Mix Your Own Cactus and Succulent Soil
Cacti and succulents thrive better in soil that drains easily and doesn't retain a lot of water. Commercial nurseries often sell pre-mixed bags of special soil, but this is often at a premium. This article will teach you how to amend your own cactus and succulent soil and hopefully save some money in the process!
Contents
Steps
- Gather your ingredients. A good soil mixture includes components of sand, grit and a composting element.
- The sand component should be horticulture grade quality. Asking your local nursery for horticulture sand will get you what you need.
- The grit component can be a multitude of materials. Most popular grit components are pumice, lava fines and perlite.
- The compost component can be something similar to the normal potting soil you might buy in a nursery. Try to find a compost component low on sphagnum peat moss as it can attract unwanted pests for you succulents and cacti.
- Use a drop cloth to place equal parts of your soil components to be mixed. This will keep your garden or workshop area a little cleaner.
- Thoroughly mix equal portions of the soil components together. It's important to mix the components as best as possible to ensure your plant will be happy once planted.
- If you have some soil left over, store it in a paint bucket or opaque heavy-duty plastic bag. The soil will keep longer if it isn't bleached out by direct sunlight.
Tips
- Mix large batches of soil at a time to minimize the work you have to do on a regular basis.
- Buying your soil components in bulk will help in lowering your costs.
Warnings
- Remember that certain cacti and succulents will be more temperamental than others. You may need to vary (or add) proportions of the soil components to accommodate for different species.
Related Articles
- Take Care of Succulent Seedlings
- Propagate Succulent Plant Cuttings
