Are you stock of buying expensive potting mixture that seem to dry out elbow room too fast ? Or perhaps you ’ve had one too many plants shrivel up and die from overwatering ? Well , buckle up gardeners , because we ’re about to plunk into a controversial gardening hack that could be a total game - record changer … or an epic fail !
We ’re talking about using cactus land – that particular grainy , fast - draining concoction made for cacti and succulent – for all your other garden plants too . Crazy , right-hand ? But listen us out …
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What’s The Difference Between Cactus Soil and Regular Soil?
even ol’ potting stain is a blend of things like peat moss , compost , and bark that helps plants retain moisture . Cactus soil , on the other deal , is formulated with lots of inorganic materials like sand , perlite , and crushed granite . This unique recipe allows any excess moisture to debilitate by rapidly .
So while pot soil aims to keep water locked in , cactus soil is basically land with ugly wet retention skills ! For prickly desert denizen like cacti , this tight - draining quality is crucial to preclude fatal root rotting .
Related Post : Can Cactus and succulent Be Planted Together ?
Can You Use Cactus Soil for Other Plants?
This is where gardeners are split . Some swear that using cactus soil , or at least amending steady potting mixture with it , is a brilliant hack . They claim it provides the perfect well - aerate , fast - draining stipulation that prevent fungi , bacteria , and wet - related diseases .
These cactus soil gospeler insist it ’s an affordable way to give ornamental , veggies , and even fruit trees the ideal surround to thrive ! They mix it into beds to loosen dense clay soil and improve drainage for muddy area .
The cactus soil skeptics , however , cringe at the idea of advisedly using such a low - nutrient , fast - dry medium . They argue most plants require wet retention for healthy growth , making cactus begrime a surefire way to stunt them with drought stress .
Who’s Right? The Surprising Reality
As with many heated horticulture argumentation , the accuracy lies somewhere in the middle . Used improperly on non - drouth - adapt plants , cactus land could indeed lead to disaster by drying them out too severely . However , when amendingpotting mixescarefully or used for the veracious works , it can work amazingly well !
The key fruit is discernment which plants share cacti ’s needs for degraded drainage over wet retention . Ornamentals like lantana , bougainvillea , hiss of paradise , and Mediterranean herb fall into this category . So do many edibles like blueberry , strawberries , tomato plant and peppers .
For these works , cactus soil alone would be too extreme . But a 50/50 portmanteau word of high - quality potting admixture and cactus land can cater the perfect equipoise of drainage and wet retentiveness . You get the best of both domain !
So is using cactus grunge a genius political hack or garden ruiner ? As with most technique , it come down to using the right putz for the job . When deployed strategically , this improper soil can be a total biz - modifier for trouble areas , drouth - buff , and over - waterers alike . But use it haphazardly and your plants may very well meet an ill-timed demise !
