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.