Growing Tips - Cactus and Succulents.

October 12, 2015 ·

Soil Mix with coco peat, perlite, Charcoal, river sand, compost and nutrients:-
(http://www.kadasgarden.com)

Coco Peat
Coco peat is the by-product from the coconut industry. All the left over shells from coconut
harvesting are dried and ground into varying sizes. From chunks (coco chips) to fine powder. In
general coco is not used in cacti growing though the smaller grades can be used in mixes that are
sheltered from rain/water. This medium holds water well, and is quite light.

Pumice / perlite
Pumice is a light rock (it floats) that is sold in the agriculture industry in smaller chunks. Before
use with cacti, its best to rinse it as most bags have a lot of fine pumice dust which is not great
for your mix. It is not great to breathe in either, so be careful. Pumice is an excellent choice for
adding drainage and loosening mixes in plant mixes. Perlite is fairly similar to pumice, but is
more commonly found worldwide and cheaper It does not appear to be quite as porous as
pumice, but most growers will accept substituting with it if pumice cannot be found.

River Sand
Sieved and washed river sand. All sand should be rinsed prior to use, that’s the first step. After
that put some sand in a pot and soak it. Let it dry completely and see if it acts somewhat like
concrete in sticking together. If it binds together, it should not be used. Many sands are quite
good for cacti, and we use sand in all water sensitive pots we have. Larger grain sand, moves
onto grit (below).

Charcoal / Grit
Charcoal / Grit is basically used add porousity to the mix. Charcoal also makes the soil light
weight. Size should not be quite rocks, but more coarse than sand. This is often achieved by
sifting for size. The majority of cacti mixes we use have a majority of Charcoal or grit in them.
They act in much the same way as pumice or perlite, but are not as coarse so tends to add more
weight with less air.

Compost
Though compost can be quite good for nutrition with some species, only limited quantity of very
well composted material should be used. Avoid partially composted material which may invite
rot to more sensitive species.

Suggested soils for specific plants

Mineral Mixes
These mixes are intended for good drainage, and fast drying times. This is useful for species that
are from dry areas, have large taproots, and are slow growing. Some examples: Ariocarpus,
Astrophytum, Aztekium, Echinocactus, Lophophora, Obregonia, Turbinicarpus etc.
30-60% Charcoal / Grit
10-30% Pumice/Perlite
10-20% Coarse Sand
5% Slow Release/Pellet fertilizer (optional)

For Water tolerant species

For water tolerant species protected from the rain/uncontrolled water. useful for plants such as:
Cereus, Echinopsis, Harrisia, Myrtillocactus, Neobuxbaumia, Opuntia, Polaskia, Rebutia,
Stenocereus, Trichocereus etc.
30-50% Coco peat
10-20% Pumice/Perlite
20-40% Charcoal / Grit & Sand
In our greenhouse we use a 60% Coir, 30% grit, 5% pumice & 5% organic pellet fertilizer for all
columnar/water tolerant species. Keep in mind in a greenhouse, people control the water.

For Tropical species

This mix is useful for tropical species that tolerate, and even prefer moist/rich soils. Some
examples: Acanthocereus, Hylocereus, Pereskia, Pereskiopsis, Rhipsalis, Selenicereus etc.
70% Coco peat
10% Charcoal / Grit/Sand
10-20% Compost
5-10% Manure/fertilizer