For my TCs, which I think grow in similar conditions (?), I have used Reptibark, AV soil and perlite. Heavy on the bark. My plants have done well in this mix.

Someone else will chime in to give you advice.

Barkish wouldnt be bad for a rhipsalis as its a forest cactus

LOL Green Larry it sounded good in my head just not so much written down =/

Ty Crenda Mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis baccifera) is a tropical succulent native to rainforests in warm regions. The grownup name for this cactus is Rhipsalis mistletoe cactus. This cactus is found in Florida, Mexico and Brazil. Surprisingly, growing Rhipsalis requires shade to partial shade. While most cacti are found in hot, sunny, arid zones, mistletoe cactus is unique in its requirements for moisture and dim light. Take some tips on how to grow mistletoe cactus and enjoy this unique and entertaining looking plant. About Rhipsalis Plants Rhipsalis mistletoe cactus is also called chain cactus and grows epiphytically in its tropical forest home. The cactus has pencil thin succulent stems that may reach 6 feet in length. The thick skin of the stems does not produce thorns, but it does have almost imperceptible bumps on the surface of the plant. These plants are found clinging to tree crotches, in branch nooks and nestled in rock crevasses. The Rhipsalis mistletoe cactus is easy to grow and has very minimal needs. It is perfect for the home interior in a northern or western window. Requirements for Growing Rhipsalis Advertisement Mistletoe cactus is only hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 10. The plant is most often found indoors and may simply be mounted on a piece of bark like an orchid or potted in a good cactus mix. If you are not prone to overwatering, you can plant the cactus in regular potting soil mixed with sand or other gritty material. The plant is used to living in the understory of the forest, where temperatures are at least 60 F. (15 C.) and light is filtered through the high limbs. Growing Rhipsalis is practically foolproof as long as you mimic its native conditions. How to Grow Mistletoe Cactus Mistletoe cacti are easy to grow from cuttings. Seeds take way too long and they require very even environmental conditions. Take cuttings and let the severed end callus for a few days. Plant the callused end in a cactus mix or sand that has been lightly moistened. Cuttings root in two to six weeks. Seeds can be started indoors in flats filled with sand and peat. Moisten the medium and plant the seeds 1/4-inch deep. Keep the medium barely moist until the plants germinate. Grow young plants in semi-shade and water when the surface of the soil is dry. Mistletoe Cactus Care Ensure that your mistletoe cactus is planted in well-drained soil. Potted plants benefit from a saucer filled with rocks and water to increase the ambient humidity in the home interior. The plant rarely needs fertilizing and has few other needs except moderate light and even moisture. Fertilize with a half dilution of cactus food from April to September, once per month. Water frequently in spring and summer, but suspend water in winter. If any of the stems are damaged, you can trim them off with a sharp, sterile knife. Use these as cuttings to start new Rhipsalis mistletoe cactus. That's what I have learned so far and if you didn't know about the rhipsalis that's a short rundown AMAZING aren't they =) Still I want a simple recipe that's easy to buy or make (with the measurements) and doesn't cost a fortune..I got the idea to use orchid compost or mix from a youtuber that grows the most BEAUTIFUL succulents and cacti I have ever seen she is not in the USA so maybe when she said compost its the same as mix just different terminology from different sides of the world I have googled it and google doesn't seem to understand ..figures..

Hi Pharaoh,

Overwhelming amount of info. in the above post. Pls. have mercy on your readers & use a paragraph break once in a while.

Also, I thought the question was

"Why is It so Hard to Find a Decent Potting Mix? "

I must have missed something.

Lena

Pharaoh - I used to like MG orchid mix. Then 4-5 years ago they switched to a Coarse Blend that has some very large pieces of bark, imo. That's when I switched to Reptibark and it has worked well for me. The pieces are smaller, but not too small, and my plants don't fall out of the pots. LOL

I just make my own potting soil. But the EB Stone stuff is pretty decent.

For rhipsalis I use 2 parts coconut husk chunks from a brick and 1 part #2 perlite.

