Sonoran Desert Cactus soil mix

[jp29]

Velvet Mesquite tree, Saguaros, Ferocactus wislizenii
creosote bush and various small Xerophytic plants

I have always experimented with soil mixes -- I believe I have used just about every one that has been devised during my growing lifetime -- and I have found all those that were of coarse and gritty texture, thus providing excellent drainage and root aeration, contributed significantly to growing healthy and robust plants.

A great thing about being retired -- and old -- is that you have the time to do all the fun things you always wanted to do but, for one reason or another, couldn't when you were younger. I have always wanted to experiment using native desert soil (and desert humus) to grow cacti in containers. I make no claim for the soil mix I feature here as to whether it will grow healthier and more robust plants. The experiment is strictly unscientific. I just like the look and feel -- the light brown color and gritty texture -- of this soil mix.

Link: Web page with photos

James

[adetheproducer]

Ways nice to try something different. I think if you used large planters with multiple plants in the same pot it would look good as well as help with water removal, with carefull watering it could be good.

[keith]

Monsoon nice cloud cover.

I'm sure the soil will work fine thats what I did when I lived in Phoenix. I'm adding in way more pumice now that I'm back in Moorpark CA , too humid here compared to the desert to use straight up soil in a pot.

Probably work as a additive here in CA like 1/8 desert soil, 3/4 pumice, 1/8 diatomaceous earth.

[Vipassana]

It's funny you posted this now. I recently bought a box of random rescue Mamillaria grahamii at a sale down in Tucson. These little guys grow wild around my Dad's land at the base of Reddington Pass, east of Tucson.

For these I wanted to try to put them into the exact soil they would normally be found so I collected some of his dirt and it resembles what you post on your site. I planted some of them just this morning in a larger terracotta pot. I did not cut the soil with any pumice or other aeration ingredients. Perhaps this will be a mistake in the long run.

I also mixed in some sticks/grass/organics found in the area in with the dirt as you might find in the desert soil under bushes due to rodents. I put larger, coarse gravel/sand on top so that it looked similar to the natural desert floor, though I was too heavy on this part so it looks more like a wash than desert floor... The only thing I did not put on there was mesquite leaf litter. I figure it will get plenty of that in a few months when my trees drop their leaves.

I thought it would be need to have some native grass in the pot as well as I often find the M. grahamii under this type of grass in the wild.

[Vipassana]

I should also note that I've been planting my seeds in pure Arizona wash sand recently with decent results.