There are a ton of recipes online. Most people start with either standard potting soil or the soil mix sold in bags for succulent plants. If you decide to create your own blend, use ordinary potting soil free of additives. We’ll go over additional components to include when amending or creating your own succulent potting soil.
Succulent growth medium frequently gets the following additions:
Fine Sand
Improved soil drainage results from using coarse sand in amounts of 50 to 30 percent. Avoid using materials with fine textures, such as play sand. A higher sand content may be advantageous for cacti, but it must be coarse sand.
PerlitePerlite is frequently used in succulent-growing mixtures. This product improves drainage and promotes aeration, although it is light and frequently floats to the top when watered. Use between 1/3 and 50% when mixing with potting soil.
Turface
Turface is a calcine clay product and soil conditioner that delivers aeration, oxygen, and moisture monitoring to the soil. It has the consistency of pebbles and does not compact. Although it goes by the brand name Turface, the phrase “product” is also frequently used to describe it. used as a top dressing as well as an ingredient in succulent soil mixes.
PumicePumice is a volcanic substance that may store nutrients and moisture. Some people utilize significant amounts of pumice. Some growers report successful trials when using only pumice. But using this kind of material necessitates more regular watering. Depending on where you live, you might need to order this item.
Coconut CoirUnlike other goods that might not absorb water well after the initial soaking, coconut coir, which is made from the shredded husks of the coconut, offers drainage qualities and can be repeatedly wet. Coir, which is pronounced “core,” was never brought up before to the typical succulent grower. Coir is a component of at least one well-known distributor of succulents’ peculiar mix. I have healthy plants in my nursery and use a mixture of 1/3 normal potting soil (the inexpensive variety), 1/3 coarse sand, and 1/3 coir.
Use perlite to aid drainage
The addition of perlite to the potting compost is beneficial for succulents and other plants that are delicate to moist soil. The plant’s roots will never be in soggy soil since the perlite will trap air in the compost and encourage water to drain through. Compost and perlite should be mixed at a ratio of about 1:4. To achieve a uniform mix, do this prior to planting.
Use perlite when taking cuttings
Perlite can help compost retain water, which can increase the likelihood that your cuttings will take root. To do this, you need a compost that is intended for cuttings especially (with a finer texture and lower nutrient content than general use multi-purpose compost). Incorporate perlite into the compost mix at a 50:50 ratio, fill the pots, properly water them, and then wait several hours before adding your cuttings.
Perlite can also be used on its own to root cuttings. Wet the perlite, then put about a third of it inside a polythene bag. Cutting just below a leaf joint and removing the leaves from the lowest half to two thirds of the cutting will prepare softwood or semi-ripe cuts. Place the lower, bare portion of the shoot inside the perlite, add air to the bag, and then secure the top. The emergence of roots should occur after several weeks. The cutting can be removed and potted up in compost once roots have formed well.
Use perlite in seed sowing
To create a wet environment ideal for delicate seedling roots, mix perlite into seed and cuttings compost at a ratio of 50:50. Because perlite allows light to pass through while yet keeping the seed moist and promoting germination, it is also perfect for covering seeds that need light to sprout.
To how much indoor potting mix should I put perlite?
The majority of plants require soil to survive. Their access to water comes from where their roots are located. Specifically for indoor plants, that is also where their sustenance comes from. While indoor plants only have access to what is in the container or what you spray them with, plants growing outside have access to decomposing matter, bacteria, worms, and other nutrient sources.
It’s understandable to feel a bit overwhelmed when selecting the soil for indoor plants because there are so many possibilities. So let’s take a closer look at what soil we suggest.
Most of the “soil you see in indoor pots is not actually soil at all,” according to this. It is very dissimilar from the environment that plants living in the wild grow in. It’s typically a soilless mixture manufactured by humans out of peat moss, perlite, compost, manure, fertilizer, and a whole bunch of other things. It may sound strange, but the atmosphere it creates for indoor plants is actually the best and is designed to keep them happy and healthy.
- Choose premium. After all, kids will reside in this environment for the next 12 to 18 months (before you repot them)
- Keep an eye out for red and black ticks. In Australia, potting mix packaging includes black or red ticks as a sign of quality after the product has been evaluated against quality requirements.
- Black ticks are considered to be the industry standard, signifying that they adhere to the strictest requirements (so you know the bag isn’t just half-filled with sawdust to pack it out).
- Red ticks (your premium mix) indicate that the mix satisfies not only the basic requirements but also has greater water retention and includes at least 6 weeks’ worth of fertilizer, among other things.
