rhawes
Shohin
I was thinking of just using succulent organic but what would be best?
Wanting to repot my portucalaria afra what would be the best soil for it succulent organic or akadama, pumice, and lava?
- Thread starter rhawes
- Start date
Hi- I like smaller sand for the succulents than bonsai soil just because they don't stay uprignt in larger particles for me. I bought a bag of the organic cactus mix that had some chemical that is supposed to help dry AND moist and it was awful for cactus and green peppers. Not sure what to use it on.
Anyway the sand - I like the big sand that is pool filter sand mixed with a big sand product from pet store. Haven't tried smallest pumice but I bet it would be great too.
Anyway the sand - I like the big sand that is pool filter sand mixed with a big sand product from pet store. Haven't tried smallest pumice but I bet it would be great too.
luvinthemountains
Chumono
Holy crap, really, pool filter sand!? I have a couple hundred pounds of the stuff left over from replacing my sand filter, and I was just going to dump it in a dumpster. Now you have me thinking...
Srt8madness
Omono
I've got Pafra potted in everything. Lava/pum, Lava Pum turface, potting soil, soil with sandy loam, perlite and peat, perlite and coir, it all works.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
It's a succulent, aka "cactus". Anything non-organic will be great. Anything that stays wet will be its death.
StPaddy
Mame
I sprung for the superfly bonsai succulent mix and used a couple nuggets of biogold on top with a teaspoon of some old succulent fertilizer my wife had laying around that said “good for six months” on it. Mine is popping growth faster that way than anything else I have tried. I have used pumice and soil before with mixed results on a different cutting. I like to not worry about root rot on that plant and the succulent mix seems perfect. Incidentally have been having a heat wave the last week and a half and watering daily (shallow pot lots of sun) and it’s really poppin new green leaves faster with the heat.
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Which is best? I guess that all depends on where they will live, your rainfall (if outdoors), and budget.
P. afra will grow in just about anything. Even heard of guys growing cuttings in strait Osmocote time release fertilizer pellets.
My biggest concern with P. Afra is avoiding root rot.
My area has two 'wet seasons' per year. Nevertheless, when they're living outside during the warmer months, anything that holds too much water is asking for trouble.
1-3 inches of rain per week is great for the garden, but not my dwarf jades.
I've had success with Adam Lavigne's 'supermix' from American Bonsai. Works great if you want 'ready to use', but only available in #30 screen.
He's got a blog where he tells you what's in it and, more importantly, why. https://adamaskwhy.com/2017/01/27/i-feel-so-soiled/
Alternately, I use a homebrew using locally available materials:
30% lava
30% pumice
30% crushed granite (chicken grit) <or> washed pea gravel ( clean, jasper gravel from local rivers)
15% pine bark <or> Composted Horse Manure <or> Miracle Grow Succulent Soil
Numbers are kinda rough. It's more like 1 part ea. of the first three + 1/2 part of the organic.
The composted manure is the most economical, and not too hot (high N).
P. afra will grow in just about anything. Even heard of guys growing cuttings in strait Osmocote time release fertilizer pellets.
My biggest concern with P. Afra is avoiding root rot.
My area has two 'wet seasons' per year. Nevertheless, when they're living outside during the warmer months, anything that holds too much water is asking for trouble.
1-3 inches of rain per week is great for the garden, but not my dwarf jades.
I've had success with Adam Lavigne's 'supermix' from American Bonsai. Works great if you want 'ready to use', but only available in #30 screen.
He's got a blog where he tells you what's in it and, more importantly, why. https://adamaskwhy.com/2017/01/27/i-feel-so-soiled/
Alternately, I use a homebrew using locally available materials:
30% lava
30% pumice
30% crushed granite (chicken grit) <or> washed pea gravel ( clean, jasper gravel from local rivers)
15% pine bark <or> Composted Horse Manure <or> Miracle Grow Succulent Soil
Numbers are kinda rough. It's more like 1 part ea. of the first three + 1/2 part of the organic.
The composted manure is the most economical, and not too hot (high N).
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