I find rain does the best job of hydrating the bark. If no rain and have to water them with a watering can, I find it difficult to saturate the bark... I try to repeat a few times, water something else and then come back around... that's if I remember! Curious what others will say for advice.

If you don't want to soak the bark enough to keep the plant hydrated, you've got to ditch the bark and put it in some well-draining succulent soil.

IME the best way to drench any soil media is through bottom watering. Place the pot in a clean bucket and fill the bucket up with water to 75% the height of the bark/soil. Leave the pot in the water for 3-5 minutes/until the bark is completely soaked. Take the pot out and allow the excess water to drain out of the drain holes before placing it back where it goes. You can also add dilute fertilizer to the water occasionally during the plant's growth cycle if desired :-)

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear. I am soaking it in a bowl of water for at least an hour 2-3 times a week. Sounds like if I don't want to keep this up I need to put it in soil. Which, from my understanding these do better in bark?

Deva,

Think of it this way:

If the current moisture level with just bark is working well for this plant, then if you go to peat or something much more retentive and wet, how/when must you water to replicate this medium with other soil?

For example, if I planted my Ficus in bark, it would grow. I'd water daily in heat, 2-3 days in cooler temps. Now, if that works for the plant and I put it in a peat plus perlite mix (say, 30-70), to come as close to replicating the other conditions, I'd have to water every 2-3 WEEKS, depending on temperature and growing season. I have my actual Ficus in about 30% peat and the remainder some mish mash of lava rock, perlite and pebbles. I go three weeks in the house no problem, but a month, I found out, is a bit much LOL. Lost a few leaves for the first time in years, but lesson learned.

If you take it a step further and think of how peat and perlite behave in a pot (one floats, the other tends to sink) then you can also extrapolate that watering lightly so as not to disturb the perlite underneath (to prevent it from floating to the top, thereby pushing peat to the bottom) would help.

So, whatever soil you use, just work toward replicating your current conditions. With some mixes, with the exception of flushing, I am happy to spritz from atop daily straight into the soil, just a little (say, 10-15 spritzes). I don't know if that is less appealing to you than 3x/week but the idea is to always keep it moist and never wet, and then flush the life out of it once a month.

Good luck!

Grace

It depends on the time of the year day to day climate and size of pot. During it's active growing I tend to water the tropical holiday cacti more heavily and at times more frequently with bark based mix as mine are in bigger pots, however I find that after the bark is wet enough it's moisture retention will last a longer time than the soil/perlite mixed Your soaking time sounds right hang in there it'll get easier. IME I find healthier looking longer and thicker (wider) roots in bark mixed soils then the standard potting soil mix

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'll keep it in the bark for now. See how things go. Maybe it won't need to be watered as frequently if it's inside. And I may get a new spray bottle and try that out. My last one busted so I need to get a new one.

If it makes any difference, I keep my TG cactus in a 50/50 mix of succulent soil and perlite, and I water once a week, max. I have a small one in bark in the bathroom, but I can water that one when I shower, so it's less of a pain to have it in bark. The only thing I wish I had done before repotting is screened the bag of perlite with a colander outdoors, because the smaller particles float to the top, and though not harmful, it's kind of ugly. I had read here to do that, and was too lazy. Now I regret it.

Deva this thread had been enlightening for me! I have one TC that was staying too wet so I switched it to a heavily bark based medium. It has been growing OK, but all the leaves are thin! Now I know I need to do some soaking to bring it back to health. Watering just isn't doing the job, I guess!

The leaves were starting to thin last year, but it really bloomed.

I've been trying to root my Schlumbergera x buckleyi cuttings in 70/20 perlite grit and it's been a real challenge. Struggling to balance watering frequency and amount.

My Schlumbergera truncata is doing much better now that I water it twice a week indoors. Originally I was watering weekly or biweekly and that really wasn't enough.

I wanted to try bark but it's just way too expensive here in Ontario!

Crenda, I think a couple of long soaks and it'll bounce back. Mine did. I literally sit it in a large bowl with water coming about 3/4 of the way up the pot and leave it there for at least a few hours. I have let it soak overnight a time or two also. It is my understanding that the bark needs a little time to really soak up the water. I also might use a little of my foliage pro once a week or so.

