Gritty mix is the best thing I ever did for each and every plant I have. There's lots of good info if you search these forums with the term. The gritty mix variation I use is 50/50 #2 cherry stone grit and Turface MVP, both screened through 1/16" insect screen. I use red lava pebbles on top for looks, but I've found no benefit to using them in my mix.

Joe

i guess generally speaking if someone talks about using "grit" or refers to their mix as "gritty" it means that it has nothing that one might traditionally consider "soil": nothing peaty, dirt-y, compost-y, etc. Usually people use various inorganic materials (along with certain organic materials) like granite, turface, pumice, perlite, etc. to create mixes that hold water but have enough space between particles for air flow and won't compact over time. when people around here talk about "the" gritty mix they're often talking about "al's gritty mix," which is a gritty recipe that calls for equal parts turface, granite, and pine bark and has been very successful for a lot of people. if you search that you'll probably find a lot of posts about the pros and cons of different mixes, how different mixes work, why they are or aren't beneficial, etc. people who use gritty mixes often make them themselves because it's more cost-efficient, but you can order pre-mixed bonsai soils that hew very closely to the mixes people like around here if you want to try an inorganic mix out but aren't ready to buy a 50lb bag of turface c: