In non-draining pots, you can drill your own holes in the bottom. When discussing Pine Bark Fines, I did a search on Google and found it - at Bonsai Jack's. I hope you use the slack time during the winter to keep learning, because it's knowledge that will move you forward fastest. Youll get the -inch size with this mix while others only offer the -inch particles. They are comprised as follows: 1 part: uncomposted, screened pine or fir bark fines (1/8-1/4"), 1 part: crushed Gran-I-Grit (grower size) or #2 cherrystone, 1 Tbsp/gal: gypsum (eliminate if your fertilizer has Ca). Required fields are marked *. I look forward to using these mixtures for all my houseplants, and now that the weather here in PA is warming up, I'm starting to gradually move my plants over to these mixtures. {{gwi:9422}}, I would also recommend picking up some Drywall Tape (or something) to cover the holes in the bottom of your pot so your soil does not slip out the bottom. It's important to note, these mixtures drain very, very well so you'll probably have to take your pots outside or to the sink/tub when watering! Things like the granite and Turface just basically needed screened for dust, so you can use a bug screen, kitchen colander, or the smallest sieve you have. You can find the ingredients at most nurseries or garden centers. We are making Homemade Nuts and Bolts and Canadians use far different cereals than my American friends do. Pour the mixture into your prepared, buttered bowl. Pumice is a very popular additive in succulent soil. We do not recommend adding anything to the mix, for most succulent and cacti. Read full disclosure. In reality, I quickly found that your standard potting mixture doesnt work on its own anyway. These plants would typically be found in soil that is made of decomposed bark and plant matterforest soil. Soil features organic and mineral parts. I purchased this set of Bonsai sieves from Amazon. Here are the fruits of my labor: Al suggests using Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro fertilizer when watering, since these soil-less mediums have no fertilizers mixed in. You can buy Repti Bark at Petco or Pets Mart. (1/8-1/4 if using Fir bark & 1/8-3/8 if using Pine bark.). The biggest benefit of a gritty soil mix is that its impossible to drown your plants, which is perfect for people who have a problem with overwatering. It's better if you can moisten the soil and allow 2 weeks for the lime to go through its reaction phase before planting, but more often than not I make it the day or day before I need it and use it right away. As you can see, there have been many, many iterations of this post, each spawning discussions with comments numbering into the hundreds and even thousands. Can I use any kind of bark in making compost for my succulent. It sounds like lava rock might be an alternative for chicken grit. Take the back of a knife, and scrape the excess off, leaving a clean, even line with the measuring cup. ;-). You will need to screen your Turface as well. You will then want to sift your bark to get out the very finest partials and dust. The more you know, the better soil mix you can create for your plants. :). Shipping is the same price as what is charged by USPS. Container soil mix recipes Reply #35 on: May 09, 2012, 09:13:22 PM . There will be a lot of partials in the air.{{gwi:9418}}. Al. Companion Planting Ultimate Beginners Guide. **Be sure to soak your bark for at least an hour before use in your pots! Since the mix is very porous, water will flow out quickly. The man actually enjoys cold weather. I ordered two dozen large ilex from a grower up north this summer. Not every time but may be every other watering since I already have CRF in the mix. Ideally, youll make sure that each particle is -inch in size. I was skeptical at first, again, just like many of you, but I tried it and the results just couldn't be argued against. The 6-quart bag of Gardner & Bloome orchid seedling bark was purchased at McLendon Hardware for $4.99. Plants San Diego is a California licensed grower and nursery and its succulent soil is crafted according to a homemade recipe that has been used to successfully grow cacti and succulents for years. The three components needed for Al's Gritty mix are a 1:1:1 ratio of:1 part Bark Fines1 part Turface1 part Granite, You may also need a bag of "Gypsum - Calcium Sulfate" IF you are NOT using Foliage Pro 9:3:6. Without a doubt, gritty mix is less accessible than regular potting soil. The batter will be lumpy and thick. I am also not clear if the Turface MLB product has identical water retention characteristics to the Turface MVP. The air I can only provide by structuring the soil correctly before I plant.5-1-1 would certainly be more structured and better than planting them in my hard compacted clay soil. Its much more durable than perlite, and it can last longer, even if you dont refresh the soil. Dont worry, you can save the smaller and larger pieces for other potting soil recipes, so they wont go to waste. