Reddit reviews Bonsai Jack Succulent and Cactus Soil - Jacks Gritty Mix #111 - 2 Quarts – Fast Draining – Fight Root Rot – Optimized pH

Thank you very much! I'm having difficulty finding sand in small quantities here (everything is in 50 lb bags) so do you think a gritty mix like this will be ok?

Yeah that's a super etiolated succulent - it would stay more compact with more light. I'm not sure exactly what species it is because a lot of them will turn green like that when they're not getting enough light. My best guess is that it's some kind of sedum but the green might be throwing me off.

You can chop off the main head and those two smaller heads, strip off the bottom few leaves and then leave them in open air for a 3-5 days so they callous over. Then stick the new stems into succulent/cactus mix and they will grow new roots. If they start growing tall like that again they need even more light (lots of people use plant grow lights for these). The original stem will also sprout new babies - it will look weird but if you let the babies grow a bit you can eventually chop those off the main plant too.

You can also propagate the leaves on this type of succulent if you remove them properly. Watch a few Youtube videos on succulent leaf propagation and you'll get what I mean. You need to get the very base of the leaf that is attached to the stem (if you rip off a tiny piece of the stem with it even better). They will only propagate if you keep that part intact.

You need a gritty, well-draining soil. I really like Bonsai Jack: https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Jack-Succulent-Cactus-Soil/dp/B0194E9RW4/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?keywords=bonsai+jack&pd_rd_i=B0194E9RW4&pd_rd_r=8181cdfd-0c8c-462f-ac25-934ddc331082&pd_rd_w=3i851&pd_rd_wg=t8V21&pf_rd_p=a5491838-6a74-484e-8787-eb44c8f3b7ff&pf_rd_r=3DSG67X2KBP6DWFBPSFP&psc=1&qid=1571963168

And you want a small pot with a drainage hole.

I use this mix: https://www.amazon.com/Quarts-Bonsai-Succulent-Cactus-Gritty/dp/B0194E9RW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524862302&sr=8-1&keywords=bonzai+jack

It is pricey, so I mix a little cactus/succulent soil into it(just the regular bagged kind that's cheap) to make it last.

Using this grow light 16 hours a day(it also goes over a few other plants): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074SG33M2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can probably find a better value grow light honestly. The reason I got it was because my husband was tired of the pink lights in our living room, and I didn't want to deal with getting too into other types of setups. This one is unobtrusive and pleasing to the eye.

I would try repotting in a very gritty mix like this stuff and leaving it alone for a couple of weeks without water then watering from the bottom to encourage more root growth.

Works great for me!

Link to the soil mix: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0194E9RW4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's just the plant and then beneath it is the succulent soil I use, which is this: Bonsai Jack Succulent and Cactus Soil

Any pot(s) with at least 1 hole at the bottom will work. If you like diy projects, you can even drill holes into mugs or old tea tins for example. FYI, the Dollar Tree is selling storm trooper mugs that could easily be drilled through with a ceramic drill bit.


As for soil, you want to use gritty (ie less organic) soil so that water drains out and is not retained. The more dirt the more water retention. To acheive grittier soil you can take any potting soil and add pumice, turface, small gravel chunks, or perlite to it so that it is at least 1:1 (50/50) ratio of soil to grit. I think the grit size most people use is 1/4 or 1/8. I use miracle gro's succulent soil and mix it with perlite, but at a higher ratio. Usually 40% soil/60% perlite. You can also use entirely gritty soil (which I also use instead of the mixed soil sometimes), like Bonsai Jack succulent mix. (https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Jack-Succulent-Cactus-Soil/dp/B0194E9RW4/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=bonsai+jack&qid=1557970819&s=gateway&sr=8-3) I prefer to use that for plants with bigger, established roots. For that arrangement I would use either type of soil honestly, whichever I have more of.


If you use the mixed soil approach, it can be beneficial to add a thin layer of grit (like bonsai Jack or aquarium gravel) on top of the soil as top dressing. It's not necessary, but it keeps the leaves off the water retaining soil. Succulent leaves hate sitting in/on water. If you live in a cooler area where soil doesn't dry super fast, I would highly recomend top dressing. I can send examples of tip dressed plants later if you'd like. I can also send examples of my soil mix.

I was going to mention your soil! It looks a little organic, I’m not sure what you’re using but I personally use a mixture of cactus soil, perlite, and gritty mix. I have mine in a 1:1:1 ratio but I’m a little heavy handed with the perlite because it’s cheap. You could also switch to terracotta pots to help with overwatering!

