I wish that I could have watched this video years ago. This is by far the best channel for succulent growers on You Tube. Your knowledge is immense and you have a common sense approach of explaining your subjects. Since I live in the tropics there was a big learning curve. Much $$$ wasted on vermiculite and other additives, I have finally been able to source coarse sand and am also using chicken grit and or crushed granite as additives.
Yeah we all learn. Best way to approach things is to try out various ways, see what works, AND also understand why, because that saves you from doing a lot of guess work in the future.
You are one of the best shows to watch. Bravo, Cerriscapades ! You do all the research for us which takes time so I appreciate it. Comparison shopping is also very helpful for us beginners.
You're welcome! Also yes, I think it is a tendency for people starting out to just straight up emulate or copy the more successful ones. Often while not fully understanding how things work. It's perfectly understandable though but I think it is important that we understand how things work.
This is the best video I’ve seen on succulent soil. I’ve always thought what you put into words. There are so many factors, there can’t be a one size fits all soil. I live in South Texas and gets over 100 degrees easily for most of the summer. I need the soil to drain well, but maybe not as quick as it needs to for my indoor plants. I’m glad to have the water “clump” test now. Thanks!
Chuck, great information. In my experience I find perlite difficult to work with because it is too light and tends to float and separate from the mix. My personal mix is composed of 1 part compost, 1 part mini fir bark, and 4 parts pumice or scoria. Absolutely no peat moss. I find pumice and scoria to be very similar in promoting drainage and providing air space for the roots except that scoria is a slightly heavier material. My preference is pumice when it is available, but scoria works just as well.
Definitely agree with your experience, as I've found the same. If I had easy access to pumice (or if it was more affordable here), I would use it in place of scoria to keep things lighter. It's not that much of a problem since I plant most of my stuff in the ground, but sometimes I wish I had a lighter setup for my post, especially now that I'm starting to pair some of my specimens with pots for the next cactus and succulent competition... 😬
This was very good information , very helpful. I’m always trying to get the right soil mix , and it can be daunting . I live in an apartment and plant everything in pots, so I try to give each plant its best mix since all the nutrients they have available are restricted to that pot . Purchasing everything is time consuming and can be very expensive if your not careful. If I had my own yard , I would simply use manure ( as my grandfather did ) to take care of most of most of my needs and maybe some gypsum to break up the bad clay. My grandfather won awards for his beautiful yard and lawn🏆… but sadly my plants are not award worthy yet.
You always have so much great information to offer. I wonder where your knowledge comes from, are you self taught or have you been trained in horticulture? Enjoy watching and learning, I’m new to succulents and have a lot to learn! Thanks Chuck! 🌞
Hi Jane. Everything I know comes from either reading up articles online plus my own experimentation and first-hand experience. I've only been growing succulents for a little over 3 years but I think I'm very good at noticing patterns and analysing things 😄
By the way I love your practical and logical advice about getting supplies mostly locally and what’s readily available vs. going crazy and spending all kinds of money.. you’re very smart.. I need someone like you for advice.. that’s for sure!! 😊
This is one of the best videos I've seen on succulent soil mixes. Thanks! Do you use the same ratio for your containers vs. raised beds vs. in the ground plantings?
Your video is very timely chuck! Im contemplating really on what soilmix to use. Im currently using a premade soilmix composed of carbonized rice hull with perlite. And true to word, I have a bit of issue with the drainage spaecially with my other succulents. Your video is very enlightening! You’ve discussed your soil mix over and over in your previous episodes but this one in particular got me thinking! Thank you very much! By the way, I feel bad about the raised planter. Any way, when God closes a door he opens a window.. maybe those new plastic planters will be more managable since they’re a lot smaller and lighter. Best of luck! Ps: hope to see little zackie and nikki on your next videos 😁
I have mixed garden soil, Peat moss,(for the ph) perlite, and gravel, some sandy, and a little mini bark, and potting soil. Do you think that would be ok? I guess I'm mostly worried about the pH and nutrients. It drains well.
Oh! I have tons of lava rock (red scoria),, should I crush this up and use it in the soil as well? I hate perlite too. I've been collecting tons of succulents this month and haven't replanted them yet because I'm still working on the soil. Any help you can give would be great thanks.
