I had the exact opposite experience in my SWC with soil like this. The soil help much too much water, my tomato leaves were always curled. I added extra calcium and still had BER. Until about two years ago, I thought they did pretty well. Last year I researched and this year planted using a different mix - larger particles with enough peat to allow wicking - and my plants are much larger, the leaves aren't curling and they look happier. I keep track of yields, so it will be most interesting to see how this year compares to prior years. Of course, just my experience.

Fafard makes numerous products, some of which are very little different than any potting mix you can find anywhere. I've 'sampled' the potting mix you've used (with fertilizer and crystals) and know that it is not something that I would use. So now you have your plants in a mix with added slow release fertilizer (though it will only be just a little), as well as a product with bark, calcium and gypsum....right? I expect that your plants will be fine, but I sure wouldn't fertilize for a while. I'm a little concerned about the amount of calcium and gypsum in that product, considering that it is not intended for container use. Would you like me to contact Fafard and ask a few questions? ( I probably can't get to it today, but will tomorrow.) Regarding the Fafard: I'm afraid that I have been guilty, in the past, of recommending the Fafard brand without a full understanding of everything that they had in the retail market. I've used a professional grade Fafard mix for many years with great success, but it is not available at the retail level (unless you get lucky). It has very little peat in it (mostly bark). It's Fafard #3, by the way, for anyone interested. What little I use of it these days is special ordered for me. I'll suggest that, for the future, you try to find a decent potting mix without the fertilizer and moisture crystals. Or, you can use plain bark fines, Turface (Schultz), and perlite, as many of us do.

I did what you describe last year with Thanksgiving cacti. Home Depot had small, 2-inch plants for 2 dollars (I think). These were inside on a display rack with houseplants and not outside with the larger plants. The little pots were crammed full. First, I found red, white and pink and potted them up. And one or 2 of the white clippings turned out to be peach. And then, of course, after the season I found a yellow one! He didn't make it into the mixed pot. Maybe at the next repot. Keep your eye on those houseplant displays. That's where I found the yellow one, too! I think they put these on that rack because the pots are so small. Good luck finding what you want. Let us see your finished project.

I remebered a few days ago that the store where I bought my Tillandsias is actually a terrarium making store and they had hundreds of Succulents last time! So I went down this morning and was lucky enough to arrive the day after a new shipment came in. They had a variety of pot sizes, 1 inch plugs for 3.50, 2 inch pots for 5, and I think 4 inch pots for 8. Anyway there was a TON to chose from. I planned out the dish a head of time using toothpicks and things (I was bored okay?) So I had a good idea on how many I was going to get. Ended up getting: 4 echeverias (one might be a grapto, not sure) As small plugs so they're pretty tiny. One already has some off shoots though. I tried to figure out their ID's. Came up with E. 'Pink Pearl' E. 'Green Gem' E. 'Spruce divider' And then E. Agavoides, but I don't really think that's it. 1 Aloe. Could not figure out the species! I thought it was pink blush at first but it's very different looking. Has a pup growing at the base. 1 Gasteria 'Little Warty' Was pretty excited to see it there! It's very tiny! They only had 2 others there. 1 Senecio. I'm thinking it might be S. Cylindricus..... Got it on a whim because I was sorta going crazy 1 Crassula Perforata. Also got it during the craze. Though I wish I would have gotten the variegated version! Oh well. And 1 other that I cannot identify for the life of me... Looks nice though. Got it during the craze as well... They didn't have any haworthias there but they did have some Kalanchoes. Almost got one but I didn't.... Anyway here's the final product of an addition of 42 dollars worth of succulents: It is going to be VERY over crowded once they all 'grow up' so I'm just going to say this is a nursery pot... I guess I'll have to start a new one once they out grow it ;). I added in my Pony palm which got attacked by my cat earlier... Moved the Jade to the back and the Burros tail to the front and got rid of the Sedum. Completely remixed the soil with loads of perlite. I tried to do 50/50 of the perlite and the original mix I had in there, seems to drain really good. The aloe I bought a while back I moved it into its own pot and separated a small plant. Didn't end up putting it in the dish so I'm giving the small plant to a friend. Compelelty regret that whole purchase. Added the gravel to the top to stabilize everything. The Jade is very top heavy and the echeverias didn't seem to like to stay put! I'm excited to see how everything gets along with each other. Can anyone identify the mystery plant, aloe, and back up my others ID's? Here's the Aloe (sorta thinking maybe it's not even an aloe?) The echeverias (very unsure on the species of the far left red and green one) The Senecio ( I'm thinking cylindricus) And here's the mystery plant. For whatever reason I think this one is not going to like the same conditions as the others.. And here's the pot again but with flash so there's no shadows