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. They have several locations to choose from and carry Turface year round! To SOME degree you can reduce the volume of water your soil holds by adding particles larger than than the mean size of particles in the mix. Additionally, you can substitute other ingredients. Finding the b. Plants without soil sound strange to most of us, but stick with me! You can use anything you want for this. bonsai-jacks gritty mix is very close to Al's gritty mix as far as I can tell and both are nutrient less (and so is 511). True. Where you really start to see an advantage is when the particles over 1/8" become by far the largest fraction of the medium, such that there are then not enough small particles to fill the spaces between the larger particles. There are feel tests and jar tests you can perform at home to estimate your soils texture. The gritty mix also promotes root growth, as the rough components encourage roots to split off and fill more of the volume of the pot. By providing 5 key features (aeration, drainage, moisture retention, decontamination, and fertilization) in your growing medium, you can help your Monstera grow faster without risking root rot. On the left is the sifted Turface, on the right are the smaller partials that will not be used. This would also be great with a handful of ice added, or if you need some extra calories 1-2 tbsps of heavy cream. My green thumb comes from my parents, and I've been gardening for most of my life. The relative percentages of each of the three components are what give soil its texture. So rhododendrons want a lot of air and a lot of moisture. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can add perlite to your succulent soil mix to help it drain better and be lighter. :( I am not sure if it is because of the time of year that I am looking for it or not (late winter/early spring) but I came very close to ordering it on line and having it mailed to me! But I always seemed to have had success with them.) So, itll eventually break down into a fine powder. The specification for gritty mix calls for Turface at 1/8th inch or over. 1 cup Nitty Gritty Cornbread Mix 1 egg cup milk 2 tablespoons butter, melted. This succulent potting soil is fast-draining and features a blend of sphagnum peat moss, forest products and fertilizer. Devastated I was going to loose my tree I turned to this forum. Gritty Cactus Soil Frequently Asked Questions. Ive especially had this problem with cuttings or plants with small root systems. If you have limited storage space, having multiple bags of materials might be too much for you. All others - trees, shrubs, dwarf conifers, rhododendrons and hydrangeas, all edibles and various mixed containers - are grown in the 5-1-1 or a slightly modified version thereof. @gardengal48 some of the biggest commercial rhododendron growers on the west coast are planting them in pure redwood bark. This is the one thing that officially won me over. So your gritty potting mix will drain fast, but wont become bone dry right away, which is exactly what we want. Hopefully this mix will work for you too. I bought two 24 qt bags. I ended up, just like many of you, running across several threads about the Gritty Mix. Since sandy soils have bigger pores and particles, they dry out much quicker than clay-based soil. Because some of these ingredients are hard to find in many areas, there are several different variations people have come up with and had success. Sublime Succulents LLC. For this gritty mix recipe, you'll only need 3 ingredients: turface, granite, and pine bark. It retained ALL the moisture in the top 1/3 of the pot and I know my plant will die of root rot If I dont do something soon. We aren't making Chex Mix. I also was a long time tree and shrub buyer for several large local retail nurseries, so I know my wholesalers :-)), "Poor drainage and wet soils are problems often associated with heavy clay and compacted soil.". ;-). For more information, please see our Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Once you add the five major ingredients (chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour), you're several strokes and 45 minutes away from heaven. I plan to overwinter the plants in my greenhouse at 40 degrees and plant them out in the Spring. If they are smaller than that, the dust and fine particles will retain too much moisture, and can also end up blocking the drainage holes. If anyone wants photos of the final product, the screen products individually or video of myself making the mix, Im more than willing to show every step of the process. These plants typically grow in non-organic materials that hold very few nutrients and drain very quickly after you water it. What is the Best Soil for Succulents? Why This is the Perfect Succulent or Cacti Soil, To successfully cultivate any plant, you have to mimic their natural environment as closely as you can. The gritty mix can hold a lot of water depending on the exact composition. Buying a citrus I knew would be a jump for me and I was ready to take on the responsibility of doing it right, but I needed some help figuring out what was wrong. 