Hi I grow them outdoors as yard plants as well as in pots and find the only thing they will not tolerate is being completely dry. First let me mention that there are several species of these as well as hybrids and the main difference seems to be what is dry lol. They invaded my water garden lol I would suggest a standard potting soil if you only have a few get the regular types the more expensive have better more long lasting ingredients. Since you already have some cactus mix throw in a handful of canadian peat. gary

OK. The Vermiculite works because it holds moisture (as does the rooting in a gab technique). But you must use the coarser vermiculite and not pack it to tight, so that the coasrseness also allows air into the root zone. If you use finer vermiculite and/or you pack it to tight, then it excludes air, and you have too much moisture, and the cuttings will rot. The Perlite holds little or no water, so you must water more frequently and/or maintain a higher humidity durng the rooting process. 100% perlite will have nothing to hold it together when it is removed from the cup, just as vermiculite on the dry side also freely comes out of the cup. When you repot into a larger pot, if you use a well draining potting mix, that is fine, but if you keep the vermiculite (or some other water holding media) with the cutting and roots, when you water the well draining soil mix, it will drain well, but the water-holding media in the center, where the roots are, will hold too much water, and cause rotting - so part of pot will be just right or too dry, and part will be too wet. The well draining portion will always feel dry enough to water, but the part in the center will always be too wet.

OMG I'm suddenly humming Harry's Jamaica Farewell song. And now Banana Boat Song. I can't get them out of my head. How'd you do that? You are very close Yolanda. It's south, it's at sea level, it's somewhat sandy. If I close my eyes and turn my head just so, it's Jamaica! :-) Thank you for taking me away on such a cold, rainy, dreary day like we're having here today. I hope everyone is keeping safe and warm especially my violet friends in the N.E. this week. :D

What it says ON the package is insignificant when compared to what's IN the package. Container media are all (ok, nearly all) about their structure and their ability to retain that structure for the intended life of the planting, which would be from repot to repot or the interval between dividing plants that are normally divided rather than repotted. When we talk about structure, we're talking about the soil's ability to hold air and water in a ratio favorable enough that your plant won't suffer from prolonged periods of soil saturation if you water to beyond the point of saturation. If you cannot water correctly without your plant(s) suffering, you'll be in a constant battle with your choice of media for control of your plants' vitality. This is the biggest stumbling block the average container gardener encounters and the the one apt to be the most limiting. A good medium makes for healthier plants, far less frustration for the gardener, a greater sense of satisfaction and personal rewards for the gardener, and the other aspects essential if plants are to realize a high state of vitality (like nutritional supplementation) fall into place with much less fussing about. There ARE very simple ways to limit the effects of excess water retention by limiting the amount of excess water a medium can hold, but the best way is to build (or buy if you can) a medium that naturally holds very little excess water. By nature, these media will be very fast-draining and well-aerated, which gives them a considerable leg up on other media that hold a lot of excess water. Not sure how interested you are in digging deeper; but, if you have questions, just ask. Al