Hi Lena yeah I get a lil carried away with writing its always been a passion of mine..i was looking for a decent potting mix for my rhipsalis cactus and Crenda 10 A SW Florida didn't seem to know that much about them so I was just trying to explain about them and she was telling me what she used to plant her TC in.. but I was hoping for a already made mix or some kind of simple recipe mix for it.. I tried miracle gro 2 different kinds one was bark and the other was like swamp mud I don't know a lot about orchids so maybe that's what they like I was really shocked to see it and to me it looks like anything would def. rot in a mixture like that and the directions said to add water ..HUH?..you got to be kidding..

Anyway I was wanting to try an orchid mix because I saw someone on youtube that grows AMAZING succulents and rain forest cacti but I cant get the same orchid compost/mix she uses because its only sold in the UK.. I do use a mixture for my other succulents that I found online if your interested and might go better with this post..lol ..3 parts any kind of good soil mix 2 parts sand not the kind for a sandbox the gritty kind and 1 part perlite and I just mix everything up in a bucket..and my plants seem to like it =)

Sorry, but here were are vehemently against sand & usually say no, no, no to it as it just causes problems.

Maybe in the UK it's different, but here we get so many folks coming here to REMEDY things after their sand use, we just counsel against it.

Lena

pharaohbirdie

I can assure you that Crenda does know quite a bit...and she told you very simply what she used to use and what she is using now and why...

I think you may be overthinking...make it simple.

It's not difficult - folks overthink this. Please follow the advice given, to include NO SAND in the mix.

Rina I made a mistake thinking she didn't know..lol Crenda gave me some very good advice about what to try and I was pleased its gotta be better than that mg orchid mix or swamp mix as I see it ..ugh..I have heard that somone found bugs in their bag of mg mix..Yuck..

Another problem is..the specialty mixes are expensive and only come in small bags. I can go through 2 cubics easily of Ace or Vigaro potting mixes. So,I dilute to make my own if needed. Rubber plants? Straight mix is fine. Its a waste of money to use perlite or additives. After that C&S are half potting soil,perlite,gravels,maybe garden soil.

UC Berkeley Botanical sells a potting mix I Iike...but they don't sell it away from the school. It has crushed lava and mostly compost instead of peat. Too bad they wont sell to local nursery's.

IF you have a local botanical garden..ask.

I'm new to gardening anyway so ALL and any advice is welcome =) whats so bad about sand in succulents and cacti doesn't it make for better drainage of the soil?..

Sand gets into all the tiny spaces & clumps around the roots, hampering their ability to take in both water & oxygen. So in time this actually impedes drainage rather than promoting it. Over time this helps to suffocate the plant & promote rot.

Lena

OMG Lena that's awful.. what do you use instead of sand?..

Instead of sand, chicken grit is usually used.... Also known as crushed granite, in 1/8-1/4 inch size. It is sterile, and the pieces are large enough that it helps the soil to drain freely.

Crenda- would you recommend reptibark? (Looking for a new bark source)

~palmsandsnow

That's why we're so dead set against it Pharaoh.

Perlite or pumice would be fine as well. Happens I prefer those & had a good pumice supply (not so easy on the East Coast).

Lena

Pumice might be hard to get but we got plenty of chicken grit on the east coast =P

Ive been doing some reading on reptibark and it is hygroscopic meaning it absorbs moisture and then releases it to create humidity.. Perfect for jungle cacti =)

But they can do fine w/out it too (as mine do).

In nature, jungle cacti really just grow in leaf debris & the like, so really ANYTHING super fast draining will do for them.

Mine do great w/ AV soil & perlite for them, sometimes just a bit of bark added (I don't usually have bark, that's why).

Lena

Palmsandsnow - I do like the Reptibark. I get it at Pet Smart. 10 qts (11 liters) is about 8-9 bucks, tho. It has worked really well in my mix for my TCs. I have also used it in gritty mix, but it is technically too large. Now I just use it in large pots so I can reduce the weight some. Otherwise, I couldn't lift them!

Rina - you're too kind! I think it was puglvr (Orlando) who mentioned this mix. I tried it and haven't looked back.

Pharoah - don't worry about educating me. It was a little difficult to read, but I appreciate the thought!

