Choosing a good soil for you plants plays a major role in how healthy they will grow to be. With how many ready-to-use choices that are available, it can be overwhelming to choose. Over the years I’ve found some favorites, and some that just don’t work too well for me.
Store Bought Soils
This section is geared towards succulents and cacti, as I mix my own soils for Aroids. You can find information of Aroid soil mixes here.
One of my all time favorites for a quick, out-of-the bag soil, I recommend Black Gold Cactus Mix. It drains really well, and the compost in the mix is nutrient rich, always causing a growth spurt in my gardens. I never found the need to add anything to it, and highly recommend it for beginners.
Another brand I have come to love is EB Stone Organics. Their succulent and cacti mix contains pumice, lava rock, and sand to aid with drainage, and I’ll tell you what: it works. I find it dries out quicker than any other mix I have ever used, and the plants seem to really love it. If you’re a lazy waterer like I really want to be, you may want something more like the Black Gold Mix
I find a lot of people reach for Miracle-Gro Cactus Mix since it is widely available in most stores that sell anything related to gardening. If you choose to use this mix, I highly recommend adding a 50% ratio of perlite or pumice since it retains a lot of moisture. This led to a number a casualties in my early days of collecting, since the retention would lead to rot.
