How do you mix your own potting soil? After reading this, you'll understand it all

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ForewordQian Yan

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1. Basic requirements for succulent plant growing soil

You love succulents, but you don't know what soil to use to grow these fragile little lives, so you can only buy growing soil online. So how should the growing soil for succulent plants be chosen, and which soils are suitable for growing succulent plants? Let's take a look below.

The basic requirements of succulent plants for soil are: loose and breathable, good drainage and water retention, containing a certain amount of humus, moderate particle size, no overly fine dust, and weakly acidic or neutral(a few species can be slightly alkaline).

Different types of species have different specific requirements for soil. For example, epiphytic cactus types require loose, breathable soil with a lot of humus and weakly acidic, and it is best not to contain sand, gravel, or calcareous materials.

Some species native to limestone areas, such as the cactus family genera Aztekium, Ariocarpus, and Geohintonia, and the Aizoaceae genera Gibbaeum and Faucaria, require loose, breathable soil rich in calcium.

Hylocereus undatus, Echinopsis (grass ball), and the fast-growing Opuntia and Cereus genera require soil rich in humus. Small types such as Lithops should not have too much humus in the growing soil.

Among the commonly cultivated species at present, except for the genus Melocactus native to the Caribbean islands, none of the soils may contain salt.

2. Common materials for succulent plant growing soil

As long as they can meet the above basic requirements, any can be used as a material for mixing growing soil. At present, the following are the main ones commonly used:

(1) Sand: should not contain salt, should not have overly fine dust, and is best washed and dried in the sun before use. Particle size 0.2-2 mm.

Foreign experts are very strict about sand. Japanese experts advocate using sand from the upper reaches of streams, while European and American experts advocate using quartz sand, because quartz sand has not been washed by flowing water, its particle shape is irregular, and it is more conducive to breathability.

For us, these are not easy to obtain, so at present many growers use as little sand as possible and replace it with gravel or perlite.

(2) Garden soil (loam or sandy loam): soil used for growing vegetables or outdoor flowers. Its particle size is medium, its drainage and water retention are both good, and it has a certain amount of humus。

The disadvantage is that it has many weed seeds and may also contain pathogens and insect eggs. Therefore, before use, it should first be exposed to the sun or sterilized with steam, and then sieved.

Generally, two sievings are used. First sieve with a coarse sieve (coarse sieve mesh of 2 mm), discard the coarse soil or place it at the bottom of a large pot, then use a fine sieve (fine sieve mesh of 0.2 mm) to remove fine dust.

(3) Base fertilizer: According to the recommendation of Japanese experts, 2 parts cow dung, 2 parts soybean cake or rapeseed cake, 1 part plant ash, 2 parts shell powder or fish bone meal, 2 parts dried human feces and urine, and 1 part bone meal can be mixed and piled for half a year, then dried in the sun for later use.

(4) Leaf mold: It can be made by crushing and composting vegetable peelings, dead branches and fallen leaves, bean shells and bean stalks, etc., and is often used to replace garden soil.

(5) Peat: It has a lot of humus but decomposes slowly and is not easy to become powdery. In theory, it is a safe and long-lasting growing soil material.

However, the quality of commercially available peat varies greatly. Some peat not only has poor fertility but also often sticks together into large clumps in the pot after watering, making it difficult for roots to penetrate. Therefore, choose peat whose quality is reliable after trial use.

(6) Plant ash and sawdust: Plant ash should not be overburned; use the black kind, not the gray-white kind. Sawdust should not be from pine wood, and the sawdust should be coarse, preferably after being piled.

(7) Calcareous materials: Commonly used ones include shell powder, eggshell powder, and old lime wall debris. These are especially important for most terrestrial cactus types and the Aizoaceae genera Gibbaeum and Faucaria.

(8) Lightweight materials: Including crushed coconut shell, vermiculite, perlite, and the snake wood shavings commonly used in Taiwan, China (made from broken tree trunks), often used as a cutting medium. When newly introduced plants are rooting, sand can also be mixed into the growing soil to prevent the soil from compacting.

In addition to the above commonly used materials, growers in various places, according to basic requirements and convenience of material sourcing, also often use volcanic ash, pond mud, coal ball ash, vinegar residue, moss, rice husk ash, etc., all of which are very good growing soil materials.

3. Methods for mixing succulent plant growing soil

Due to the diversity of types, there are many formulas for succulent plant growing soil.

Some foreign experts even formulate a formula for each of some main species, or at least one formula for each genus.

This is obviously very difficult for ordinary flower producers and enthusiasts to do. Ordinary growers can only use formulas with wider adaptability. Japanese experts have also done very detailed research on growing soil. Below are some commonly used Japanese formulas:

(1) 3 parts leaf mold, 5 parts coarse sand, 1 part rice husk charcoal and 1 part shell powder (Daiichi Engei Co., Ltd.).

(2) 3 parts leaf mold, 5 parts coarse sand, 1 part charcoal crumbs, 1 part calcareous material (Manazuru Cactus Garden).

(3) 7 parts sand, 2 parts base fertilizer, 1 part charcoal crumbs, suitable for field-planted plants (Kenji Matsui).

(4) 3 parts leaf mold, 6 parts sand, a small amount of decomposed dry cow dung, a small amount of calcareous material (Yukio Tatsuno).

(5) 5 parts leaf mold, 5 parts sand, 2 parts base fertilizer (Homeshun Garden).

(6) 10 parts sand, 2 parts base fertilizer (containing calcium), suitable for small Aizoaceae types such as Lithops (Homeshun Garden).

An American expert recommends a very unique formula: first take leaf mold, mountain soil, and sand at a volume ratio of 1 part each and mix them, among which the leaf mold is specified to be composted from broadleaf tree leaves such as beech and oak, the mountain soil is specified to be from a sunny slope, and the sand should be quartz sand.

Then add 4 spoonfuls of bone meal, 3 spoonfuls of gypsum, and 1 spoonful of superphosphate to 4.546 liters (1 gallon) of the mixed soil.

These soil formulas must all be sterilized before use。

Sterilization methods include steam heating and chemical disinfection. Steam heating means keeping the soil temperature at 70°C for 2 hours or at 90°C for 1 hour to achieve the purpose of sterilization.

For chemical disinfection, insecticides such as fenitrothion and malathion and fungicides such as chlorothalonil, carbendazim, and zineb can be used.

Some websites may suggest that the prepared concentration can be slightly stronger than usual. At least use one insecticide and one fungicide, spray them separately, cover with plastic film for one day, and then use.

If a certain amount of carbofuran is mixed in again before use, it has a certain effect on preventing the harm of scale insects and woodlice.

After reading the above about choosing soil for succulent plants, do you feel that growing succulent plants is rather troublesome? They need good soil, proper watering, and sunlight, and only with good care can such moving plants grow.

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