There are very long lists of products that can enhance a plant's growth, but nothing that can enhance its potential. Potential is a genetic thing - a constant. Growth is related to how well a plant is able to handle the conditions under which it is growing. Whenever you start adding 'things' to soils or your treatment regimen to "enhance" growth, it's good to know that if it can enhance growth, it can also limit growth if it's added but not needed. Instead of looking for that magic ingredient or elixir that promises to raise your plants to superstar status, look to the basics first. You're hundreds of times more likely to improve growth and vitality by getting the basics right than by dosing/treating with or adding questionable 'stuff'. It's by eliminating or minimizing, to the greatest degree possible, those things that are limiting your plants' growth that you develop that green thumb. I promise there's no green thumb in a bottle of Superthrive, or at the bottom of a bag of promises, or in any of the list of products Frank mentioned above. The question to ask yourself before you invest time/effort/money is, 'What is the limiting factor 'this' is going to remedy and how is it going to, individually or in combination with other factors, going to do it?' If you can't answer, you're almost always going to be better served to fall back on concentrating on the basics. Most people think I have a green thumb because everything I grow is always in perfect or near perfect health, yet I don't use any magic ingredients. I use good soils and watering habits, a fertilizer regimen that's simple to replicate, pay attention to light & temperature, and fix bug/disease problems if ever they arise, though they seldom do because the plants are so healthy. Why then, if I can do it, can't everyone? They can. By focusing on the basics and learning to recognize and reduce the effects of limiting factors, while at the same time avoiding self-limiting habits. Al

Thanks Mike! I appreciate your helping out too. :) Al, I think I found the nutritional info on the bag here is the link to the nutritional info: http://www.lumber2.com/Chicken-Grit-p/pm0060446.htm The calcium may be derived from Oyster shells. If I am reading that right.... The feed store where I bought this bag was out of the 40# bags of chicken grit. That is why I ended up with this little 5# bag. I think I will call them tomorrow and see if they will call their distributer and find out if the 40# bags are pure Granite or of they have any additives... I am not sure if the 40# bags are the exact same thing, or possibly a different brand. I may have to wait until they get their next shipment in a few weeks before I can proceed. Being new at this, I am not sure I want the added stress (to me AND my plants) of having to tweak the pH constantly to get it just right. I am not sure I trust myself to do it right... I might just have to wait until I know I have just the right elements. Bummer. I was looking forward to getting my hands dirty this weekend. :( What do you think? Here is a link that might be useful: PURINA MILLS NUTRI-SOURCE CHICKEN GRIT

Tj- thank you! Thank you! thank you! I'll be going out there tomorrow! I called them and they have 25lb bags for $7.99! What a steal! It kinda sucks that I already bought a 5lb off of Amazon for $17 though. Oh well, lesson learned! How did you find that place? I Googled for chicken grit in my area and called all the feed stores. Anyway, you are awesome, so thank you again!! Jpaz- your cacti are beautiful. I don't really stick to one type of cacti or succulent. I just buy what I find attractive or what I'm interested in (which is everything really). I'm still a newbie, so I'm sure as I learn more, my taste will become more refined. Here is a couple pictures of the majority of my plants. A have about 8 or so that are in my garage that are waiting to be repotted, so those aren't pictured. I like to buy my plants as babies so I can watch them grow. Although, I think next spring I may but some bigger ones. They aren't anything like yours, obviously cause I'm not am expert and I'm just getting started, but I hope one day I'll have the knowledge and experience like you do. The weather here in Lemoore, Ca. Is very hot during the summer and pretty cold cold during the winter (to me anyway being that I'm from South Mississippi), so I am going to give the pumice a try. It can't hurt. Thanks for all of your help. :) Josh- Yeah, I do need to get on a better watering schedule. Right now I water about every 4 days or so and I am thinking I need to water more than that when it is as hot as it is here. How often do you water? Nil- The way I see it is, turface has high water retention and lava rock is medium and chicken grit is very low. I like having all three because it gives it a better texture and it's really hard for me to bust up lava rock small enough to mix in with the turface perfectly. I feel like the chicken grit balances the turface better than the lava rock because the size... If that makes any sense. This post was edited by Sbgibbons on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 23:07

Chicken scratch is normally edible, whole grains to give them something to pick at, not necessarily as their main feed. A grit intended for chickens can be suitable for mixing with your soil but it may be too fine and it may contain limestone. For a large outdoor bed you should be looking for a quarter inch or half inch grade, a mix of grits is OK. Any limestone or shells in their aren't the end of the world but may cause some plants to be unhappy. You don't need to wash chicken grit or any other grit unless you have reason to think it includes salt. Taste it, you know what salt tastes like. For a pot you might want to wash or sieve away any fines but it won't matter in your bed. Simply mix it with a reasonable non-clay loam. If your own garden soil is heavy clay then buy in some topsoil. Play with your soil in a big pot and see that water runs through quickly and that it doesn't become soggy. Add more grit, the plants will spread their roots in a big bed to find even tiny amounts of water. Last thing, remove the bottom from your container and stand on a surface where water can drain away. Or at the very least put holes in at and then raise it so that water can drain away from the holes quickly.