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

And to All of you too, that being Jodi, Josh, Al, Ohio, and Laura! Nice going Jodi! You have taken my fear of trying this method away! I have always used just bark, but still have a stubborn time with Orchids! I will try the gritty mix on my next purchase. I do see the little bud. Oh, it's so exciting isn't it? I can't wait to see that in flower. Jodi, are you adding humidity in the air or locally, or are they by nature easier to handle growers in dry air? I got myself..Let me see, let me try the name here.. It is an Orchid �Siam Jade� AVO AM/CST (Epicattleya hybrid)lol. The flowers will be a beautiful pale green and white combo and very fragrant. I can't wait to see action on mine:-) Josh, how is yours doing? Do you have an updated pic? I love yours too. Mike

Yes Joe - it will work. Many of us adopt it for a short time until we become accustomed to how our new soils perform and how best to space watering intervals. Fingers work ok in rather shallow pots, but most root growth in containers with well-aerated soils is in the lower 2/3 of the pot, with most of the roots in the upper 1/4 of the pot being roots that primarily serve to transport water/nutrients/photosynthate to/from the rest of the plant, For that reason, we really don't much care whether the top of the soil is dry or not. Very frequently, especially with heavy soils, a quick finger check reveals the upper part of the soil dry, while the lower parts are fully saturated & soggy. This can be disastrous to plant vitality if we water at that time, for obvious reasons. In almost every case the saturated conditions can be avoided by checking with a skewer or dowel deep in the pot. A wick through the drain hole used as a 'tell' can also be used reliably. Feeling the wick for damp or dry is a good way to get a handle on how to judge intervals. Do be cautious though, with new repots. You can use much larger volumes of soil with the gritty mix than you can with heavier soils because there is no PWT. That effectively eliminates the problem of over-potting and allows you to pant very small plants in large containers. Where you need to be careful is, when you check for moisture, you need to check for moisture where the roots are until the planting is established. If you potted and all the roots are in the upper 1/3 of the pot, it does no good to check the bottom. Use your judgement and be on the safe side & water a little more often for new plantings. If you screened the ingredients, it's almost impossible to over-water. Good luck Al

Rina: thank you. I switched it out last night to the sharper gravel until I get some proper grit. It seems to be draining a bit more slowly, which is good. And I will, as you suggest, use the pea gravel for top dressing! monstella:. I've tried the cactus mix and perlite, in fact I have some small cuttings in that now. But I really wanted to try something that avoids peat altogether, especially cactus mix because I don't like that it degrades into soup eventually. I'm going to give the gritty mix a go. al has said repeatedly that anything should grow in gritty mix, and I like the way it feels and looks. But thank you for your suggestion very much.