There a aquarium plant gravel call eco-complete..., It's pumice in black Or another aquarium gravel call flora max which is lava rock or clay. If you can't find it you can substitute pumice for lava rock... Lava rock do hold water, it will hold nutrients and allow the root to up take nutrients... on top of that lava rock is just volcano rock like pumice... A good substitute is = lava rock, pool filter sand, bark. Or lava rock, pool filter sand, Napa 8822 Floor dry.
I like the idea of using gritty mix for difficult plants especially for growing plants that live in very arid conditions. I wonder if there is too much bark for Lithops and Conophytums. I experiment all the time with my plants and see how they grow using different potting mixes. The big problem is watering in the winter time but, if you live in an area that does not have a winter then watering is not such a big problem. I have not grown any plants indoors for more than twenty years and do use any heating pads except for germinating seeds.
I like it, a few diff types on eBay, ie bonsai mix, it's perfect for me ( overstaffed. I use it as top dress on orchids, instead of permits, or Leica. So far works , it does breathe, holds the division's " up " rather than stones,sticks. And the water goes right thru.
Thank you Ashley. I’m a new subscriber and totally new to gardening and succulents. Could you please try to mention common name of plants when mentioning family of succulent since I’m not familiar as yet. Also is this mix recommended for Donkey Ears, Aloe Vera or Desert Rose plants? If not would adding coir (I just ordered Wonder Soil) has worm castings in it as well, make it better for say Desert Rose. I live in S Florida so summer is very hot and humid and rainy/hurricane season goes June-November. Excited to have found your channel and starting my learning journey with succulents!
I really liked the video. The following is just sharing of knowledge not criticism of this wonderful video. It's great you took the time to show your viewer 'The Gritty Mix'. Scoria, AKA Black Pumice is a high porosity rock. Lava Grow, scoria, mined in British Columbia has a porosity of 66%, which falls within the definition of Pumice. It is the lower end, so the average pumice will have a greater porosity than any scoria, but it can hold water and nutrients. The colour comes from the minerals that make up the rock, most inaccessible, but enough to grow great plants. Like Hawaii's mineral rich lava. I use both Lava Grow & pumice in my gritty mix for that reason. Even a little bit of red shale rock for extra colour and texture. If you are lucky enough to live on the PNW you will have access to Douglas Fir Bark, which is a better option over pine. Al makes mentions of this in his recipe.
Thank you for sharing this video. I really dislike the dirt type soil. Wanting to do some kind of gritty mix. There is a mix I have seen online that seemed to have much success. It does use some aquarium gravel in it along with coconut husk. Not the dirt looking coconut fiber, but it actually looks like the fir bark. Along with pre soaked clay pellets on the bottom of the pot. Using aquarium rocks that are Not shiny and polished. But are the matte type are porous. You use two sizes. They do hold some water. Just as long at their not the polished type. Also adding a tiny bit of fine sand to hold the water in a little bit longer and lava rock. But the bark sized coconut husk holds some water too. Video Ive seen shows roots bonding to the husk. Anyhow, thinking of trying to do that. Will let you know how it goes :):)
Do you add any soil when using the gritty mix with pine bark? Would you say succulents use the same mix than bonsai? Is the ratio for turface shale pine bark 1:1:1? How often do you water your succs/cacti? Thanks!
This video caught my eye because my growing conditions are such that my plants just don’t dry out. I’m in Michigan, and my apartment is on the cool side. Even Poinsettia tended to rot at Christmas time. This will give me much better control over growing conditions. People may have already realized this, but She now sells a version without the bark. I just wish I’d seen this video BEFORE I bought 2 cubic feet of Perlite! Anyone interested? I’ll give you a really great price! Just kidding. I’m sure I can use it with some of my other plants.
U said it is important they are same size for balance. I bought these and they are same size however the soil im gonna mix into has some grits that are larger... would that be ok?