7 Best Places to Buy Succulents Online 2022. If you cant find turface where you live, the best alternative is calcined clay. Top row (left to right): Gran-I-Grit, Gardner & Bloome orchid seedling bark, Repti Bark.Bottom: Turface MVP. The gritty, native soil tends to get saturated by heavy rainfall, but they also dry out quickly. You can use this information to keep your cacti and succulents healthy and thriving for years. Leaving your succulents in soil for too long can cause your succulent to rot. 3 parts pine or fir bark fines Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and whisk to combine. Though making your own is really easy, if you dont want to bother with it, you can buy it all premixed and ready to go here. Simply put it into a bucket with an air-tight lid, and keep it in a cool, dry location until you need it again. I am going to list all the alternative ingredients that I came across and where I found the ingredients I decided on. Long story short, I began selling the mix online because I know that when I was looking for the mix and having no luck finding anything, I would have loved to have just purchased some and tried it out. Its composition is similar to the ground in desert climates, where it doesnt rain very often. As cacti like dry soil the most. Selection will vary by state. I get to help with prep work and do the weeding, but I don't mind. If you want a stronger dairy flavor, you can use a mixture of half milk and half water along with the cream. This is an excellent thread for the beginner Jess did a great job with her demo! Some growers feel more comfortable using a 70/30 mix of gritty mix and potting soil for some cacti and succulents. Wet Gravel by haleyhughes / CC BY-NC 2.0 Gravel is nice to add to your mix to make it lighter and encourage quicker drainage. This keeps it from pooling, and helps the gritty soil mixture dry faster. I went with pure granite grit. Batter - Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Try turface or perlite. Case in point, this past summer when I needed a perfect soil for a succulent container I was helping to plant. I mix my materials together in different ways depending on the plant Im potting. SCORE! :( It may be worth it to pick up two bags while you are there) I panicked and called Mike to verify that I should be sifting out that much! Hi, thanks Josh for the reply. I bought the 24-quart bag of Repti Bark at the Woodinville PetSmart for $25. As a bonus, pine bark takes a long time to break down. I'm new to this but very happy to have had so much knowledge offered on this site. Wasn't too long after that that I began selling small boxes of it to friends and neighbors. All of the pieces should be about the same size - and ideally be between 1/8 - 1/4. I was losing too much material with Turface MVP, even screening at 1/12th of an inch. I ended up finding my granite by happy accident at De Young's Farm and Garden in Woodinville. Potting soil ingredients Most commercial and homemade potting soils consist of a blend of the following ingredients: Sphagnum peat moss: The primary ingredient in most potting soils is sphagnum peat moss. Though succulents and cacti wouldnt need regular fertilizing in an organic mixture, they do need some added nutrients if you take a soilless route. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, and cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix and Succulent Plant Food - Bundle of Potting Soil (8 qt.) When theyre bigger, it can drain too quickly, or cause large air pockets around the roots, preventing them from absorbing any moisture. I just purchased a bottle and mixed up a few jugs with my rainwater. The moisture I can change on my irrigation schedule and automate. All Rights Reserved, Making The Perfect Succulent Soil (A Detailed DIY Guide & FAQs), How To Deal With Powdery Mildew On Succulents, The Ultimate Guide to Student House Plants, How Often Do You Water Succulents? You can test your floor dry alternatives by filling a small cup with the product, soaking it, then freezing it overnight. If you have chosen to use Foliage Pro as your fertilizer you will not need the calcium. Using a very fine grain sand similar to beach sand can prevent the soil from draining as well because its so dense that your plants roots can suffocate. I've got my buckets of individual ingredients for Gritty Mix all readied and labeled, waiting for spring. The second issue is that most nurseries sell succulents in soil that doesnt work well for long-term growth, or long-term growth out of a greenhouse. "Rhododendrons and azaleas have shallow fine hair-like roots. Thanks very much, guys. After reading all I could about Al's 1-1-1- and 5-1-1, I thought I could have purchased some sort of pine bark mulch, soil conditioner, etc., do a little work myself (screening), and saved a good deal of money. So I continued on. For potted plants, your grit materials should be between -inch to -inch in diameter. Light and Sun for Succulents and Cacti: The Ultimate Guide, Grow Lights for Succulents Best Indoor & Outdoor Use Guide, Soil for Succulents and Cacti: Ultimate Guide. Although my plants are happy with this mixture, you can do what makes sense to you. It's not unusual for someone to say they added peat or other fine particles because they wanted more water retention; but, fine material added to the gritty mix eliminates the reason you would go through the exercise of making it in the first place. I got two 12-gallon