gritty mix; not gritty dirt

No dirt?

Dani.....I saw your original comment and thought about answering it, but decided not to, mostly because your comment was SO INVOLVED. You say that most of what you have read here is "over your head" -- but then you go on and ond escribing what you have done and wanting answers. That approach isn't going to help you. Almost everyone here has read and read, really worked at understanding what people are talking about. I think you might need to spend that time also and educate yourself. I think that's why no one answered your original comment.

Gritty mix -- as it is referred to here -- is a mix of components that DO NOT include soil.....no cactus/succulent soil, no potted plants soil, NO soil. There are various combinations that people use, having tried and experimented. If you search this C/S forum for "gritty mix" you will find a lot to background yourself with. I use variations of the "original" gritty mix described on these forums. I use Turface (sold in John Deere stores), pumice from General Pumice Products and Manna Pro poultry grit sold by Tractor Supply. Sometimes I grow in just pumice alone. Most of the products need to be washed at minimum, sometimes sifted also for size. It's a lot of work, but usually worth it.

You can take cactus/succulent soil and amend it with perlite (again, washed and probably sized) or pumice. Different people use different ratios. Some use 50/50, some 40/60. Individual growers have to experiment and choose. Lots of C/S soil is loaded with peat and peat becomes hydrophobic, so that water goes right through the pot but doesn't stay in the soil and let the roots find it. That's why people amend the soil.

I honestly suggest that you READ a lot here and then be prepared to experiment. There probably isn't one simply answer to why your plants have died. People can't tell you. Light, soil, "amendments," water, the type of pot, pests....all are factors you will need to learn about and explore.

Thanks Robin. I wondered. I really really appreciate your answer!!

I chose to comment here because everyone seemed ready to help. So I really appreciate you clueing me in on what I did wrong.

Honestly I went to Reddit in the end. And have been reading more there. It’s more simply stated and has more clear steps I can take. I did come across someone who recommended the gritty mix post here on Houzz. And I tried to read it. I’ve never been one who learned well from reading. I have a pretty extensive vocabulary but honestly the person who wrote about gritty mix has a whole nother level of writing. And it’s a great resource I’m sure. It just leaves me confounded. I understand the words but I’m not understanding what is trying to be said.

Y’all may think I haven’t tried to understand or worked at it but I have. No one has stated that ALL gritty mix is no dirt! In fact I’ve read on countless succulent sites that dirt is a component of gritty mix. Just your comment has enlightened me a ton! When I talk to growers I’ll understand more what they mean.

And I’ve experimented from day one. I’ve come a long way before even thinking about commenting on a forum.

All the posts on here I read gave pretty clear opinions on what a person who is puzzled should do. I just thought I’d be treated the same as everyone else.

Even an identification post I commented on with my opinion I was treated as if I had committed a crime. Yet every other person who posted wrong identifications were just ignored. No one called them out.

Many others ask ‘stupid’ questions but are answered and treated well with some kind of response. They don’t ostracize them or give them the cold shoulder.

b<So I’ll say again I sincerely appreciate you and Bragu for commenting on this post. I am truly thankful for any clarification.

And knowing good sources for the different components is a true gift! Thank you. I’ve tried looking up some of them like the chicken grit but there are so many and I’m not sure what makes good chicken grit… so I was stymied. And went with an option I could recognize.

I’ll continue to experiment and hopefully my plants will live long enough for me to get it on my own. >b<

"No one has stated that ALL gritty mix is no dirt! In fact I’ve read on countless succulent sites that dirt is a component of gritty mix."

I find this statement rather puzzling as potting mixes of any kind are never recommended to include "dirt" (aka, soil) and I would be very dubious about the quality of the information coming from any container gardening source that recommends it. In fact, potting mixes for containerized plants are often referred to as 'soil-less' mixes, as there is nothing included that resembles dirt/soil! Peat moss, coir, bark fines, perlite or pumice, Turface or grit, yes. Dirt/garden soil, never! And the reason typically given is that actual soil particles are too small and they compact together and fill up spaces between the other components and impede fast drainage. And potting/container mixes focus on fast drainage, most especially mixes like the gritty mix or cactus and succulents mixes.