Can you make a video talking about soil propagation cuttings ? Tips and tricks to propagate cuttings straight into soil instead of rooting in water first . I failed so many times I can’t figure out what I did wrong but they usually just rot or just dry off and die 😭
thanks for this video..i have aloevera n it was good till i repotted n changed my soil.. i used normal potting soil n thats it as the lady told me its fine n im abit of a begginer, so i bought perlite n spagnamoss mix it up n i feel still not enough aeration so i wna add pumice n barks, n the shop sales told me the bark i jst need to put in at the bottom like 30 percent then top it up with my soil im using.. but i was thinking i wana mix it up like how u done it hir.. whats ur suggestion thank u🙏
Can anyone recommend the best soil mix for new bare root lithops? I think they range in age from 1 year to 5 years old. I have pumice, vermiculite, small Mexican beach pebbles, small white gravel, and an organic cactus and succulent potting soil. Any advice on amounts of these things would be very much appreciated! :) Thank you so much! Also I'm using terracotta pots
Hi, thanks so much for the information. I’ve been reading different opinions/ways, regarding whether or not it’s okay to add Lava Rocks to the Pot before adding the potting Soil (specifically for Succulents). Can you please advise in your opinion if it’s a good idea or not to add Lava Rocks or any other Stones/Rocks to the planter prior to adding Succulent Soil? Appreciate your help.
For most soil it will help. For me it works best with a plastic pot and plants that don’t want to stay super dry. With a super light mix in a clay pot, adding pebbles first can be too much, pumice is even more dry but it can still work it just depends on so many factors. I use pebbles and plastic pot for most plants, but I wouldn’t with this mix in the video
I live in Riverside CA -- 60 miles east of Los Angeles -- and the summer temp exceed 100 degrees F and the winter temps may drop to 20 degrees F. About 8 years ago, I drastically pruned all of the various potted plants on my patio, washed off all of the soil from their roots, pruned the roots and re-potted the shrubs in a modified "Al's Gritty Mix" [equal portions of 1/8"-1/4" redwood bark, Turface MVP and grit (#5)]. Except for applying all-purpose granular fertilizer several years ago, I have done nothing to the gritty mix. Now, the shrubs look like they need some plant nutrients. What do you recommend?
you NEED to fertilize once or twice every week with a liquid fertilizer, like superthrive foliage pro. gritty mix has excellent aeration and drainage, but doesnt hold nutrients well, but that is offset by extremely fast growing plants with very happy roots ( if you fertilize). I live in socal, and i reccomend you water every2 days in summer, and if you need to travel for workor personal reasons, just cover all the potte dplants with mulch or add drip irrigation/trays. This mix works well for any trees, Ive grown large Maples, oaks, hickories, pecans, to small succulents in Al's Mix.
There is little organic matter in gritty mix, so fungus gnats can't lay eggs in it! Succulents and cacti do well in this because they need to dry out, some species entirely, before being watered again. Not good for tropical houseplants because they need their soil to stay damp to a certain degree
I use gritty mixes with all my plants. Tropicals, succs/cacti. I do add coco coir and worm castings to the mix. Never had a gnat problem with my mix. I have to water more often but I don’t mind it.
What about substituting granite with aquarium gravel? Is there any reason that granite should be used rather than other minerals that have been ground into a similar size? I have pumice, bark, and I'm looking for turface, but I can't find granite where I am, while I could find aquarium gravel.
Not for planting, I don't think... unless you want to water every day since gritty mix drains so quickly. Plus there's not a lot of organic matter so it would have to be fertilized quite often. You could probably use it as a top dressing though since it is so porous
What do you think about vermiculite instead of bark? I'm going to experiment with Pumice, Perlite and Verm. I know you've mentioned V. before. Those who like gritty mix don't seem to like it, but it's something I have. Great topic.
