peat moss?

Luv4alh · Post by **Luv4alh** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:43 pm

Hello all! I'm new to the forum and have recently become fascinated with cacti and succulents. My question is, will a small amount of peat moss be an issue in my soil mix? 40% potting soil 40% perlite or pumice 20% sand. I have been reading more and more about how peat moss is not a good medium for these plants, any input would be much appreciated. Thanks

Waxsimulacra08 · Post by **Waxsimulacra08** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:38 am

You're better off trying to find coco coir.

Far better as a base medium IMO

Saguaro123 · Post by **Saguaro123** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:55 am

Coir can be found at hydroponic stores. just an FYI.

iann · Post by **iann** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:59 pm

A small amount? Might even be better than none. But what's your small amount? 40%? That would be a large amount.

It also depends what you're growing. Some plants will do very well in a light fluffy peat moss soil, others not so well.

I'd avoid adding sand to peat moss, stick with the perlite or vermiculite.

Luv4alh · Post by **Luv4alh** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:21 pm

Thank you for the responses. I will definitely hunt down some coir. Ian, the 40% is a premixed soil consisting of peat moss, humus, compost, and pumice. Was curious why sand and peat moss are a bad mix? thanks again

Andy_CT · Post by **Andy_CT** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:44 pm

Luv4alh wrote:Was curious why sand and peat moss are a bad mix? thanks again

I think he's getting at that peat moss is light and fluffy with lots of air retained, adding heavy sand will crush it down excluding air from the soil which is bad for succulents.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:06 pm

I never got anything except a soggy mess from mixing sand and peat. More sand just made it worse. In general, sand is not the way to improve drainage in a pot, use something larger like grit or perlite. Many of the people using sand in their mixes have something that I would call a grit sand, a coarse sand with pieces all the way up to maybe eighth inch.

swords · Post by **swords** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:38 am

Peat & sand is what many Cacti and Succulent plant books suggest people use to pot their plants. But oddly enough, so do most carnivorous plant books! I don't think the environments could be more different, one is a bog and the other a desert. Yet the same soil mix is suggested! lol

In general the only sand commonly available in the US hardware store chains is Playground Sand which is a terrible additive for your soil mix. Good for sand castles, bad for plants!

tvaughan · Post by **tvaughan** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 2:30 pm

My new standard C&S potting mix is a third commercial cactus mix, a third perlite and a third whatever gravel I have left over from the previous landscape project. You could spend hours customising your mix for individual plants, but the difference in growth probably won't be noticeable.

Post by **daiv** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:05 pm

tvaughan wrote: You could spend hours customising your mix for individual plants, but the difference in growth probably won't be noticeable.

Tim,
Keep in mind, your climate is a bit more cactus-friendly than Minnesota or England. While I agree that one can over-think the soil mix, a little forethought can make life easier, plants healthier, and save money.

Daiv

iann · Post by **iann** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:41 pm

There are different growing philosophies including the one size fits all philosophy, but I don't think most people would grow Ariocarpus in the same soil as Tomatoes, and I don't grow them in the same soil as my Echinopsis either. And certainly not in the same soil as my Lampranthus.

peat moss?

peat moss?

thanks

Re: thanks