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Just wondering what other people are using around the base of their cacti? I have gone through many phases. First off, when I started out I didn't use any top dressing, just bare cactus mix. Then I used decorative pebbles, white mainly, then when I grew tired of the sterile, un natural look, I switched to more earth toned pebbles. After a while I wanted something different and more benificial to the growth of the cacti. So after doing a bit of research I went in search of limestone screenings (apparently the natural habitat of the cactus I choose to grow is rich in limestone). I had all sorts of trouble finding limestone where I live as it mostly shale and blue rock that they quarry here. After lots of phonecalls and driving around, I found it at a landscape yard labled as 'white rocks'. They were a bit too big for what I wanted to use them for, 2cm x 4cm, so I sat out in my backyard with a paver, goggles and a hammer and proceeded to smash they down to the size I wanted. Yes I got some funny looks from my house mates. Anyway, after dressing the limestone around the base of my potted cacti I was initially happy with the end result. Fast forward a few months and after some decent growth. What I didn't realize at the time was that my small limestone chippings had quite sharpe and pointy edges. So as the cacti grew they pressed the limestone between the soft flesh of the cacti and the edge of the pot, sometimes digging into the plant and disfiguring it. So I am at the stage once more where I need to find another type of mulch/rock, obviously with smooth edges to use. I would love to hear what others are using and to share their experience with dressing around their plants. Cheers.