CactiGuide.com

When I went into Los Angeles 2 weeks ago to buy pots I also bought 6 bags of cactus mix. I didn't pay attention when the guy threw the bags into my truck and came home instead with large bags of potting soil. The soil fortunately has no added nutrients to it. I picked up 10 bags of pumice so all I need now is coarse sand to mix up my own soil. Living in the desert I was wondering if I can use coarse desert sand in the mix?
Thanks
Mike M

You should sieve it to removes the fines as they help retain moisture.

Pumice and potting soil is a pretty adequate mix for me. Or spend a lot of time to get those fines out or you end up with a concrete like substrate.

Thanks guys.

The aim is always to make the soil in a pot drain as well as it would in open ground, not exactly reproduce the habitat soil. Soil in pots drains less freely than the same soil in depth in open ground. That is why we don't use unmodified soil directly from our yards or gardens for pot plants without making it to drain better. As others have said above, the sand should not be too fine otherwise it does tend to clog and stay wet too long.

Potting soil mixtures can vary according to your climate. What works in hot drying climates may stay wet in cooler ones far too long. Therefore those in cooler climates have to add more quick draining material. Usual test is water poured on the top of the pot should have soaked in within about half a minute or so with none remaining as a puddle on the top. Also it should have run out of the drainage hole at the pot bottom if you have watered sufficiently.

I would sift it, and wash it out. That should get rid of all the dust particles. Those dust particles are sometimes so fine, they hold water like clay.

You can buy small rock at Home depot its called drainage rock I think ? I just bought a bag a few weeks ago it is pretty dusty so I washed it off first.

I bought 1/4" and 1/2" wire screen. I'll build wood frames and then sift the dirt. I'll do a final sifting and a full rinse with window screen material. The potting soil is Recycled Forest Products,rice hulls, composted poultry manure, perlite, kelp meal and worm casings. Too rich or mixed down will be ok. I filled 2 five gallon buckets with dirt a few days back. More concerned now about burning roots with the potting soil.