So you want to give your new cacti their best chance of survival? Sure you could use the straight out of the bag Cactus Mix, but plants are like cooking. Everything turns out better if you make it with love.
I have been growing a batch of cacti from seeds and they have been delighting me with their progress!
My DIY Cactus soil mix is a large part of this! By adding extra ingredients to pre-made cactus mix, we are able to give additional nutritional benefits to our baby plants and ensure our home garden thrives!
Use this recipe like a hand-me-down from your grandma, that is to say, take the “Pinch of this” “Dash of that” measurements with a grain of salt, and feel free to make substitutes to make use of what you have on hand. Enjoy!
Start with a base of cactus soil.
Cactus soil is made with inorganic materials. This mixture is specifically designed to limit water retention and give extremely quick drainage.
When plants sit in waterlogged soil, they have a higher likelihood of developing root rot. Rot can easily be the kiss of death for our new plants so its important to avoid this!
Cactus soil will give us the perfect base to start our new plants in. We could stop there but… where the fun in that?? Lets spice it up with some additional ingredients!
Add Organic Charcoal
Charcoal is a great additive to increase drainage and filtration in your mix. Cacti need more drainage than some of your every other houseplants, so this little boost may be just what your cactus and/or succulents need!
Activated charcoal also has the amazing benefit of absorbing bacteria (that can cause nasty smells) AND acting as a pest repellent!
I highly recommend adding charcoal to your soil library! Not only do I love to add it to my soil mixed, but it’s also amazing to have on hand for terrarium building!
Sand
Now. This may be a me thing, but I always add a healthy dose of sand to my succulent and cactus mixes. Why? Purely because thats the environment they grow in!
When tending to my plant collectionI always try to envision their habitat in the wild. Tropical plants get higih humidity and lots of water, climbing plants get vertical support, dessert plants get…. Sand!
Some sources day that adding sand can actually increase water retention in the soil so take this advise at your own discretion!
Plus, you didn’t hear this from me but this is one ingredient you can easily get for free. Just head to any beach with a Ziploc bag, a shovel and your courage!
Extended Release Plant Food
Potentially the most important ingredient for this mix is a healthy dose of fertilizer! Is this cheating? No way! Its just giving your plants the best chance of success…
I like to mix two servings of fertilizer into my mix so that the plants can snack on it while they grow. A little top off seasonally will keep your plants growing like a charm!
Mix it all up!
In a large bowl, mix all your ingredients together to prepare for planting. Here is the ratio I like to use:
- 2 parts soil
- 1 part sand
- 1/2 part charcoal
- 2 scoops fertilizer
Mix em up, wet the mixture with filtered water, and plant away!
One last tip..
I would highly recommend setting up a light for your succulents. They are made for long sunny days in the dessert, so, unless you can provide that atmosphere any plant light will work WONDERS for your plants!