Wow you answered all my questions! You have to be my favorite channel I have found so far, and this is only your second video I've watched! Thank you sooooo much for making these. You're my hero!
Yeah I'm an advocate of being a cheapskate haha! Use whatever material you can to aggregate into your soil. The goal is to keep things loose enough that it drains well, but not too loose so that you're not forced to water every day.
Well explained. We have the exat same weather where i live in Palm Springs, Ca. Right now its 73 degrees then prob be 80 degrees. In summer it could be as hot as 100 degrees starting in June and gets higher in Aug. I really liked the way you explained it thoroughly when it comes to mixing medias for succulents. Thank you.
Hi Chuck! I've recently gotten into gardening and am loving the succulent world. Your videos are fantastic and I love your garden :) I'd like to make a good succulent mix but keep it simple like yourself. I'm located in sydney and finding small scoria is difficult, mostly by the tonne or 10-20mm. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative? Would decomposed granite work as well?
Akadama also works well, with some caveats: 1) it is expensive, 2) the grainy shape makes it hard to manuever (sp.?) around the plants with flat base and to work into compact succulent arrangement.
Yeah the cost is a really huge turnoff for me, plus the plants I collect are hardy enough in my climate that using anything exotic is overkill in my case 😂
@@Cerriscapades seems to me, akadama only works for one plant setting. I tried using it for a compact multi-plant arrangement, but it is hard to move around and shape the plants. I will leave the akadama arrangement as is for now, to see if it works.
Great episode, Chuck. I am so inconsistent with my soil for succulents, and I guess that has resulted in my rotted succulents. Of course, only the expensive ones rotted over the year I’ve been playing with plants! I wish I had mixed something into the garden I made out the front of my house, so many succulents rotted. I can’t remember which ones though! I’m not very good at obsession! Your lawn tells me that you haven’t been getting the rain we have on south coast NSW, or the rotten succulents!
We've been getting rains, but we've been cutting the lawn really short back in summer haha! You'll be surprised how fast they will grow back now that we got out of summer. Maybe next month it will be mostly green.
Great clip, Thanks for a well explanation. Where are you? My mixing soil is quite easy = cheap potting mix, coco peat, vermiculite, sometimes perlite and then crust charcoal I only use clay pot so If the soil quite big just sift it. Then I lay hydro ball at bottom then mix soil then top up with pea gravel. What do you think. Do you need to put any fertilise to this mix. How many clip that you doing so far...Newcastle AU
Hi Chuck, thanks for the very informative video! I have a question, though. I live in the tropics and I use a mix of garden soil and pumice. I use terracotta pots with drainage holes and my plants are alive so it's working I guess. But, there's this temple on a hill near where I live, and the succulents they grow there are grown in 100% garden soil, in pots that don't have drainage holes. It rains pretty frequently and yet the succulents look so much healthier. The leaves are plumper than mine, and some stressed ones are showing really saturated colours too. From what I can tell is that it's significantly cooler there (about 20 degrees C as opposed to about 30 where I am, sometimes up to 38), windier, and maybe more sunlight. But I can't figure out why their 100% organic soil with no drainage works so well when I'm struggling to keep my plants happy. Any thoughts?
Hello, I was just watching your episode on the soil for succulents. You were mentioning that you use soil and scoria. Would you please tell what ratio of the two are mixed. I would greatly appreciate
Another great video! Everything I ever need to know about succulent mixes. You mentioned pumice.. is there a particular pumice size recommended for 3 inch to 5 inch pots? Thanks!
Do you or anyone know anything about firebox decorative lava rock for vented and vent-free gas log sets? It’s also only .25 inch size. For making my own succulent soil mix..Just wondering if it’s the same as buying bonsai lava rock?? If it’s any differently? I’m really curious because I may be able to find that more easily and also I think the price might be better. I just want to make sure it’s safe. I’m guessing I would probably need to wash it first? I can get this at the Tractor Supply store vs ordering most likely a smaller quantity for more money online.
