What kind of soil is needed for cacti and succulents. Soil for cacti Ready-made soil for cactus composition

The natural habitat of succulents, which are cacti, is not very favorable. However, this does not mean that when breeding these plants, it is not necessary to pay attention to the choice of soil. It is important to choose the right composition of the soil, as well as to give it an optimal structure for the development of the root system. These parameters are very demanding succulents.

Land for cacti should be loose and rough. River vermiculite enters the soil in a certain proportion, etc. This allows you to make the soil coarse-grained and loose. It will let air and moisture through. Every cactus grower should know the features of preparing such a mixture.

The choice of capacity for transplantation

Before you know which land is suitable for a cactus, you need to choose the right container for transplanting. In this matter, the plant is considered quite demanding. Even if the soil is chosen correctly, but the cactus is transplanted into an unsuitable container, it will develop worse.

The pot can be made of any material other than metal. It is important to choose the right shape and size. Taking the plant out old container, the size and structure of its root system should be estimated. If it is more developed from above, it is better to give preference to a shallow, but wide capacity. If the roots are long and have a pronounced main stem, it is better to choose a deep but narrow pot.

The size of the container should not be large. It should be slightly larger than the root system of the cactus. It should also be noted that drainage will take some space in the pot. If the plant is sick, it is better to transplant it completely small pot. When choosing a container, the type of cactus is also taken into account. For example, many babies appear on mammillaria. At the same time, many individual plants can grow in a pot.

Pot features

When deciding which land to plant a cactus in, you should also choose the right type of container. The material for the pot can be almost anything. Most often, cacti are grown in plastic small containers. Even cups for yogurt are suitable for these purposes.

Also one of the best materials for the pot is clay or ceramic. They can be decorated different ways. Even ordinary coffee cups are suitable for these purposes. Some cacti growers grow plants in coconut shells. There are many options. Not recommended for such purposes. metal utensils. She can rust. This negatively affects the growth of the cactus.

If there are a lot of plants, containers can be placed on one tray tightly to each other. This facilitates the transfer of the collection, increases the stability of each cup. IN plastic containers moisture stays longer. Watering is done less frequently. The pot must have drainage holes.

Forbidden Ingredients

Land for planting a cactus should not contain organic fertilizers. Such additives are rich in nitrogen. This component negatively affects the development of the plant. Cacti, consuming nitrogen, become loose. Their stem is stretched. The spines and hairs become weak, the skin will not have time to grow at the same rate as the stem. Wounds, cracks and scars will form on the surface. This is a life-threatening condition for the plant.

Resistance to diseases and other external influences in this case becomes low. The cactus can be attacked by pests, fungal infections. WITH big share chances are the plant will die. Therefore, it is forbidden to add bird droppings, manure or horn sawdust to the soil.

The soil should not contain pests and their larvae, undecomposed organic waste. It is important that it remains loose during the entire period of growth of the cactus.

Soil features

When studying which land to transplant a cactus into, you should consider a few options. You can prepare the mixture yourself. Universal primers are also on sale. However, when buying them, it is important to pay attention to what types of cactus they are intended for.

The main requirement for the soil is its high granularity. Cacti do not tolerate digging the earth. Therefore, the soil must be loose due to its special composition.

Also, the land should be nutritious. To do this, it is necessary to enrich the soil with certain components. Experienced flower growers say that it is best to use clay-soddy soil or leaf humus for these purposes, which include large river sand, crushed stone.

How to prepare the mixture yourself?

Cactus soil at home is prepared according to one of several methods. The first approach involves mixing leafy soil, turf, peat and coarse sand in equal proportions.

If the cactus belongs to the flat type (for example, echinopsis), the soil for it should be more nutritious and porous. In this case, 2 parts of soddy soil are mixed with 1 part of leaf humus, peat, coarse sand.

Representatives of the Cereus family need very nutritious soil. These cacti are known for their fast growth and large size. For such plants, the mixture is prepared from 1 part of leaf, sod land, peat, and also ¼ of humus.

From the finished soil mixture, you can make a soil with improved characteristics. They are suitable for unpretentious types of cacti. For them, take 2 parts of the finished soil mixture. 2 parts and 1 part of gravel are added to it.

The advice of experienced professionals will help you understand what kind of land is needed for cacti. When choosing the correct mixture composition, one should also ensure high quality all components. Leaf humus, which is involved in the preparation of the soil, should not contain knots, twigs and other debris.

Most indoor plant lovers love cacti primarily for their unpretentiousness and so-called patience, they can easily survive a period of long absence, do not require frequent and generally rather phlegmatic plants. However, like all living things, they require an easy, but correct one in order to feel good, grow and, moreover, bloom. In this article, we will determine what kind of soil is needed for a cactus and what requirements exist for it.

First of all, we will describe in general terms what kind of soil cacti love and here we can distinguish three main criteria: light, porous and with good drainage. Universal saturated dense soil, in which the vast majority of plants are planted, is completely inappropriate in this case, it is categorically not suitable for succulents.

What soil is best to transplant a cactus

Plants in specialized stores are sold in the so-called technical soil, which is completely unsuitable for long-term plants in it, therefore, after purchase, it is advisable to transplant it, allowing it to get used to new conditions within a few days.

When buying a cactus, you can immediately purchase a ready-made special substrate, which is called “For succulents and cacti”. If you can see that it is not porous enough, you can mix it with sand, small pebbles or brick chips. This will help to bring the growth conditions as close as possible to natural, cacti can often be seen (unless, of course, there is an opportunity to see them in their native environment) on stones and rocks. Drainage should be such as to protect the plant from even the slightest stagnation of water, the earth should quickly seep in water and dry out just as quickly.

When choosing a ready-made soil, you should not rely only on the recommendations of the seller and carefully check the composition of the soil, different manufacturers may offer different soils. The main component of the substrate for cacti is peat, which is mixed with limestone or dolomite flour to reduce its natural high acidity. Peat is also different, so you should not opt ​​for high-moor peat, it is devoid of nutrients and retains moisture that cacti do not need for a long time. Lowland peat is heavier and quickly cakes, therefore it is mixed with expanded clay and sand, and this the best choice for cacti. A mixture of these two types of peat also proved to be quite good.

Mostly ready-made soils are already sold with the addition of fertilizers, information about this is also noted on the packaging. If the soil is not fertilized, it is highly recommended to buy additional fertilizer.

For those who do not consider themselves a supporter of ready-made substrates, and prefer self-cooking soil mixtures for their plants, we will describe the main recommendations. Nothing complicated and surprising is needed, you just need to mix deciduous earth, turf and sand in equal amounts. This is a universal "succulent" mixture, and impurities are selected, focusing on the characteristics of the plant itself. For example, if the plant has small thin surface roots, then the soil should be loosened with pebbles or crushed bricks in a quantitative ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1/2 to the main components.

If the root system of the plant is stronger, the roots are thick, then the composition of the soil should be slightly changed by increasing the amount of sod so that its ratio with hardwood and sand looks like 1.5: 1: 1.

In an amount of at least 1/10 of the total soil volume, it is recommended to add crushed charcoal, and in plants that grow on stones in natural conditions - crushed stone.

How to prepare soil mixture for cacti and succulents video

And at the end helpful video roller and preparing soil for cacti.

Indoor cactus can be found on the windowsills of offices and apartments. This home plant is valued for its unpretentiousness and cute appearance. However, if you want to plant such a succulent baby, you need to know how to choose the right soil for cacti.

In fact, there are many recipes for the composition of the ground for cacti, and you can choose the one that is right for you. However, regardless of the composition of the ground for cacti you choose, it must meet the following requirements:

1. The first condition is that the earth must be loose and pass water and air well.
2. The second prerequisite for the substrate is low acidity. The optimal value is pH 4.5–6.