Ahhh... Money is no object when a new bark source is in sight! Thanks, Crenda!

I am a cheap @ss. I use pine bark landscaping mix. I screen it, and use the small stuff in small and medium sized pots. Big stuff for my epics and big pots.

I'd do the same if I had as many plants and as large as yours, Mara. My average pot size is 2 inches and I have exactly 126 (I downloaded a click counter app on my phone and counted lol). So I sometimes hammer even my Repti Bark into smaller pieces when I use it. Although I don't use that anymore. Pumice and granite grit is simpler.

Pagan

Im off to the store this morning to get "chicken" grit its much better for our plants and it doesn't choke the roots and suffocate them not chick grit that contains calcium and can throw the ph of the soil off.. advice that a newbie like me REALLY needed...

I was reading about worm castings last night and they seem to be full of nutrients and are like vitamins for plants they can be steeped in a pail of water for a few days and then used like a liquid fertilizer/boost they don't provide all the nutrients that every plant needs but are interesting to look into I believe..anyone use them what are the results they have seen?..

For potted plants, worm castings, manure, aged compost and so on are not recommended. They are great to use in garden but not pots.

And yes, the chicken grit should be granite...not shells.

I had a purdy simple succulent and cacti mix 3 parts planting mix (of your choice) 2 parts sand and 1 part perlite can I substitute the chicken grit in place of the sand?..

Sorry, what is 'purdy simple'?

Sand is not recommended at all. If using soil, many use a 50/50 mix of perlite & soil. I find mix of grit+perlite+turface even better for succulents. Pumice is good too as fakechuchi already mentioned...

Btw, could you pls. add your general location or growing zone next to your name?

I thought it might have been a brand.

Pagan

Not quite fakechuchi its just slang talk being from the south its just part of who you are =)

Sorry rina, but that just made my day... Me being southern(ish), I understood in an instant.

palms, np...I thought same as Pagan :)

Sands that are beach (or mix with concrete) sands are very bad- they pack down. But some sands are so fine..they never pack. Those work great. I've mentioned Silver sands a few times that my mentor taught me years ago. I could never find it where I am. But when I had a sack? fantastic. Even if a plant died from frost? That potting soil was reusable after removing old roots.

Some say play sand will work..but I tried that and it made the pot heavy. To give you an idea- Silver sands could spill from your hand like sand in an hourglass. Very fine. I was also told it has some use in minerals.

Just try and find the stuff!

Sounds like trying to find a needle in a haystack... thank you for the advice anyway i'll have to look it up I love a challenge..lol

Pharoah - what works in California may not work in North Carolina. I see that this silver sand is recommended for bog plants. That's not what I want for my succulents. So while it may be great for stanofh - and I won't argue that point since I have never used it - I would still recommend that you stay away from any sand.

Edit - if you want more moisture for your TCs, you can add some sphagnum moss to the bark, perlite and AV soil. I am trying that with a plant now. So far things look good.

That's Great Crenda I hope it works out for your plant and with stanofh its always nice to thank a person and be respectful I think and just listen to what they have to say and just smile sometimes =) I know what may work one place is not suitable for another its hot and muggy here in NC (change from the monsoon that hit this summer I thought we were going be washed away..lol) but nothing like the heatwave and climate in cali.. I know what your talking about with the silver sand when I looked it up and it said bog plants I thought I'm not trying to grow water lilies =/

Oh, I really drool over the succulents in California. And stanofh has some great plants and advice. I just can't match those conditions. I thought you might be pretty humid, too.

What works for some may not work for others (as Crenda said).... Great thing to remember. Sometimes others are misunderstood, sometimes we are misunderstood.

I really hope you find an apt mix!

I have been giving some great advice on here and this hasn't been a bad experience I have enjoyed all the people that took time to try and help me =) things will work out for the best they always do.. Everyone has given the advice that works well for them and passed on their knowledge to me and anyone else that was interested in it sometimes you just have to take what you have been told and tweak it to make it work for you..

Absolutely, Pharaoh! You can always tweak the 'formulas' to fit your needs. Everyone here offers advice with your plants' well being in mind.