Why isn't anyone using sphagnum moss and coco fiber chips/chunks? They hold moisture longer: enough for the bark to absorb it.

So you do a dunk it two and you're done. Let drain fully then replace in the sun.

Check before you water. Every time. Just to be safe.

Like digging. Call before you dig? Well, you better call those roots and see if they really need water yet.

ew

You are right, bark is hard to find to begin with, I can get large chunks but nothing better. And reptiBark is very nice, but really pricey. I only bought it once.

For holiday cacti I would use some soil or coco fiber mixed with perlite and little grit only; I think that your 70/30 perlite/grit mix is too lean for them. Or add some turface?

Here is photo of one of the see-thru containers I rooted a TC in, you can see the mix:

I don't mind coco fiber, but dislike coco chunks. Bought large bag of it but I find chunks too large, and spongy - JMO.

Here is another cutting in similar mix. Potted in May:

Would cypress mulch not be a good stand in for some components? J/wing, before I decide if it's worth trying/if anyone has tried it.

Rina - thanks for the see-through picture of your soil! That's quite helpful. I am pretty sure now that I had actually put it into 70% perlite and 30% grit, with a pinch of C&S in there. Regardless, I am quite certain you are right and that my mix is too lean.

Unblended/unbroken Reptibark might actually be pretty good for tropical cacti... I'm just too cheap to use up my stash!

Here are my S. truncata cuttings after two months - probably if I did a better job in watering or my mix composition, it would be much further along:

Here are my S. x buckleyi cuttings after two months - they really haven't done much at all! I guess them looking only slightly more shriveled than when I got them is something?

GET THOSE THINGS SOME SPHAGNUM MOSS AND ORCHID BARK STAT

What just happened? Did I black out?

Laticauda - Bark is super expensive here! To fill a small 5" pot with orchid bark from the cheapest stores in the city, it would cost me at least $6-10.

Take a look at this bag of bark-moss mix at a local nursery - it's $8 before tax for less than a quart! That's not even an unusual price either.

In comparison, I can get a big 9L of large perlite for under $15 and 50lbs of grit for under $10. Straight bark is definitely great for tropical cacti, but perhaps there is an alternative mix that works well for those of us that would rather allocate more money towards plants than soil. =)

I would suggest vermiculite but I've found that to be expensive and messy to deal with.

Have you looked for coco coir chips or chunks? Those are actually better than bark IMO, they more readily soak up water.

Do you have any hydroponic stores?

At least sphagnum moss (has to be bought online otherwise it's insanely expensive).

ew

Truncata cuttings look good! And it's only 2mo, I see some new leaves.

I would do an experiment: take one of xBucklyi branches and divide into shorter cuttings. Pot them up and see what happens. I am not sure, but just looking at them I think they are long and maybe it's harder to 'support' long branch without roots - just speculating here! But may be worth trying...

Edited to add: I don't struggle to find bark anymore. I use what I find easily available: grit (same as you), perlite (I usually buy largest bags I find-forget the size, but price is about $32 it is probably 20L or so) and turface (under $20/50lb)

I like the idea of adding the sphagnum moss! I don't know why I didn't think of that! I am going to get some tomorrow. I'm leaving town for 10 days and can't rely on anyone I live with to water my plants while I'm gone.

How did the sphagnum work out for you?

and I second Rina's suggestion of making the cuttings shorter. You'll also get more plants and more flowers that way :)

And I find the coco coir to be too much like peat. Clogs up the holes and air pockets. I like the coco chips (not chunks as I agree they would be too spongy and expand and compress a LOT with water and lack thereof.

deva - I found a cubic-foot bag of sphagnum moss that I had forgotten about! Dayum! (as they say in Mississippi) I had bought it to try some air layering several years ago. Too bad I didn't remember it when I was repotting my TCs. Will have for the next time, I guess!

My sad looking TC has really plumped up and is looking much better after a soak. Gave it a second soak today. I am very encouraged!

Thanks again for this thread.

It looks great Crenda!

Well, now that it's saturated, won't it be easier to water it, or do you let it dry most of the way out before watering again?

thats an amazing plant, maybe there's a better way to do it than the way I do it ;)