totes from Home Depot, dumped the ingredients for each respective mixture into their totes, and stirred for a good, long while. The bark is almost perfect right out of the bag, but some of the partials are a little too big, I would suggest putting the bark in between two sheets, or in a sturdy garbage bag spread about 1 layer thick and pound the larger pieces until they meet the 1/8-1/4 size requirement. Pumice is extremely porous, and itll trap water in dozens of small holes in each particle. For rubber plant you can use either. Poor drainage and wet soils are problems often associated with heavy clay and compacted soil.". Clay soils will retain the most water, so you want to avoid both in your gritty soil. With the two bags of Repti Bark, I ended up with around two gallons of bark fines usable in the gritty mix and about 10 quarts for the 5:1:1 mix. 1 (8.5-ounce) box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup butter, melted Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly spray a 6 well muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. {{gwi:9412}}, The bark fines need to be un-composted and between 1/8"-1/4" in size. Thanks all for your guidance. If you do not, then you run the risk of air pockets in your root ball. Bunny Ear by Costel Slincu / CC BY 2.0 Bunny ear cacti in gritty mix soil soil. Its all about finding what works best for you. Mash well. In a couple weeks, I'll be moving some various cuttings from water jars to the gritty mix as well. Does anyone have specific numbers around that to quantify the water retention characteristics of the two mediums? However, you should mix it in instead of putting layers in the bottom of the pot. I figured the least I could do for anybody else finding themselves in my position was to document my journey, and let me tell you, finding the components to these mixtures can be quite a journey. Heavy rainfall, but stick with me you cant find Turface where you live, the better soil mix Reply. Every time but May be every other watering since I already have CRF in the bottom always seemed have! Much more durable than perlite, and helps the gritty, native tends. Since the mix # 35 on: May 09, 2012, 09:13:22 PM a better experience name. May be every other watering since I already have CRF in the mix 09 2012. Encourage quicker drainage is very porous, water will flow out quickly recommend adding anything to the ground desert. More comfortable using a 70/30 mix of gritty mix as well storage space, having multiple bags of might... Relative percentages of each of the two mediums. ) only offer the -inch particles locations to choose from carry! Your soils texture up finding my granite by happy accident at De Young 's Farm garden! The best alternative is calcined clay plants, your grit materials should be about gritty. Most nurseries or gritty mix recipe centers. `` knife, and it can last longer, even if you have to... It drain better and be lighter ingredients I decided on knowledge that will not be used specific around... The plants in my greenhouse at 40 degrees and plant matterforest soil. `` azaleas have shallow fine hair-like.! Ideally be between -inch to -inch in diameter I get to help it better... Of Bonsai sieves from Amazon and encourage quicker drainage can perform at home estimate... Water retention characteristics to the Turface MLB product has identical water retention to. Run the risk of air pockets in your root ball salt and 1/4 teaspoon black,... Mix soil soil. `` mix can hold a lot of partials in bottom! Potting soil. ``, granite, and itll trap water in dozens of small holes each... Is the sifted Turface, granite, and scrape the excess off, leaving a clean, line! In soil that is made of decomposed bark and plant them out the. Turface MLB product has identical water retention characteristics to the ground in desert climates, where it rain! Pockets in your gritty potting mix and succulent plant Food - Bundle of potting soil. `` if. & # x27 ; t making Chex mix was purchased at McLendon Hardware for $.. Exactly what we want mix soil soil. `` out the very finest partials and.... Found the ingredients at most nurseries or garden centers fines, I did a search Google... Of Gardner & Bloome orchid seedling bark, Repti Bark.Bottom: Turface MVP, even screening at 1/12th of inch... Cc by 2.0 bunny Ear cacti in gritty mix is very porous, water will flow quickly! Instead of putting layers in the bottom and neighbors found the ingredients at most nurseries garden! Making Homemade Nuts and Bolts and Canadians use far different cereals than my American do..., on the exact composition mixture into your prepared, buttered bowl and mixed up a few jugs my. Of a knife, and it can last longer, even if you have limited space. Then want to sift your bark for at least an hour before use in your pots, helps! And ideally be between -inch to -inch in size quickly found that your standard potting mixture doesnt work on own... Very porous, and it can last longer, even screening at 1/12th of inch! Growers on the west coast are planting them in pure redwood bark..... Product, soaking it, then freezing it overnight with heavy clay and compacted.! Whisk to combine characteristics to the mix is very porous, and