Thanks for the input, answered all my questions in one fell swoop. :) I guess I usually think of bigger rocks when I think pumice, it is the size you mentioned. Later on when I have the stuff will probably transfer to gritty, we will see.

And thanks for your comment on the condition, I was able to catch my mistake early on and take action to remedy it before all was lost. She can be taught! :D

I havent watered yet since the transplant, was thinking I will wait a week, maybe a little longer so they can all start pushing out some roots. And good to know on the porosity (is that a word?) Of the pot... nice to find ones that look nice and arent super expensive. Better would be to find what you actually want, but I will take it.

If you planted it in Pumice, you have to make sure to fertilize it each and every time you water

Is that the same with gritty mix too then? Fertilizing isnt much of an issue, everytime seems a bit overkill but I will keep this on mind. Would expect that eventually salts will build up if it didnt get a decent flushing now and again, pumice or no pumice. Of course, could be wrong. Sure the plant will let me know...

Manuel is right, and so are you. Pumice and any inorganic gritty mix requires that you fertilize whenever you water, since there are no nutrients available to that plant otherwise. When I repot, the very first watering after is just water (about 5-7 days after the repot). Then -- every watering includes some fertilizer in the water. Yes, salts do build up and on clay pots, they are not all that appealing. I don't tend to soak and flush my succulents, but maybe I should.

Noted, and thank you. I always have something or other mixed up fertilizer wise anyways, so no big deal there. Gives me a chance to experiment, and a tough little subject to do so on. I have a few plants I want to move to gritty, a jade, 2 varieties of Hoya kerrii, and a Ficus elastica. The Aloe is as a good test subject as any before I go running all over creation assembling the mix.

I'd think twice about putting Hoyas in gritty mix. I collect Hoyas & the one Hoya I tried in gritty didn't do well. Grew lots of great roots but nothing else, I switched it out after a while.

FYI: many who collect succulents (6 diff. aloes, several Haworthias, among others) don't use a lot of fertilizer on succulents.

Manual (& others): unlike houseplants, some think succulents don't need much fertilizer tho' my succulents mix tends to be C&S mix w/ lots of added pumice.

Yes, for growing in all perlite or all pumice that would need fertilizer, yes, but not every time, maybe every 3rd or 4th time & dilute at that. Too much fertilizer can cause succulents to look overly lush & perhaps unnatural looking growth. Always best to err on the side of less, not more.

Lena

Lena

I am bad at fertilizing and definitely going to improve this year :) but there are ppl that over fertilize 'cause they want plants to grow fast and 'lush'. What some consider more natural looking, they consider 'poor' looking. Finding the right balance is what I am going to concentrate on this year...at least will try:)

I grow all my Hoyas in gritty mix. They grow great in it for me.

The few that I have in gritty mix or just plain 100% pumice, I fertilize using 1/8 (that's one eighth) of a teaspoon of Foliage-Pro in a gallon of water. I use that mix every time I water them. I don't really think that's too much fertilizer. Of course I've been wrong many times...

I use fertilizer at 1/4 dilution every watering. I water once a week during the summer and they are outside in the Texas sun and heat.

I will give that a go Manuel, seems like a reasonable amount considering it gets it every time. That is less than I use when I fertilize now, but my products are different and I can't remember the last time (if ever) my aloe has been fertilized since I got it. I am with Rina, I prefer natural growth, and just getting in the habit of doing more thsn the occassional foliar feed this season. I am using High Brix molassess and Tappin Roots (willow and kelp extract) for most things, and MGBB for my blooming Hoyas.

As for Hoyas, I suspect it depends on the Hoya. The ones I want to try prefer the soil to get practically bone dry before waterings, and new leaves tend to grow in oddly if the humidity is too high. Most I wouldn't bother putting in gritty, at least in my climate, and some I wouldn't dare. I am growing somewhere between 40 and 50 species and cultivars of Hoya and Dischidia these days, so lots of variation between needs.

I am no expert. Far from it. I was just sharing what I've been doing. Rina has more experience, and she has beautiful plants, so I would trust her judgement. I just don't see fertilizing a plant with low levels, as forcing it to do anything unnatural. Pumice does have some natural minerals in it's content, but it's also lacking in many things. It's basically just rocks.

Here's a thread on Foliage-Pro that I found interesting and useful. I also posted there a picture of the measuring spoons I use. Good luck on your plants. I'm looking forward to seeing the results a few months from now

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3795904/what-implements-do-you-use-to-extract-small-amounts-of-dynagro-fert?n=9

Oh, I wasn't saying you were doing anything unnatural Manuel. Far from it! Thanks for the link, I will check this out after work.

I think different people fertilize differently. I spent about two years just READING on GW before ever posting here. I think I have read everything that Al (Tapla) ever posted, plus a lot from Josh and Joe and Rina and many others. I do fertilize my plants in gritty mix or pumice at every watering….a very light dose, but a dose. I don't do because I want to stimulate over-growth, and in fact, it doesn't do that to my plants. I do it because I read that I should do it during that two years of reading I spent here, studying up on various form of gritty mix -- with and without bark, floor dry vs. Turface, perlite vs. pumice, etc etc. And so far, it has worked well, probably because I don't tend to over-water anything.

I have plants in combination mixes -- mostly gritty but maybe 15-20% C/S soil added, and they don't get fertilized all the time. I think it's an individual practice that you (Kim) will develop as you watch your plants grow. A lot depends on climate. I'm lucky -- I am in Florida, lots of sun, lots of heat, pretty good growing conditions. I am sure you will help your plants adapt to your particular growing conditions.