I have a variety of small babies that I'm looking to repot so they have 1) room to grow, and 2) aren't in questionable soils. I couldn't find any pumice, so my one cactus and maybe huernia will have to play nice with the perlite and soil, and maybe a top layer of gravel.
I bought a bag of succulent and cactus mix (I know, I know, but it was cheap and I was getting frustrated with my lack of success), and the seller advised me that for indoor plants I should just use the mix and not throw in any soil for so there's more drainage and circulation. Should I also mix in some perlite as well? I spoke to a succulent specialist at the market today and he said I was going to have difficulty finding pumice.
My Succulent ID thread is here if it helps - http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtop ... 10&t=32622.
And what should I do with bottom leaves that fall off? Pick them off and toss them to keep the top layer of soil clear?
Soil/gravel/perlite mix?
Re: Soil/gravel/perlite mix?
Where do you live? If you look hard enough you should be able to find small bags of pumice at a nursery. You won't at the box stores but go to enough nurseries and someone must have it.
What do you mean by soil? Do you mean actual garden soil, or do you mean peat based potting mixes you find in the store?
If you cannot find pumice then mix in as much perlite into your mix as you can stand. I hate perlite because it floats but if push comes to shove it is better to deal with that than to have a lot of peat in your pot. A heavy layer of gravel on top should help keep it down. Stapeliads are notoriously rot prone so make sure your Huernia is in a very well drained mix. Ironically they like plenty of water when growing but are also prone to rot. That is why more people don't have big Stapeliad collections!
Throw out any lower leaves that will be under the soil level.
What do you mean by soil? Do you mean actual garden soil, or do you mean peat based potting mixes you find in the store?
If you cannot find pumice then mix in as much perlite into your mix as you can stand. I hate perlite because it floats but if push comes to shove it is better to deal with that than to have a lot of peat in your pot. A heavy layer of gravel on top should help keep it down. Stapeliads are notoriously rot prone so make sure your Huernia is in a very well drained mix. Ironically they like plenty of water when growing but are also prone to rot. That is why more people don't have big Stapeliad collections!
Throw out any lower leaves that will be under the soil level.
I'm now selling plants on Ebay. Check it out! Kyle's Plants
Re: Soil/gravel/perlite mix?
Pumice may be easy to find out west, but close to impossible elsewhere. You might find it for specialist uses like bonsai, but it won't be cheap. You might be better off looking online. Or you might settle for perlite, but I agree it is horrible to work with. An alternative is the various fired clay (eg. oil dri and cat litter) or shale (haydite) granules.
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greenknight
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Re: Soil/gravel/perlite mix?
LilyPond is in Taiwan, guys.
I agree, go ahead and mix in a good dose of perlite, if you can't find anything better. Pumice is available online, I don't know about shipping to Taiwan, though. Wouldn't hurt to check.
If any leaves get broken off that are healthy looking, you could try to root them - lay them on top of a pot of medium. Old leaves that the plant casts off should be removed and thrown away.
I agree, go ahead and mix in a good dose of perlite, if you can't find anything better. Pumice is available online, I don't know about shipping to Taiwan, though. Wouldn't hurt to check.
If any leaves get broken off that are healthy looking, you could try to root them - lay them on top of a pot of medium. Old leaves that the plant casts off should be removed and thrown away.
Spence 
Re: Soil/gravel/perlite mix?
This is just my experience, but I've found perlite to work perfectly fine provided I top dress with a good layer of gravel. That keeps everything from floating and I wouldn't be without it. Other than that I have no problems, and since I grow indoors and don't have the wind to contend with, having light plant pots is actually a plus for my shelving situation.