inhim7777777, vermiculite has quite different properties than bark does.... So while I think using it in a mix like you suggested could be a fine mix for a lot of succulents, there is some pretty good reason bark was chosen for this particular blend, and why many people like THIS particular formula. But I’ve used a pumice/vermiculite/coconut husk mixture many times with great success. For some plants a bit of organic material in the mix is actually really helpful for Ph balance, etc. But I totally think trying a blend like you suggested could work well! I don’t want to list all the reasons bark was chosen for this mix, and why you might want to use it, or not use it in certain situations/with certain plants; but if you google it you can read the theory/idea behind this mix and the particular ingredients. But I’m not defending the bark as “better” in every or even most situations. All I’m saying is it was chosen very purposefully for the properties it adds, and there will be advantages to using bark for some plants and situations. AND there are other plants that would do better without it, and many situations where having a bark FREE mixture would be advantageous! 😉
I'm somewhat familiar with Al and his mix. I shouldn't have said 'replacement' for that particular mix, but just a somewhat water retentive component. PH is something to think about, as is re-use, although vermiculite supposedly breaks down a little; I'm not sure it's as much as many people say. I don't have bark available, but then I'm willing to buy and pay for Pumice mail order. Rambling... Thanks for the replies.
wuz H2O, hmm... not sure why she’s not showing up in a search on Etsy, but she’s still there for sure. Here’s a link to her gritty mix, and from there you can find her other listings hopefully! etsy.me/2wSq0XP
I hate when the shipping price is way more then the item itself. I never buy an item when the shipping is more. I usually find another product with the same qualities, from unusual sources, like Poultry Grit as a sub for course sand. :)
Critter Girl, not quite sure what your question is...? Are you asking what the differences are between turface, akadama and pumice? And what do you mean by “unique uses”? Sorry just not clear what you are asking. 😉
Fannie Matthews, I purchase it in 15 lb bags from a local nursery in my tiny town of 900 people. I’m lucky she orders it by the pallet and I have it at my finger tips! I’m so blessed, because she doesn’t really sell succulents, other than hardy outdoor ones so I’m not sure what she uses it for primarily, but I’m very grateful!
Christina Eilers, yeah... this amount almost perfectly fits in the medium flat rate box at the post office, and they cost $18 to ship. But if it was shipped by weight it would be worse! 😱. A lot of people just mark the mix up more and do $5 shipping, but it’s kind of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. Some larger companies get bulk/quantify shipping discounts and can ship it more affordably. But this is why I haven’t started selling pumice even though lots of people who can’t get it ask. But shipping kills! 😢
Best explanation of gritty mix benefits on CZcams. Thank you.
There a aquarium plant gravel call eco-complete..., It's pumice in black Or another aquarium gravel call flora max which is lava rock or clay. If you can't find it you can substitute pumice for lava rock... Lava rock do hold water, it will hold nutrients and allow the root to up take nutrients... on top of that lava rock is just volcano rock like pumice...
A good substitute is = lava rock, pool filter sand, bark. Or lava rock, pool filter sand, Napa 8822 Floor dry.
I like the idea of using gritty mix for difficult plants especially for growing plants that live in very arid conditions. I wonder if there is too much bark for Lithops and Conophytums. I experiment all the time with my plants and see how they grow using different potting mixes. The big problem is watering in the winter time but, if you live in an area that does not have a winter then watering is not such a big problem. I have not grown any plants indoors for more than twenty years and do use any heating pads except for germinating seeds.
Lava rock is not porous? Are you sure? It is very porous
Agree. Lava rock is very porous
I like it, a few diff types on eBay, ie bonsai mix, it's perfect for me ( overstaffed. I use it as top dress on orchids, instead of permits, or Leica. So far works , it does breathe, holds the division's " up " rather than stones,sticks. And the water goes right thru.
Thank you Ashley. I’m a new subscriber and totally new to gardening and succulents. Could you please try to mention common name of plants when mentioning family of succulent since I’m not familiar as yet. Also is this mix recommended for Donkey Ears, Aloe Vera or Desert Rose plants? If not would adding coir (I just ordered Wonder Soil) has worm castings in it as well, make it better for say Desert Rose. I live in S Florida so summer is very hot and humid and rainy/hurricane season goes June-November. Excited to have found your channel and starting my learning journey with succulents!
I really liked the video. The following is just sharing of knowledge not criticism of this wonderful video. It's great you took the time to show your viewer 'The Gritty Mix'.