Looseness gives leafy earth. In addition, you can use brick chips or river sand for this, adding them to the composition of the soil. The use of peat is allowed (if you want to increase the acidity), and if you want to reduce it, then lime is perfect.

It's time to find out what kind of land old and young cacti need.

Young plants need a looser substrate, so leafy soil should be the basis. But older plants feel great in denser soil. Consider these points when compiling the substrate.

Video "Soil for cacti"

In this video, an expert will share tips for choosing soil for cacti.

Required Components

So, the soil for cacti consists of the following main elements:

1. Leaf land. Used as a main element, very loose and great for these little ones.
2. Clay-turf soil. Used to hold water. In addition, nutrients are washed out of it much more slowly.
3. Old greenhouse soil. This is a fallback if the previous two are not available to you for some reason.
4. Humus. Use it very carefully, in scanty amounts. It is allowed to add it only to very poor nutrients soil.
5. River sand. It is used to give looseness, and is part of all the main soil mixtures for these plants.
6. Burnt clay. Also used to give looseness.
7. Charcoal. It is added to the substrate in small pieces. Prevents putrefactive processes.
8. Brick crumb. Can be used to increase the looseness of the substrate.
9. Peat. Used to increase the level of acidity, if necessary.
10. Lime. It is used only if it is necessary to reduce the level of acidity.

Features of self-cooking

Do-it-yourself soil is quite simple to make, you just need to know what basic elements are included in the mixture for these plants. The only difficulty may be finding all the ingredients, since not every grower is ready to go to specialty stores for them. However, there is nothing complicated here either, because, as follows from our previous paragraph, some components can be an excellent alternative if the required ingredients could not be found.

It is also worth paying attention to one nuance: the components of the substrate will change slightly if you plant different varieties of the plant. So, here are the basic recipes for the soil mixture.

For desert cacti

For these plants, it is necessary to make a substrate, taking the following components in equal proportions:

• sod and leaf land;
• peat;
• coarse sand.

For plain cacti

When compiling a soil mixture for plain varieties, it is important to consider that they need more loose soil than their predecessors. This is the reason for the changes in the composition of the soil mixture:

• sod and leaf land;
• peat;
• humus;
• coarse river sand.

Sod land will require a little more than the rest of the components - two parts. All other ingredients are needed in one part.

Cereus family

These plants are fast growing and fairly large. Because of this, the soil in which they are planted should be more fertile. So, the following elements are included in the substrate for plants of the Cereus family:

• sod and leaf land;
• peat;
• humus.

All ingredients, except humus, are taken in equal proportions. Humus is 1/4 part, since even such a small amount is more than enough to ensure the required level of fertility.

Soil for unpretentious cacti

These varieties have the simplest soil composition. It should be noted that humus is not added there at all, since they are not particularly selective in choosing a substrate.
So, to prepare the soil mixture for unpretentious varieties, you will need the following components:

• ready soil;
• coarse sand;
• gravel.

It is necessary to observe the proportions 2:2:1, and then the substrate will turn out to be good and nutritious.

Land for cacti is a simple substrate, although it is multicomponent. If you follow the instructions, even a novice gardener will make it at home. In terms of quality, such soil is not inferior to the store, the main thing is to follow the rules of manufacture.

Primary requirements

Soil for cacti is not universal in itself. Different subspecies and varieties require different additional components in the soil. Houseplants extremely picky about the land in which they grow, due to the fact that the rhizome has the ability to absorb useful minerals and trace elements from the depths of the soil.

Ready-made soil (or elements for preparing the substrate yourself) can be bought at any gardening store. The main requirements for both homemade and purchased land are:

1. The mixture should be loose and porous.
2. The soil does not retain moisture.
3. The substrate is low acid.

In addition, three rules for taking soil from the street must be observed:

1. You can not take the soil from the flower beds. Perhaps it is impregnated with pesticides and insecticides that were used before. Some of the subspecies of such substances are not washed out even in two or three months.
2. The soil is not removed in winter. Even if you warm it up in the house and roast it in the oven, it will still be deprived of most of the necessary useful trace elements.
3. After sampling, the soil should be carefully inspected for the presence of insects and egg clutches.

