Should I use peat or coir?

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brixtertabun
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Should I use peat or coir?

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7george
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by 7george »

I don't know what is the point of using coir in the cactus soil. Beside of 25% potting mix I would add some mineral materials, like pumice, coarse sand, zeolite etc.
If your cacti mess in your job just forget about the job.
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greenknight
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by greenknight »

In a humid climate, a more free-draining mix containing more mineral materials would be advisable, yes.

The point of using coir (or peat) is to make the mix hold more moisture, so you don't need to water quite as often. This can be helpful in a very dry climate, but in a damp region the risk of root rot makes it a bad idea.
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DaveW
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by DaveW »

Also peat is acidic and whilst most N. American cacti do not mind alkaline soils most S. American ones prefer the potting soil on the slightly acid side of neutral.

Using peat in moderation along with other ingredients is OK, what is often condemned on this forum are commercial cacti planted in pure peat mixes which once allowed to dry out are difficult to re-wet again. No doubt at the original nursery they were never allowed to completely dry and regularly fertilised. When sent to the retailers however they usually allow them to get bone dry and then it is extremely difficult to wet them again therefore need re-potting.

As to Coir:-

http://www.finegardening.com/getting-coir-matter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
blueant
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by blueant »

I have always been encouraged to use coir as a substitute for peat because of the environmental issues (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25760294" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) but I don't know enough to say if it would be a good idea to use just pumice and coir in this instance.
iann
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by iann »

Either way, 50% pumice probably isn't enough, certainly not for the more touchy species. Mix some up and see how it behaves. The pumice particles need to be touching eachother, not just randomly scattered in there like a current sponge. A good test is that you don't want the mix to compress much if at all. You might also find it is very light when dry, in which case 10%-20% of solid grit will stop your pots blowing over.
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greenknight
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by greenknight »

What I meant was, most potting mixes contain peat, so you might not need to add more moisture-holding ingredients. I could go on, but ian has already explained it well.

There are other ways of acidifying soil besides using peat - some growers add a little vinegar to the water they give their cacti, for instance. A very small amount of sulfur will also do the job.
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brixtertabun
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

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greenknight
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by greenknight »

If you use rain water, it's slightly acidic already due to dissolved CO2, you wouldn't need vinegar. Vinegar is usually added to tap water to counteract the lime it often contains. How much depends on how hard your water is, good discussion of it here - http://www.new-mexico.cactus-society.or ... inegar.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perlite works, but it has a bad tendency to float when it's dry. A thick layer of gravel on top to hold it down helps.

You heard right about fertilizer. I've been using African Violet fertilizer I had left over after Cyclamen Mites killed the African Violets - nothing special about it, just happens to have the right formulation. I just use a very small amount, a fraction of what you use for African Violets.
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brixtertabun
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

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greenknight
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by greenknight »

The second of those, the one the call "cactus flowering inducer", would be alright. The first one is definitely too high in nitrogen.
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DaveW
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Re: Should I use peat or coir?

Post by DaveW »

Tomato fertiliser is also intended to produce flowers and hence fruit. As Spence says always use fertilisers at half strength or less for cacti and succulents though than it says on the instructions, unless it is a specific fertiliser intended for cacti..
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