Scoria, AKA Black Pumice is a high porosity rock. Lava Grow, scoria, mined in British Columbia has a porosity of 66%, which falls within the definition of Pumice. It is the lower end, so the average pumice will have a greater porosity than any scoria, but it can hold water and nutrients. The colour comes from the minerals that make up the rock, most inaccessible, but enough to grow great plants. Like Hawaii's mineral rich lava. I use both Lava Grow & pumice in my gritty mix for that reason. Even a little bit of red shale rock for extra colour and texture.
If you are lucky enough to live on the PNW you will have access to Douglas Fir Bark, which is a better option over pine. Al makes mentions of this in his recipe.
Yep,pretty good,thanks,Bill.
Hi , I am Erlinda Larbonita Francisco from Philippines , thank you for sharing about potting soil fir cactus and succulents . I like it
Thank you for sharing this video. I really dislike the dirt type soil. Wanting to do some kind of gritty mix. There is a mix I have seen online that seemed to have much success. It does use some aquarium gravel in it along with coconut husk. Not the dirt looking coconut fiber, but it actually looks like the fir bark. Along with pre soaked clay pellets on the bottom of the pot. Using aquarium rocks that are Not shiny and polished. But are the matte type are porous. You use two sizes. They do hold some water. Just as long at their not the polished type. Also adding a tiny bit of fine sand to hold the water in a little bit longer and lava rock. But the bark sized coconut husk holds some water too. Video Ive seen shows roots bonding to the husk. Anyhow, thinking of trying to do that. Will let you know how it goes :):)
Do you add any soil when using the gritty mix with pine bark? Would you say succulents use the same mix than bonsai? Is the ratio for turface shale pine bark 1:1:1? How often do you water your succs/cacti? Thanks!
This video caught my eye because my growing conditions are such that my plants just don’t dry out. I’m in Michigan, and my apartment is on the cool side. Even Poinsettia tended to rot at Christmas time. This will give me much better control over growing conditions.
People may have already realized this, but She now sells a version without the bark.
I just wish I’d seen this video BEFORE I bought 2 cubic feet of Perlite! Anyone interested? I’ll give you a really great price! Just kidding. I’m sure I can use it with some of my other plants.
Do you use this mix for outdoor succulents too? And for trailing succulents? Do you have an update?
One question would I use this gritty mix with regular potting soil ? Mixing them both or just gritty mix by itself?
U said it is important they are same size for balance. I bought these and they are same size however the soil im gonna mix into has some grits that are larger... would that be ok?
Can you make a video talking about soil propagation cuttings ? Tips and tricks to propagate cuttings straight into soil instead of rooting in water first . I failed so many times I can’t figure out what I did wrong but they usually just rot or just dry off and die 😭
cannot really buy pumis here as it only sold in huge quanteties . What about LECA ? the same thing that used in hidrophonics?
thanks for this video..i have aloevera n it was good till i repotted n changed my soil.. i used normal potting soil n thats it as the lady told me its fine n im abit of a begginer, so i bought perlite n spagnamoss mix it up n i feel still not enough aeration so i wna add pumice n barks, n the shop sales told me the bark i jst need to put in at the bottom like 30 percent then top it up with my soil im using.. but i was thinking i wana mix it up like how u done it hir.. whats ur suggestion thank u🙏
Can anyone recommend the best soil mix for new bare root lithops? I think they range in age from 1 year to 5 years old. I have pumice, vermiculite, small Mexican beach pebbles, small white gravel, and an organic cactus and succulent potting soil.
Any advice on amounts of these things would be very much appreciated! :)
Thank you so much!
Also I'm using terracotta pots
Is this advisable in Calgary with winter and dry humid? Do u mind sharing which country and what climate u got? Thanks
Hi, thanks so much for the information. I’ve been reading different opinions/ways, regarding whether or not it’s okay to add Lava Rocks to the Pot before adding the potting Soil (specifically for Succulents). Can you please advise in your opinion if it’s a good idea or not to add Lava Rocks or any other Stones/Rocks to the planter prior to adding Succulent Soil? Appreciate your help.