Awesome video so informative got a question mate could I use crushed concrete for drainage? or would it leak certain chemicals that would harm the succlents
Hi Robert. Depending on how aged the concrete is or how much it has leached, I think it is a bit alkaline. Since it contains lime / calcium carbonate. Succulents prefer slightly acidic soil. So I guess you'll have to check how they affect the pH. An excess of calcium will result in iron deficiency, which affects the chlorophyll production. So they tend to turn yellow, and probably grow a lot slower since the oxygen production is also affected.
Hi, great video. I have a 12" raised bed but very heavy clay soil as base soil. How deep would I have to make the soil mix so as no to have the succulents affected by the clay?
Awesome video! It really made me feel better about not having any decently priced pumice in our area lol! Does your local Bunnings still have those raised planters?
Thanks for the great information about soil mixes. I need to see if they sell scoria near me which looks like Crushed lava rock I don't know if that's what that is. You always have such great information help us learn. Thanks for sharing😊👍.
@@Cerriscapades I tried to find small lava rock in my area and couldn't. I wonder if I had rold them Scorai if I would've had a better chance. I even thought about crushing the lava rock I have been able to find ($3.50 a large bag) because it is MUCH cheaper than the pumice I purchase online.
For potted succulents in central Florida (zone 9b), would you still recommend the 50/50 scoria/top soil mixture? I have been using a cactus soil mixed with gravel but it does not drain well at all. We have a lot of humidity overnight and the soil tends to trap it. Working on a solution before my succulents start being affected! I mostly have Echeveria and Sedums, but also a Sempervivum, Jade, and some other randoms. Thanks for the informative video!
Yeah more or less. Just adjust the amount of pebbles as needed. I find that when I use premium cactus and succulent soil, I still have to aggregate with pebbles just to make it more loose. So to be more cost-effective, I just use cheap soil, mix it with pebbles, then mix in a few granules of controlled-release fertilisers if needed.
Thanks for the video which is very informative. So just to recap, what's ratio for the scoria and landscape mix again for pots and ground applications please? I live in Perth and I mostly propagate( using just straight bulk potting mix from the soil place) & sell Mother In Law Tongue and Roheos ( Stripe me pink) on Gumtree as a hobby. I don't have a green house facility so they tend to take too much water during winter( there's no shelter where they are) , the Roheos pretty much die off hence I've been researching on proper succulent soil. I've bought a few bags of the Osmocoat Succulent and Cactus potting mix from Bunnings but it's just not feasible for me. I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi there, I usually go with 1:1 if I am unsure about the plant. However to save on scoria, I sometimes change to 1:2 scoria to soil (even 1:3) if I think I can do something to help the drainage, like if I'm raising the soil level a bit. For more sensitive plants, or in pots, I tend to add more scoria, maybe 2:1 scoria to soil or even more. That way I can ensure that it won't retain too much water and I can water my usual way (drenching everything) without worry.
@@Cerriscapades Thanks a lot for the info, that's much appreciated. I'll be using mostly the potting application. I'll probably need to go 2 scoria to 1 potting mix - Just double checking, the scoria is the 7mm one and the soil you mentioned is potting mix right? Otherwise use landscape mix instead for ground application? Some people use coarse sand in their mix/recipe - Have you ever tried that? Any Thoughts on it?
First off, while it can get rainy here, it's not the same amount as in the tropics, so keep that in mind as you read my answer. What I do is to elevate my soil level, mound around the plants, plant the rosettes at a slight angle. This is to ensure that when the water drains, they drain away from my plants. I also make sure to use a well-draining mix so that water do not pool around my plants.
Great video. Can i use regular pottingmix and scoria for my indoor sukkulents?? And shod i crush the scoria? Thank you.. Follow you from Denmark. ;) Here we got 100 L. of scoria for the same as 8 L perlite. !!!
Hi Kurt, that's exactly what I'm using! I just mix scoria with regular potting mix because scoria is also cheap where I'm from. You will have to work out the ratios yourself but in my case, I use 1:1 scoria to soil, or even 1:2 scoria to soil if using them in the garden bed. That's enough drainage for me in my climate. In pots I have more scoria, usually 2:1 scoria to soil or even as high as 4:1 for the more sensitive types. Basically you will want to just break up the soil and not have them clumping too much when wet. You need more scoria in pots if your pots are sealed, glazed, or plastic, where water can't seep through the walls.
