somnomania wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:36 pm I water very lightly.

Watering lightly is a big mistake. The plants will end up either too dry or too wet and the root ball will probably have in wet/dry patches throughout.
You should soak thoroughly then allow to dry almost completely before repeating.

I've read that succulents can be really sensitive to it. They are probably less sensitive to dissolved salts than most plants because they come from areas which are not heavily leached by rain. Most of the sensitive plant species come from soils that are always moist or places were there is plenty ...

Thanks Mike, I also have an idea to mix some of the powder with water into a thick paste (as you would to plaster walls) and let it set/dry. Then I could crush it into chips and mix it in the substrate. It seems to me that would be long-lasting solution. Do you think that would work? Regards, Nino ...

P.S. Mike, I managed to find pure calcium-sulfate (gypsum) that is sold as food additive (apparently used in the process of brewing beer). It comes in powdered form. Could you please suggest what is the best way to implement it? Calcium sulphate a a solubility of 2.4 grams per litre of water. So yo...

From Wikipedia, this is the climate data for Zagreb: Zagreb_climate_data.jpg Looking at the mean daily maximum ranges April-September, the Osmocote 11-11-18 seems to be awfully unreliable for delivering a steady supply of nutrients to Nino's cacti. Then again, it may be fine if he uses it to supple...

The more I think about it, the less thrilled I am with the idea that you should try the Osmocote you have in mind. For one thing, I wouldn't use any fertilizers without S. For another, your cacti need a steady, reliable supply of nutrients throughout the entire growing season -- IMO Osmocote isn't ...

If you want more confusion, try this: Most of all, I'm confused how did I manage growing cacti so far. Here are the facts: - I've been growing cacti for more than 30 years (still have several Aztekiums, Strombocactus and Turbinicarpus in collection that are over 33 years old) - For most of that tim...

Nino_G post_id=404986 time=1705132927 user_id=19124] Mike, what would you suggest as an adequate source of sulfur? Would addition of small amount of peat to the (otherwise 100% inorganic) substrate mixture help with the issue? What other organic materials are good sources of sulfur? Also, since mos...

Nino_G wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2024 8:00 am you think MgSO₄ will provide enough sulphur?

If you are using very pure water and you don't add anything organic to the mix, probably not. Aim for S to be about 1/4 (or more) of the N.

Hi, Can someone give some advices for the short-spined cactus? The spots didn't stop although using systemic fungicide + peroxide mix. It slowed down a bit, instead of big spots now appears a lot of small spots around the cactus. The pot is a bit big so maybe it stayed too wet during some period in...

Thank you Steve and Mike, you have eased my mind :) As for the gypsum, it's not readily available in my area (or in the rest of Europe, as far as I know) in its raw, natural form, but only as processed powder for use in construction. Is that usable in some way? Also, I don't use tap water (which is...

It might be helpful to compare notes here. Tom and Mike, what are the specific ingredients and proportions of your respective mixes? If M. beneckei is finicky about the potting medium with regard to flowering, this could be the reason why Mike's beneckeis are flowering only one at a time. I don't t...

Hello Mike, Thank you for the answer. This particular product is designed for 6 months use (there was no alternatives available, unfortunately. Otherwise I'd buy the one for longer use). Here is the data sheet: This product has no sulphur so I would definitely recommend you add gypsum once/year and...

Steve Johnson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2024 12:51 am -- why in the heck would manufacturers use water-insoluble P compounds for their ferts?)

I don't know the process so I have no idea. But citrate soluble P is still valuable in the long run especially for in - ground growing so it can be counted a part of the total phosphorus bank in the soil.

@Aztekium123: I think what Frank wanted to say is that purpose of removing taproots is to be replaced with fibrous roots which are less susceptible to rot. I question whether the fine roots are less susceptible, but if a rot get's into the tap root it could spread more quickly and become irreversib...