For most soil it will help.
For me it works best with a plastic pot and plants that don’t want to stay super dry.
With a super light mix in a clay pot, adding pebbles first can be too much, pumice is even more dry but it can still work it just depends on so many factors.
I use pebbles and plastic pot for most plants, but I wouldn’t with this mix in the video
What liquid ferts do you use with this?
I live in Riverside CA -- 60 miles east of Los Angeles -- and the summer temp exceed 100 degrees F and the winter temps may drop to 20 degrees F.
About 8 years ago, I drastically pruned all of the various potted plants on my patio, washed off all of the soil from their roots, pruned the roots and re-potted the shrubs in a modified "Al's Gritty Mix" [equal portions of 1/8"-1/4" redwood bark, Turface MVP and grit (#5)].
Except for applying all-purpose granular fertilizer several years ago, I have done nothing to the gritty mix.
Now, the shrubs look like they need some plant nutrients. What do you recommend?
you NEED to fertilize once or twice every week with a liquid fertilizer, like superthrive foliage pro. gritty mix has excellent aeration and drainage, but doesnt hold nutrients well, but that is offset by extremely fast growing plants with very happy roots ( if you fertilize). I live in socal, and i reccomend you water every2 days in summer, and if you need to travel for workor personal reasons, just cover all the potte dplants with mulch or add drip irrigation/trays. This mix works well for any trees, Ive grown large Maples, oaks, hickories, pecans, to small succulents in Al's Mix.
Doesn’t the bark deteriorate after a while?
Can I use this for Lithops and Split rock??
The answer is yes.
kalanchoe can use this soil mix?
Pls let me know Where do we get this soil from
Hi where can we buy Pumice? Hardly see in my area selling
my mix consists of: scoria/lava rock, pumice, zeolite, leaf humus, and dry twigs. if only bonsai jack can be exported to my country…
Can you use it for tree seedlings?
Will help to prevent fungus gnats and what kind of plants can you grow in it...
There is little organic matter in gritty mix, so fungus gnats can't lay eggs in it! Succulents and cacti do well in this because they need to dry out, some species entirely, before being watered again. Not good for tropical houseplants because they need their soil to stay damp to a certain degree
I use gritty mixes with all my plants. Tropicals, succs/cacti. I do add coco coir and worm castings to the mix. Never had a gnat problem with my mix.
I have to water more often but I don’t mind it.
You can add 20% clay soil for the fertilizers can attach to.
What about substituting granite with aquarium gravel? Is there any reason that granite should be used rather than other minerals that have been ground into a similar size? I have pumice, bark, and I'm looking for turface, but I can't find granite where I am, while I could find aquarium gravel.
L B try looking for chicken grit.
For granite, try Tractor Supply. Get their chicken grit. I found it to be granite in my Orlando store.
Thanks guys, I found the chicken grit online and it seems to be working nicely so far!
Oh and can we use this mix for tropical house plants ? Such as scindapsus and philodendron
Not for planting, I don't think... unless you want to water every day since gritty mix drains so quickly. Plus there's not a lot of organic matter so it would have to be fertilized quite often. You could probably use it as a top dressing though since it is so porous
What do you think about vermiculite instead of bark? I'm going to experiment with Pumice, Perlite and Verm. I know you've mentioned V. before. Those who like gritty mix don't seem to like it, but it's something I have. Great topic.
inhim7777777, vermiculite has quite different properties than bark does.... So while I think using it in a mix like you suggested could be a fine mix for a lot of succulents, there is some pretty good reason bark was chosen for this particular blend, and why many people like THIS particular formula. But I’ve used a pumice/vermiculite/coconut husk mixture many times with great success. For some plants a bit of organic material in the mix is actually really helpful for Ph balance, etc. But I totally think trying a blend like you suggested could work well!
I don’t want to list all the reasons bark was chosen for this mix, and why you might want to use it, or not use it in certain situations/with certain plants; but if you google it you can read the theory/idea behind this mix and the particular ingredients.
