Ep. 44 - Succulent & Cactus Soil
Substrate Sessions
Get ready to get dirty as we talk cactus and succulent potting substrate specifics!
…Including our absolute favorite recipes and good options with easy-to-find materials. First up, succulent soil, which Stephen and Matthew agree is probably the most critical to get right for these plants' health. Listen to hear why they just do not use succulent potting mix off the shelves of most garden centers!
Our recipe:
For the visually-oriented plant parents out there, the photos below show the ingredients Stephen describes:
1 part granite dust
1 part palm and citrus soil
and some scoria, or lava rock. This is typically a pinch for a small pot, but could be a handful or more for larger plants.
This is the mix Stephen has had the most success with by far.
But like any potting substrate, this one will not suit every plant in all growing conditions. It is gritty and fast-drying, allowing succulents and cacti to be watered more often with less risk. If your succulent is kept in particularly hot or dry conditions, you could increase the proportion of palm and citrus soil to compensate for that.
Links to the products mentioned are provided for convenience, in case you are curious to see what we use ourselves! If you decide to make a purchase, Plant Daddy Podcast earns small commissions on some purchases through the links above. We use these revenues to keep the podcast going and the plant geekery coming. :) Thank you for your support!