Some people draw a distinction between types of soil, thinking it's improper to call a mixture of peat and perlite a soil, or that because something doesn't come from the top layer of the earth (mineral soil) it's not really a soil, but if plants grow and have their roots secured in it, it's a soil. Actually, the gritty mix is much closer to a mineral based soil than anything most readers are/were used to growing in, simply because it's has a 2/3 mineral fraction as opposed to something like Miracle-Gro soil with perhaps a 2" mineral (perlite) fraction, the remainder being organic components. Anyway ...... in our gardens & beds, ie in mineral soils, we rely on soil organisms to break down minerals and organic components alike, into elemental forms plants can utilize. Because of the bulk density of mineral soils and fine particle size, attachment sites for nutrients are numerous. Container media, with their relatively low bulk density and low CEC, don't hold nutrients well. We can't depend on the breaking down of the organic fraction of the soil to supply nearly enough nutrition for plants to grow normally. That's partly because of the low CEC and partly because of how slowly the nutrients locked in hydrocarbon chains become available. If soils DID break down fast enough to supply nutritional requirements, it would quickly destroy the soil's structure. Which point leads me to the idea that container soils (or media if you like) are more about the structure than about any nutrition they might supply. Some gardeners try to build the nutrition into the soil, which usually comes at the expense of either the soils structure or structural stability. Near perfect nutritional supplementation can be had via synthetic soluble fertilizers. Using them, you can concentrate on only the soils structure, while you shoulder the responsibility for the plant's nutritional needs. With fertilizers like Foliage-Pro 9-3-6, you can be sure you're supplying all the essential nutrients in the right ratio, and you can also be sure of how much and when those nutrients are available, the 'when' part being immediately. You don't have to guess at when the fluctuating populations of soil organisms might make enough of this or that nutrient available so there are no deficiencies. Growing well in containers doesn't get any easier than when you use a well-aerated soil and soluble synthetic fertilizers. Al

I thought I posted this on the gardenweb forum. Now it's houzz? Had to sign up for a new user name. Anyway soo - you can get the Naked Gardener Compost or Debco Premium Potting Mix from Masters (closing soon). Course Perlite is from The Perlite & Vermiculite Factory Myaree (much cheaper than anywhere else). Sand I got from a bulk landscape place (lawn mix) but you can get 10 or 20kg bags of builders sand at Bunnings. Zeochlor is in the pool section at Bunnings. Rock Dust I got from the manufacturer direct somewhere in Bibralake (called Natural PK) but I think but you can now get a similar product from Waldecks (in Myaree at least). Waldecks also sell bentonite clay. I still want to try the gritty mix but getting my hands on all the materials has proved very difficult when I tried last year. I found a Queensland company that makes course DE (for mopping up oil/chemicals) but they didn't have a distributor in Perth. Nobody I could find has pine bark in the right size - and even if they did I'd have to by a cement mixer and modify it with a fine wire to screen it. Honestly, if an agricultural company were to produce the gritty mix and sell it in bags I think they'd make bank - even considering how long it lasts.

Hi, guys. Shannon left a link to this thread, so I came & read through it. This is a picture of the soil most often referred to as the gritty mix. You can see by the particle size that it has tremendous macro-porosity. It's made from equal parts by volume of 1/8-1/4" fir (or pine) bark, screened Turface (hi-fired clay granules), and crushed granite (grower grit - about 1/8" pieces). You can vary the water retention of this soil by keeping the bark component at 1/3 while varying the % of Turface and granite. E.g.. a mix of 3 bark 4 Turface 2 granite would hold considerably more water than 3 bark 4 granite 2 Turface You can also simply add more Turface or granite which has the effect of reducing the organic component. I've started hundreds of different cuttings, many succulents, in this soil, and never had damping off issues, so I would bet that Kashu's issues are other cultural or inherent in the plant. I suggested a sulfur dusting of the cut end and sticking the plant in dry soil for at least a week w/o water, after at least 2 weeks callusing time. Take care - just wanted to say hey. Al

That would help with the watering (I've also "wicked" by setting the pots on an extra fluffy towel - the towel fuzz has contact with the soil through the drainage holes and pulls the moisture out.) However, that doesn't address the cedar chips in the mix and the probable nitrogen problems, yes? If it will be a potential major problem repotting before fall, I will wait. I'd feel much better about it if I did it soon, as in my last several threads there has always been mention of the terrible soil and how problematic it will likely be for me if it sits in it over winter. I will make sure (whenever it happens) that the bark is not too much bigger. If it is I'll put it in a sheet and mash it up a bit with a hammer to break the pieces into smaller chunks. Maybe a silly question, but I have a bag of Vermiculite that I am not sure how I came across. Is that similar to Turface?