Despite the fact that premium general purpose mix is effective on its own, it may be beneficial to add soil amendments like perlite or coir to enhance drainage. Waterlogged soil and even root rot can be prevented with well-draining, aerated soil. Here are several other combinations and recipes that we suggest:
- Simply adding perlite to premium potting mix creates a fantastic base mixture. A decent ratio is 80 percent premium soil to 20 percent perlite. Numerous common indoor plants, including Calatheas, Monsteras, Dieffenbachia, Aglaonemas, Alocasias, Spider Plants, Devil’s Ivy, and more are suited for this.
- 30 percent orchid bark, 20 percent perlite, 40 percent premium potting soil, and 10 percent charcoal make up our go-to formula for optimal plant health. This is a richer mix that can be used for the same types of indoor plants as those mentioned above.
- Another excellent choice for many common houseplants like Peperomias, Syngoniums, and Alocasias is a blend of 30% orchid bark, 30% perlite, and 40% premium potting soil.
- We advise a blend of 60% premium potting mix and 40% perlite for plants that prefer to stay dry. This works well for plants like snake plants, string of pearls, chain of hearts, cacti, and succulents that have fragile, short roots or dislike getting their roots wet.
This is the unique potting mix we utilize for our indoor plants that we grow.
Rocky Point, a similar Brisbane-based gardening business, is one of our favorite sources of dirt. In close collaboration with them, we developed a proprietary potting mix consisting of perlite, composted bark, clinker, coir chip, and coir pith, as well as extra trace elements and slow release fertilizer. We apply this to the plants we raise in our own greenhouse. We adore working with Rocky Point because of their real dedication to environmentally friendly and sustainable growing methods, as well as their stringent procedures for ensuring quality control. This means that we only use the best potting soil to care for our own plants.
Should I combine perlite and potting soil?
Small, light, and airy pebbles are created when hot steam is applied to mined volcanic glass to create perlite.
For growing seeds like citrus, Jerry uses a mixture of half fine-grade perlite and half seed raising mix. The perlite makes sure that water can permeate the soil but won’t stay saturated. A variety of young and established plants, particularly succulents and those that require a well-draining mix, benefit from the use of perlite as well. Use a simple mixture of 50 percent perlite and 50 percent potting soil.
Jerry mixes one third big-grade perlite, one third horticultural sand, and one third premium grade potting mix for potting a large plant like a pereskia.
Perlite can be dusty, so it is advised to wet it before usage to settle the dust and make it easier to handle without inhaling it.
Perlite is very helpful because it doesn’t degrade over time. By adding perlite to your regular bark-based potting mix, you can extend the life of your soil and plants. Regular bark-based potting mixes degrade over time, decreasing the movement of air and water through the mix.
How should succulent potting soil be combined?
My recipe for succulent potting soil is as follows:
- 3 components of potting soil
- coarse sand in two pieces (turface or poultry grit)
- Perlite, one part (or pumice)
How do you combine potting soil and perlite?
The characteristic that sets perlite apart from other volcanic glasses is that it expands from four to twenty times its original volume when heated to a sufficient point in its softening range. Perlite enhances clay soil’s texture while accelerating germination and roots, improving aeration, drainage, and insulation in potting mixes.
A siliceous rock that occurs naturally is known as perlite. It can swell from four to twenty times its original volume when heated. This is caused by the water in perlite rapidly expanding, which is how the incredibly light perlite for gardening is made.
Perlite is mostly used by gardeners to improve compost blends and assist with water retention and aeration.
The world over, perlite is expanded and mined. According to estimates, crude and expanded perlite are both produced and used mostly in the United States. Other nations that produce perlite, nevertheless, include China, Greece, Mexico, Japan, Hungary, Armenia, Italy, and Japan.
- stops compaction
- greater improvement in aeration and drainage than vermiculite
- encourages the initiation of roots and strong growth
- holds moisture without getting mushy
- pH is almost neutral.
- does not break down
- free of weeds, parasites, and diseases
- minimizes temperature changes by insulating
- sterile, inert, and inorganic
- No recognized toxicity or fire risk
Seeds should be sown on a well-watered mixture of perlite and sphagnum moss peat in equal amounts. Alternately, mix 2 parts of ready-mixed potting compost with 1 part perlite.
Keep moist at all times by intermittent misting or capillary irrigation for pure use. After planting, cover seeds with glass or plastic, sprinkle them with a thin layer of fine peat to preserve moisture until germination, and then feed them.
Perlite is added to compost potting mixtures to enhance aeration, drainage, and insulation. The structure of ready-mixed loam or peat-based composts can be opened up with perlite.
Use 3 or 4 parts Sphagnum Moss Peat to 1 part perlite (80/20) for soilless compost blends.