Dude I live in Hawaii so I feel you. It’s not even the most humid place in the world and I still have problems getting indoor succs to dry.

I really liked this soil I got from Amazon by Superfly Bonsai. I have two of my succs potted in that and they’re doing really well. I’m also about to try Bonsai Jack’s soil (here). It looks really coarse with large particle size, so I’m hoping my succs will like it. They are both “soil-less” potting mixes. You could probably make your own by just reading the ingredients on the bag and finding the raw materials.

For my succulents I use Bonsai Jack Gritty Mix , which is pre-mixed and ready to use although a bit pricey. For my snake plants which are a bit less picky, I mix 50/50 sand/vermiculite. There are guides to making soilless mixes online, but some of them recommend using peat moss which actually attracts fungus gnats.

I'm using a specific mixture that's supposed to be very good for succulents. It isn't soil and is very well draining. I don't have pots with holes on the bottom so drainage and root rot was a real concern for me initally. I repotted with this mixture.

I basically water the plant until i can see the water starting to pool at the rim of the pot and then dump out half of the excess. The roots still get water but doesn't sit there too long. I check again the next day to see if there is still a lot of water in the pot, at which point I'll drain more of the water if needed.

Ok, I'm a little hesitant to answer this, just because I have never had a Lithops, but I know Bonzai Jack is one mix that gets reccomended a lot here!

I just bought them last week. I initially planted them in regular potting soil since I was unaware of what soil to plant them in I watered them and I'm sure the soil was left wet for a couple of days since there's no drainage in my pots. Then I purchased bonsai Jack's cactus mix on amazon and replanted them in the same pots and added a little water. I wasn't sure just how much "little water" was til I saw videos. How can you tell the difference between root rot and dried roots?

Nicely done! Succulents and NYC don't often mix well, as we're a shady/cool/humid environment. I've killed waaaay too many in my day, but think I've finally found a good routine to keep some alive in Brooklyn.

In answer to your question, you can buy pretty small packages of soil (like 5lbs), and for a succulent, I'd highly recommend buying a small bag of gritty mix off the internet.

That said, where in the city are you? I'm a fan of the garden center in Williamsburg, but there might be one closer to you.

I didn't think I'd want extra soil taking up space in my apartment, either, but it's one of those things that I store in the way back corners of my closets and has been surprisingly useful to have on hand for repotting gifts and giving plants larger homes.

The soil is half Miracle Gro cactus soil, half this: https://www.amazon.com/Quarts-Bonsai-Succulent-Cactus-Gritty/dp/B0194E9RW4/ref=lp_8126182011_1_2?srs=8126182011&ie=UTF8&qid=1520384700&sr=8-2

It's a cutting, it doesn't have any roots. I'm afraid it will die before ever rooting.

I have heard really good things about gritty mixes like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Jack-Succulent-Cactus-Soil/dp/B0194E9RW4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2KYYV2PIY74LK&keywords=bonsai+jack+succulent+soil+mix&qid=1572720029&sprefix=bonzai+jack+%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-4

Soil should be something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Jack-Succulent-Cactus-Soil/dp/B0194E9RW4

Notice how much more rocky it is compared to what you are using which looks very organic (dirt).

That being said, Jades can sit without leaves for weeks before you see things start to move. Give it a couple months before you give up on it. Keep it dry... water it maybe once every 2-3 weeks. If you are unsure if you should water, wait another couple days then do it. Its really hard to kill jades with too little water... very easy to kill with too much water.

I'm using this soil, water once every week or two when the soil is dry at the bottom, and live in a basement so they don't get direct sunlight. The smaller ones I have are fine, but the large ones a curling. Why?

Hello! I got a new plant friend for free yesterday but I'm already fearing for its health and I have a bunch of questions. (Picture 1, 2)

1. A new pot seems straightforward enough, but is this soil good enough without mixing anything in?
   
   
2. What's the white stuff? Do I need to rub it off or is okay?
   
   
3. A lot of the lower leaves seem droopy and/or damaged so is there anything I can do to help it?
   
   
4. The one window in my dorm appears to be north facing and my desk lamp has a 400 lumens bulb right now, which I don't believe is sufficient. Could I potentially get a higher lumen lightbulb and put my succulent under it for a couple hours a day? (My lamp is an Ikea Ranarp, if that helps at all.)
   
   
5. The dumbest question of all, what is it? As a complete newbie, I'd guess some sort of crassula, but I could be completely off the mark.