Literally thousands of container gardeners have learned and benefitted from Al's writings on container soils and water penetration so I would encourage you to take the time to read them again. And again :-) If for no other reason than he provides easy to follow recipes for exactly how to make gritty mix and other customized container mixes. And provides pretty detailed instructions on how to sift and size for the correct particle dimensions. And nowhere is 'dirt' mentioned........unless with a strongly worded encouragement to avoid at all costs!

btw, the standard recipe for gritty mix is one part bark fines, one part Turface or calcined clay and one part granite grit........no dirt :-)

As an aside, you will get comments from many container gardeners (heck, gardeners in general!) when you use terms like "dirt". Dirt is what you sweep up off your floor or clean out from under your fingernails after all day gardening. Soil is what plants grow in outside in the ground. Neither are components in a decent container mix. 🥴

Dani, there is a guy here.....doesn't post much any more, maybe once or twice a year.....named Manuel, lives in NYC....and I think he has migrated to a succulent/cactus group on Facebook. He has mentioned it here a couple of times. I don't use Facebook and am not interesting in changing that position just for succulents. But Manuel did imply getting a lot of good ideas from posters there at Facebook. He is a serious succulent grower with a very particular environment, so if he's impressed, there could be some good content there.

I have read all of Al's comments (under the name Tapla) and many others about gritty mix, and variations of the mix. MANY people here are far more advanced than I am, and also far more dedicated than I am. For me, it's a hobby. I sense for them, it's a labor of love. They are hugely knowledgeable and -- I'm not. So -- a good chunk of what they include in their comments, I don't always understand.

I take what's useful to me and leave the rest. I do with it what I can. I make copious notes on every plant. Some die, some thrive....a few live but do very little. About 1/3 of my plants are in gritty mix. I use about 50% pumice, 35% turface and 15% Manna Pro poultry grit. I wash everything and sift most of it for size too. When I use soils, I use about 50% soil and 50% washed pumice (sometimes sifted and washed perlite). Sometimes less soil and more pumice. It's ALL experimental, in my opinion.

A great line from TV's Blue Bloods: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

Thanks Gardengal!

I didn’t realize how deep container gardening was until this forum so I’m just getting into that aspect. At first I was just researching succulent dirt. (Your point about soil vs dirt duly noted.) What popped up were succulent sites selling the plants, explaining about dirt in a blog post. Thus I think I started out from a confused place once I tried to learn more than those sites could provide.

Thank you for your mix formula! That will help as I experiment with the soil-less mix.

So You decide which mix to use (the gritty mix vs the 50/50 soil) based on research about what the plant grows in best? Am I getting the implication correctly?

Can I assume that any mix I use with soil in it isn’t going to be the best for “well draining” soil needs?

I have started notes for each of my plants. With light requirements and when they go dormant (though all the ones I have seem to be summer dormant). I’ll have to experiment with ‘real’ gritty mixes and track that too.

I’ll certainly give that gritty mix post more reads. And I’ll especially look out for the points you mentioned. I really didn’t know how technically versed and passionate so many gardeners are. I guess I always assumed it was a tactile passion. I’ve not really been a garden person my whole life. It’s only in the past year since a person I was close to passed that I’ve fallen for plants.

Thanks Robin! I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. I’ll have to dig deeper about each of my plants. Figure out which ones would do better with gritty mix. 😁

Oh I forgot to say! I’ll look up Manuel. It’s always great to know where I can lurk around getting knowledge from others with vastly more experience. I’ve learned so much just reading other’s problems and peoples’ responses.

Do you have a Facebook group?

Manuel -- you're welcome. I miss your input here -- it was always comprehensive and clear. Hope you're doing well!