Hey everyone! I've been trying to figure out the best potting mix for my succulents, and I could really use some advice. I started my gardening journey last October with a jade plant in a peat moss and perlite mix, similar to many of the other succulents I bought. However, I recently learned that peat moss can hold too much moisture. Although I have yet to overwater any of my 25 plants, I thought switching to an all grit mix would be a better option. So, I tried Bonsai Jack's gritty mix, but my plants still look underwatered, even after bottom watering them for an hour. I then mixed 60% gritty mix with 40% coco coir for better moisture retention, but my jade plant still looks sad. Now, I'm considering a 50/50 mix of coco coir and pumice. Is this the right move, or am I just overthinking it? Also, I heard about a 1-1-1.5 ratio of coco, compost, and drainage recommended by someone in a Discord group. Do succulents actually benefit from compost? Any thoughts would be much appreciated!
1 Answer
There really isn't a one-size-fits-all when it comes to potting mixes. A good starting point is a mix of 1:1 grit to organic material, but you should definitely adjust based on what works for you and your plants. A mix of coco coir and pumice is a solid idea. I personally use a roughly 60:40 grit to organic mix. Since pumice is hard to find for me, I stick with perlite and a standard succulent soil—it does the trick! Sometimes you just need to experiment until you find what works best for your specific conditions.
Exactly! Just take your time to see how they respond.
That makes sense! I guess it's all about trial and error, right?