Hi Lavonn. Actually I find most Sans will grow successfully in almost any kind of mix as long as it drains
well and has some aeration. You can take most anything and
add coarse perlite to it to make it 'crunchy' enough. I'm
mixing Fafard 3 mix with perlite and Turface in about a
2-1-1 ratio. Fafard 3 mix is peat based, with some composted pine bark, little perlite, and a wetting agent.
Turface is a fairly new product that was originally invented
for conditioning baseball diamonds. It's fired calcined
clay, some folks think it's the same as kitty litter, but it
absolutely is not. But looks similar tho. In the past I
have used a crushed brick product with pieces about 1/4 inch
and smaller, mixed with an organic like composed pine bark
or one of the peat based mixes, and some perlite. I've also
used large grained sand before, which works OK. Fine sand
should not be used. If one has access to pumice, available
only in some parts of the west coast, it is ideal mixed with
an organic of some kind. I like to throw in some bone meal when I'm putting a mix together.
Russ

I'm a beginner myself, Lavonn, and I just use Arthur Bower's Cactus Compost! My plants are all doing just fine.

I use something decent like schultz or scotts all purpose potting mix, add in about 1/4 to 1/3 of perlite, and some gravel if I have any, and this seems to drain quite well and I haven't rotted or overwatered anything yet. Mine are all happy, even indoors. Sometimes, also if I happen to have any, I'll use equal parts of the all-purpose and a C&S soil mix, for further drainage encancement as well as aeration since the C&S mix tends to have larger pieces of bark and whatnot. Good luck!

Josh

Hi,
Where do you find the Turface, Russ FLA? I have contacted Schultz about their soil conditioner which is supposed to be like the Turface I used to use, but none of the stores they said carried it know what I am talking about.

Thanks,
Elsie

Russ, I haven't seen the mixes you mentioned around here. I have used a 'Clay Soil Conditioner' & 'Coir' for my 'Hoya Soil Mix'. We have a soil called 'Jungle Growth' that seems to work for lots of different applications.

Thanks to Everyone!
Lavonn

Hi Elsie. I get my Turface from a nursery supply place in
Apopka Fla, there are literally hundreds of commercial nurseries there. I checked my bag, which is 50 lbs, and
it's called Turface MVP. There's a smaller grain called
Turface Pro League. You might call the company and see if
they can tell you where you can get it locally. Profile
Products LLC, 750 Lake Cook Rd, Suite 440, Buffalo Grove,
IL 60089. Phone 1-800-207-6457. I ran the word 'turface'
thru Google and Profile has a site where there's several
other phone numbers including this one, and info on Turface.
Russ

Lavonn, if I'm not mistaken, your 'Jungle' mix is a peat
based stuff that would work as the organic part of a succulent mix with some inorganic drainage material mixed
with it. I don't think 'Jungle mix' has much in the way of
composted bark in it tho, which I like better than a pure peat product. Lots of very experienced succulent
growers hate and will not use peat moss in a mix. Some grow them 'hard' with very little organic material in their mixes.
Russ

Thanks for the info, Russ FLA. I will check into it.

Elsie

I'm one of those who tries to avoid peat in my mixes. For Sans, in particular I find them so non-fussy abt soil mix that I even use recycled mix for them, assuming it's from healthy plants.

Often mine's a combination of Houseplant mix or C&S mix neither of which (in my area) list ingredients. I judge it more by feel as to peatiness. I add minimum 1/3 pumice or more (I used perlite before I could get pumice).

I find for Sans. that it's more abt fast draining mix than what the mix is made of. The only ones I ever lost (I've got abt 15 diff. kinds right now) are the Birds Nest types which I probably overwatered.

why is fine sand bad for sans? thanks!

Hi

fine sand is disadvantageous because it clogs the substrate, filling all the small spaces, rather than making it fast draining.

Better use coarse sand or gravel, 2-5 mm grain size.

Helli

I grow mine in the ground. Our "soil" and I use the term loosely is mostly sand. But we live on a sandbar so that's to be expected.
Tally Ho!

But when something is planted out, that is to say in the ground, soil/mix conditions & reactions are said to behave differently then in containers. In case anyone is wondering why sand is OK planted out, but not in containers.