% perlite and 75% soil.

[Steve Johnson]

I think the soil I bought has 25% perlite and 75% soil.

Okay, that's good to know! When you add mineral gravel (pumice, granite gravel, etc.), you can do it proportionally:

• Add 1 part mineral gravel to 2 parts cactus soil.

The resulting mix will give you a total of 50% soil and 50% mineral, so that should be just fine. Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a container before you repot the plant. (Inexperienced cactus growers try to be fancy by layering ingredients, but that never works.) The only problem with perlite is that it floats in water (so does soil), and the mix will get all over the base of the plant. A good thick layer of gravel top dressing keeps the floaty stuff down.

By the way -- in case you weren't already aware of this, golden barrels get really big -- as much as 3 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. I don't know if they get that big in pots, but if you do well with yours, you'll need bigger pots as it continues to grow over the years.

[darth1211]

I think the soil I bought has 25% perlite and 75% soil.

Okay, that's good to know! When you add mineral gravel (pumice, granite gravel, etc.), you can do it proportionally:

• Add 1 part mineral gravel to 2 parts cactus soil.

The resulting mix will give you a total of 50% soil and 50% mineral, so that should be just fine. Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a container before you repot the plant. (Inexperienced cactus growers try to be fancy by layering ingredients, but that never works.) The only problem with perlite is that it floats in water (so does soil), and the mix will get all over the base of the plant. A good thick layer of gravel top dressing keeps the floaty stuff down.

By the way -- in case you weren't already aware of this, golden barrels get really big -- as much as 3 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. I don't know if they get that big in pots, but if you do well with yours, you'll need bigger pots as it continues to grow over the years.

I can't find any local Bonsai Nurseries. Might have to buy online. Yes, I've seen some giant golden barrel cactuses before, and they're huge!