But I’m not defending the bark as “better” in every or even most situations. All I’m saying is it was chosen very purposefully for the properties it adds, and there will be advantages to using bark for some plants and situations. AND there are other plants that would do better without it, and many situations where having a bark FREE mixture would be advantageous! 😉
I'm somewhat familiar with Al and his mix. I shouldn't have said 'replacement' for that particular mix, but just a somewhat water retentive component. PH is something to think about, as is re-use, although vermiculite supposedly breaks down a little; I'm not sure it's as much as many people say. I don't have bark available, but then I'm willing to buy and pay for Pumice mail order. Rambling... Thanks for the replies.
Apparently Little Emerald Thumb is no longer listed within Etsy. No results upon searching the name. Do you know how/where one might purchase the mix?
wuz H2O, hmm... not sure why she’s not showing up in a search on Etsy, but she’s still there for sure. Here’s a link to her gritty mix, and from there you can find her other listings hopefully! etsy.me/2wSq0XP
I just ordered from Little Emerald Thumb, if you haven't tried to find her recently.
that's way to expensive to ship to australia, i went to that website and it says for i quart it's $15.09 plus $51.70 shipping
scott brady same, I went to Bonsai Jack and looked, the shipping fee was wayyyy more than the price itself 😭😂
Available in Australia now, look up 'Mineraland Gritty Mix.'
I hate when the shipping price is way more then the item itself. I never buy an item when the shipping is more. I usually find another product with the same qualities, from unusual sources, like Poultry Grit as a sub for course sand. :)
I tried this on my citrus so we shall see how it does
So this mix will work for my wife's plant? We live in a Caribbean weather in Costa Rica where humidity is about 92/98% all year
I just used a beach sand mix
Maleficus1215666 beach sand tends to have too much salt and may be too fine which might not let the roots travel through the mix
Turface, akadama and pumice...pros and cons? Unique uses?
Critter Girl, not quite sure what your question is...? Are you asking what the differences are between turface, akadama and pumice? And what do you mean by “unique uses”? Sorry just not clear what you are asking. 😉
It doesn't have nutritional value for the plant so it's best to use liquid fertilizer with these types of soil mixes
Where do you find the Pumice offline?
My local nursery in my small town caries 25 lb bags of it. If you have any locally run nurseries in your area I would check there.
I got mine at Home Depot in Arizona.
I should have found this video before buying aquarium gravel as a medium for my lithops. Welp.
In fact its a good grit dont forget what works for the person in the vid might not work for you
Hi Ashley do you order your pumice or you purchase it where you are
Fannie Matthews, I purchase it in 15 lb bags from a local nursery in my tiny town of 900 people. I’m lucky she orders it by the pallet and I have it at my finger tips! I’m so blessed, because she doesn’t really sell succulents, other than hardy outdoor ones so I’m not sure what she uses it for primarily, but I’m very grateful!
scrubbing her feet lol must be gnarly if she needs a whole pallet ewww
www.generalpumiceproducts.com.
what about expanded shale?
Stephen Greer, yep that’s an additive used quite often that can be super useful in succulent cultivation!
Chucky is just so better draining
Doggone it! I wish I would’ve seen this video before I purchased aquarium gravel/coco husk/sand for my gritty mix
Thanks for the tips tho! Great info!
those are all things you could use in a terrarium project
$15.00 shipping! Yikes!!
Christina Eilers, yeah... this amount almost perfectly fits in the medium flat rate box at the post office, and they cost $18 to ship. But if it was shipped by weight it would be worse! 😱. A lot of people just mark the mix up more and do $5 shipping, but it’s kind of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
Some larger companies get bulk/quantify shipping discounts and can ship it more affordably. But this is why I haven’t started selling pumice even though lots of people who can’t get it ask. But shipping kills! 😢
Ashley Glassman / Ya Dig It? Yeah, I wasn't aware of what's involved with the shipping cost. Good to know!
Christina Eilers I get mine from BonsaiJack for similar pricing.
Way too expensive..
Sorry Overwater.