Cactus soil

[Starinskikurjak]

Hello Everyone!

I would like to grow the following species:

Catnip

Skullcap

Indian Ginseng

Intoxicating mint

Mulungu, cristal galli

Calea zacatenichichi

Started to gather some info about the ideal growing conditions of these. For the intoxicating mint a cactus soil mix is advised. What should I mix? Was searching the net, and found several formulas.

This would be mine:

Perlite: 20%

Sand: 20%

Black garden soil : 20%

Gravel: 20%

Potting mix: 20%

Is that ok, or shoul I change the ingredients-ratios?

Will be growing inside, under cfl lights.

Thanx

[ballzac]

EDIT: Sorry, didn't read properly

Edited June 10, 2011 by ballzac

[CβL]

The gravel strikes me as unnecessary. I would substitute perlite instead, as it has more surface area and can be better for drainage as a result. The sand should be quite coarse as well, as fine sand tends to cake/clump and slow root formation, as well as trapping moisture.

Cactus soils can also be specialized, varying in pH and aggregate composition based on the species. So when you got your formula from the internet, was it for certain species?

When I mix my own soil (it changes all the time because I'm still experimenting) I generally use 60% general potting soil, 40% 3-7mm pumice, a generous sprinkle of trace elements, potato fertilizer (4:8:6) and a generous scoop of blood and bone. My soil works pretty good, and is dirt cheap. It probably needs some wood ash (for K) at some point, as I'd imagine it would be replenished less than the other elements.

Edit: changed 'light' to fine.

Edited June 10, 2011 by βluntmuffin

[Starinskikurjak]

Yeah this formula was for Lagochilus inebrians.....gravel was a bit funny for me, but I do not have the knowledge to doubt, never tried growing intoxicating mint before...will give it a go after my holidays...Thanx for your response. Going to work now....((((((

[Halcyon Daze]

You can buy Cacti mix at a home warehouse kinda store etc. Most are a bit crappy so get a good one.

Break the bag a tiny bit and have a look at the mix. Start with one that looks like what you were expecting, because some are not what you were after. eg some are 95% organic matter.

Edited June 10, 2011 by Halcyon Daze

[Gunter]

I have used a 1:1 ratio of pumic, scoria or pea gravel and compost with much success.

The list (in the first post) seems fine, however it can be more simple and do very well.

[weedRampage]

You can buy a good pH tester at many places. The one to get is the one with indicator and a bottle

of barium sulfate for visualising the indicator color.

Any mix you make up for (arid land) cactus should be from pH 7 - pH 8

Many ready made mixes will probably suffice.

If you want to mix your own the good stuff to use is river sand, peat and any alkaline sands

or crushed sea shells.

The good place to find stuff like this is landscaping supplies.

Careful not to use acidic sands. They are usually bright yellow to deep red.

[WoodDragon]

Hmmm, pumice and scoria...

In the past I've scoured the state looking for both, with no luck. A function of isolation, apparently.

[zelly]

http://www.australia...e/horticulture/

http://www.daltons.c...cultural-pumice

Online info says its mined in NZ

[George]

Check out aquatic shop's for course crushed coral. Pumice or Turface is just nowhere to be found in ZA unless you buy foot blocks.

Will do the same job as pumice and adds CaCO3 and some other nice trace ellements. This is often sold in finer grades as aragonite. I made a 100% mineral mix for my peyote mixing river sand, aragonite, zeolite and local sifted red soil(laterite), sifted as to remove the clayish fine sand. They are happy.

Edited June 13, 2011 by George