I love your videos! They are extremely helpful. I’m trying to search for places to buy scoria but I’m having a hard time. When I search online, Red lava rocks keep popping up. Do you know any online stores that sell it.
Hi Cary, scoria and pumice are both lava rocks. Pumice tends to have more air gaps and are lighter while scoria is more dense with less air gaps. I use scoria because they are readily available here in Melbourne.
Go for whichever one is cheaper or available. Don't try to break the bank just working on your soil mix. The goal is to break apart the soil to increase drainage so feel free to use other aggregates like coarse sand, regular pebbles, etc. If regular pebbles are cheaper, go for it. Just take note that regular pebbles are not porous like lava rock so you'll need a lot more of them to achieve similar results.
Cerriscapades Thanks! My husband just got me a vegtrug planter and I need a lot of soil. I have lava rocks and I’m thinking about mixing it with cactus soil and coarse sand. Do you think that would be good for my climate ?
@@cary214m8 I bought my wife one , after she had a stroke to grow flowers . If yours is of a vee shape for the soil then the deeper part will hold more water so it may be worth filling the deep vee with chunks of expanded polystyrene that is used for packing ( the type used moulded around fragile items for snipping) or expanded polystyrene beans ( not the biodegradable, corn based ones). Or aluminium drinks cans ...not crushed. The idea is to get an even depth of compost front to back; or you may want it deeper at the back for tallerplants. Most cacti and succulents have short / shallow roots so 8 - 14 inches of compost should be sufficient unless you are in a very hot climate. Obviously, you need a free draining mixture so you need holes in the bottom of the trug liner also My preference would be 3/8 potting compost or coir; 1/4 grit 1- 5mm; 1/4 pearlite ; 1/8 biochar type material Thats 37.5 %: 25%: 25%: 12.5 % . I live in England
are you a pinoy bro ? thank you for the info , i am a 60 year old man who happens to be addicted in cactus , malaking tulong ito Bro , more power and Godbless
Scoria? difficult to buy and if someone sells it then its very expensive. Vermiculite is much lighter than Perlite and flies away more easily than perlite. Perlite is quite cheap. I mix in some Vermiculite where I want the substrate to absorb water fast and to retain it for a while.
Yeah like I said this mostly depends on where you live and what is cheap in your area. In my case scoria is really cheap here, other options cost more. The point is to urge people to look at their local options and not to just blindly follow a mix someone on the internet has suggested, which may not be cost effective where they live.
Depending where you are and can't find any type of these lava minerals, you can try a brand called Dry Stall (lava rock) ...some say they like it better than Perlite and its cost efficient that you can at Farm & Feed store.
Thanks for the tip! I'm sure it will help someone! We don't have that here in AU but looking it up in a search shows that it is available in the USA and that it is pumice. That's perfect.
If I had to choose between the two, I'd use vermiculite because I don't like how perlite handles. It has its uses in smaller pots and if you're doing it indoors. But given that my plants are outdoors and in the ground, they are not ideal for my case. The reality though is that I would not use either of them because they are expensive given that I can get more scoria for the same price. Some will say that vermiculite will be good for seed-raising mixes, but I don't sow large seeds anyway. I'm only dealing with echeveria seeds, and for that I need to use coarse sand as aggregate instead.
Hi Geneva. Mukhang sobra sa iron yung soil kung ganun. Pag sobra sa iron, magmumukhang sunog o kulay brown yung dulo ng mga dahon ng mga regular plants. I'm not sure kung ok lang sa succulents. You can always try with a small sample and see kung ok lang sila. Make sure to observe for more than 1 month para siguradong tapos na siyang mag adjust sa soil. Kung wala namang masamang nangyari, then you can try using it. Otherwise, haluan mo ng compost at bato.
Cerriscapades you mentioned bato. Is it ok to use crushed rocks and river sand instead of Perlite or pumice which is not available in our place? I am a beginner and your video which i watched 2 days ago made me interested in succulent. I am 80 years old and what a beginner.