Use sterilised loam, peat, and perlite in an identical ratio (1:1:1) along with limestone and nutrients for loam-based compost mixtures. An alternative is to use a 1:2:1 mixture. Mix well, then after planting, water well and feed as necessary. Cuttings and Rooting Perlite facilitates an ideal balance of air and water, speeds up uprooting, lowers the risk of damping off, and almost eliminates water logging. Additionally, it lessens the effects of transplanting’s root damage and growth interruption.
Use a 50/50 mixture of perlite and sphagnum moss peat for cuttings with soft stems and leaves. Increase the perlite to peat ratio up to 4 parts perlite to 1 part peat (80/20) for tougher cuttings and delicate plants.
Where sterility is required, perlite can be used completely for mist irrigation. Water regularly, but watch for free drainage. Feed plants as soon as their roots start to grow. By enhancing aeration and drainage, soil conditioning perlite enhances the texture of heavy silt or clay soils. Additionally, it lessens the propensity to “cap” germination of seeds. These enhancements will be around for a long time.
Use up to 25% perlite worked into the top 5–10 cm of challenging seedbeds and flower beds before sowing.
Mix perlite with the soil before backfilling the planting hole for trees, shrubs, and roses to encourage root growth.
Turf Dressing Because Perlite enhances drainage and aeration, it will help maintain the proper balance of air and moisture, resulting in greater root growth and turf growth. Perlite-treated golf course greens will be more resilient and tolerant of use in both wet and dry harsh weather situations.
Use the following method for compacted and poorly drained areas on existing turf as well as for the establishment of new turf: spike the afflicted area with a hollow tine, then spread a thin layer (2–5 mm) of wet perlite that has already been pre-mixed with an appropriate fertilizer. Brush or rake evenly, then thoroughly water. Remember that a 100-litre bag of perlite would typically cover 50 square meters with a 2mm layer.
Perlite is an inert, sterile, neutral, ultra-lightweight aggregate with a very high air and water-holding capacity used in capillary watering, NFT, and hydroponics. Perlite should be treated with any proprietary chemical steriliser, steam, flame, or flame gun to sterilize it for reuse.
Perlite should be used in place of sand or gravel at least 25mm (1 inch) deep in polythene-lined benches or appropriate trays for capillary watering.
Use perlite in a trench or channel that is coated with polythene, then saturate it with nutrient solution to grow tomatoes in rings and at a low cost for commercial output. Special Instructions: To prevent overheating while using electrical heating cables, combine perlite and sand 50/50.
Can I cover dirt with perlite?
In order to maintain a loose, well-draining soil structure without running the danger of compaction over time, perlite is frequently included in potting soil and soilless mixes (especially for indoor seed starting).
Perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss (or coco coir) can be combined in equal amounts to create a simple, hygienic seed starting mixture that promotes healthy seedling growth and lowers damping off disease.
Additionally, it can be used to grow plant cuttings. You can root your cutting in a tiny jar filled with moistened perlite rather than just water if you want.
The same is true for seeds: only start them in moistened perlite, or use moistened perlite-filled baggies to evaluate the germination of older seeds (as an alternative to the coffee filter method of starting seeds).
Raking in a 2-inch layer of perlite into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil, while also amending the soil with compost and other nutrients, can improve drainage in raised beds or in-ground garden beds that struggle with cakey clay soil.
A single application of perlite can maintain the planting bed light and loose for several years because it doesn’t decompose. When I was gardening in Southern California, I used it as my “secret ingredient” since I needed more than simply compost to break up the hard clay clods in our beds.
Some (but not all) bagged potting and garden soils gain from the addition of extra perlite.
Think about deep-rooted plants like carrots and daikon—you’ll see how my prior clay soil was known for producing goofy, topsy-turvy carrots—whose roots are more productive when they aren’t forced to drive down into compacted, compressed soil.
Additionally, I enjoy adding additional perlite to my garlic planting areas in the fall since it prevents the bulbs from becoming flooded in the winter and spring. In the week or two before your garlic crop is ready for harvest, perlite also aids in soil drying.
I always have perlite on hand because it is a necessary soil conditioner, and I purchase several bags each year because I can never seem to utilize enough of it.
Be mindful that lower-grade perlite, and occasionally inexpensive perlite with lax quality control, can get dusty (especially as you get to the bottom of a bag).
Wear a dust mask and goggles when working with perlite if you’re sensitive to airborne fine particles. (I prefer to keep both of these things in my arsenal for gardening. For fashionable reusable mask choices I possess for handling dusty gardening tools, see my sites listed below.)