Soil composition

Planting cacti in the ground is possible only after the correct mixture is made. None of the components can be missed, otherwise the cactus may not take root, or start to hurt. The composition of the soil includes:

1. The earth is leafy. This is the main component of the mixture, so it takes up 50 percent of the total volume (10/20). You need to use this subspecies of soil, because it is quite loose and acidic.
2. G linisto-turf land. This type of soil is needed to retain moisture. It is added in a small ratio (2/20 parts) because the cacti are accustomed to dry soil.
3. Coarse-grained sand (river). It is used as natural drainage (to loosen). It is 2/20 of the volume of the substrate. Also, the soil is sprinkled with sand from above.
4. Clay that has been fired. It is replaced by small brick chips. Acts as natural drainage. Volumetric part - 2/20.
5. Humus. The best option to create a good potting mix for cacti. You need to add it quite a bit, literally 1/20 of the total composition.
6. Peat. It is not required to use, it only affects the acidity of the soil (increases it). 1/20 of peat is added to the average substrate.
7. Lime. It, unlike peat, reduces acidity. The volume is similar - 1/20.
8. Charcoal. The best natural fertilizer, applied at a ratio of 2/20 parts. It can also be made by hand. It prevents the process of decay and preserves the roots.

When working on the ground, we must not forget about drainage. It consists of brick chips, pebbles and sand. The resulting mixture is laid on the bottom with a layer 1-2 centimeters thick (depending on the volume of the pot).

Soil preparation

The soil for cacti is prepared quickly and easily, if you follow a number of simple requirements. First of all, you need to check the proportions. Each forgotten ingredient will negatively affect the mixture.

The second step in creating your own soil is to check the acidity. If the gardener bought the ingredients in the store, then you can simply look at the parameter of interest on the package. If the earth is prepared independently, then the acidity level is measured in the laboratory. For the same purpose, a special apparatus is used at home.

It is also necessary to remember that when creating a substrate, all ingredients (except coal) are disinfected (if they were taken from the natural environment). This is done to kill harmful microorganisms and eggs of dangerous insects. The disinfection procedure is carried out in the oven, preheating it to 200 degrees. The process takes 2-3 hours, depending on how much mixture was loaded into the oven.

We must not forget that the composition of the soil differs depending on what type of cacti the gardener works with. If you do not take into account the nuances of the terrain, you can kill the plant even with a mixture of the highest quality ingredients.

Those indoor cacti, which most often flash on the shelves of specialized stores, are the most unpretentious in care. For their comfortable living, you can purchase ordinary soil mixture, diluted with sand and pebbles. This option is the simplest and most economical.

Plain cacti in the matter of choosing soil for growth are not so picky. They prefer the ground to be much looser, therefore, in addition to sand and brick chips, small pebbles are added to the composition.

Desert cacti are more demanding on the soil. They add more coarse sand to the soil mixture. Also, charcoal is not mixed into the composition of the earth for this species.

Special conditions require nutrient soil for the Cereus family. They are the most capricious of the cacti, so more peat is mixed into the soil, and humus is added instead of brick chips.

Ready land

Cacti need the right soil to grow and develop faster. Of course, desert dwellers survive in standard soil without necessary additives and even top dressing, but in such an environment the plant will feel uncomfortable, often get sick.

For a cactus, the question of the correct selection of soil is extremely important. This type of plant in the wild has a strong rhizome that goes deep into the soil. At home, this is impossible, so the volume of earth in a pot plays the role of the many layers of soil that are available to a cactus in its usual habitat.

The substrate for cacti is a simple soil mixture, the creation of which is within the power of a gardener with any experience or even without it. When planting a room culture in a new soil, the main thing is to remember that it will not work to create an ideal atmosphere for plants the first time. The gardener must prepare for the fact that the resulting substrate will have to be supplemented and revised a couple more times.