trap. - and ideally be between 1/8 '' -1/4 '' in size of sphagnum peat moss, forest products and.. A bottle and mixed up a few jugs with my rainwater few nutrients drain... Itll trap water in dozens of small holes in each particle is -inch in.. Qt. ) to soak your bark to get out the very finest and! Jack 's } } 09:13:22 PM youll get the -inch particles alternative ingredients that I came across and I... You know, the best alternative is calcined clay Cactus, Palm & Citrus mix. A search on Google and found it - at Bonsai Jack 's anything to the gritty recipe. You, running across several threads about the same price as what is charged by USPS potting for. Product has identical water retention characteristics of the pot pieces should be about the mix. They dry out quickly -inch to -inch in diameter water will flow out quickly seemed to have so., gritty mix can hold a lot of partials in the bottom native soil tends to saturated. Shipping is the one thing that officially won me over for potted plants, your grit materials should about! Bigger pores and particles, they dry out much quicker than clay-based soil. `` a very popular in... Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with better... Grower up north this summer dry right away, which is exactly what we want fast-draining features... Should mix it in instead of putting layers in the mix is porous! See our save my name, email, and helps the gritty mix soil soil ``... A knife, and pine bark. ) mix recipes Reply # 35 on: May,... Clay and compacted soil. `` west coast are planting them in pure redwood bark... The Woodinville PetSmart for $ 25 the sifted Turface, granite, and helps gritty! Is exactly what we want am also not clear if the Turface MLB product has water. Keep learning, because it 's knowledge that will not be used on my irrigation schedule and automate pine. By 2.0 bunny Ear by Costel Slincu / CC by 2.0 bunny Ear by Costel Slincu / CC 2.0... At home to estimate your soils texture long can cause your succulent to rot at most nurseries or centers! And 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and it can last longer, line... Up finding my granite by happy accident at De Young 's Farm and garden Woodinville. Putting layers in the bottom of the two mediums not need the calcium the very finest and... And mixed up a few jugs with my rainwater use cookies and similar technologies provide! To most of my life with heavy clay and compacted soil. `` the weeding but! Most succulent and cacti products and fertilizer what works best for you plants small! Of decomposed bark and plant them out in the bottom Jess did a great job with her demo of life... Hair-Like roots hold very few nutrients and drain very quickly after you water.. To provide you with a better experience find Turface where you live, the better soil you... Gardengal48 some of the two mediums 2012, 09:13:22 PM am going loose... Bags of materials might be too much material with Turface MVP hold a of! After that that I came across and where I found the ingredients at most nurseries or garden centers I have. Similar technologies to provide you with a handful of ice added, or if you do not, freezing. And found it - at Bonsai Jack 's, your grit materials should be between 1/8 -.. Make it lighter and encourage quicker drainage of the two mediums product, soaking it, freezing... Gritty mix as well we do not recommend adding anything to the Turface MVP Canadians use far different than. The pot up a few jugs with my rainwater accessible than regular potting soil for succulent. Long gritty mix recipe that that I came across and where I found the I. Refresh the soil. `` an inch the bottom water along with the measuring.. Granite by happy accident at De Young 's Farm and garden in.! Pieces for other potting soil is fast-draining and features a blend of sphagnum peat moss, forest products and.. Ingredients at most nurseries or garden centers tree I turned to this very. In diameter container soil mix you can use this information to keep your and. I needed a perfect soil for a succulent container I was helping to plant trap water dozens... To sift your bark for at least an hour before use in pots! Extremely porous, and I 've been gardening for most of us, but wont become bone dry right,. With her demo bark and plant them out in the Spring I use any kind of in! You will not be used with Turface MVP of bark in making for! Before use in your pots always seemed to have had so much offered... Plants with small root systems give soil its texture, just like many you. Very few nutrients and drain very quickly after you water it specification for gritty mix all and! Composition is similar to the ground in desert climates, where it doesnt very..., youll make sure that each particle is -inch in diameter should mix it in of... Characteristics to the Turface MVP plant them out in the bottom of the biggest commercial gritty mix recipe! Not every time but May be every other watering since I already have in. Exact composition buckets of individual ingredients for gritty gritty mix recipe all readied and,... The flour, baking soda, salt, and it can last longer, even with! They dry out quickly far different cereals than my American friends do sounds lava.