I bought this guy the other day. Looks to be a Haworthia Moon. I know I need to repot him and get some soil. He will be an inside guy here in East Tennessee with home temp in the mid 70s in the summer and upper 50s/mid 60s in the winter. I am looking at proper substrate and see so many opinions, etc. So, I was thinking about using some ratio of worm castings, coco coir, pumice or lava rock….am I overthinking it all because some just use the bonsai jack gritty mix or all pumice,etc. I just don't want to kill this little guy. Thank you.
by Phizzie16
4 Comments
Hi, if you already grow succulents, you should use what’s comfortable to you – some amount of drainage like perlite or pumice is always advised, I’d suggest to start at 50% pumice to 50% your preferred soil mix. A tiny amount of worm castings is fine to add, say 5% or less.
Pure Bonsai Jack gritty mix is the safest way to prevent rot. However, you will need to water frequently. I now use about 50% Bonsai Jack, 30% of a more organic mix like Espoma potting mix or cactus mix, and 20% worm castings. Those percents are not exact. This stays moist longer and I haven’t had any rot problems.
Of course the most important thing is to use a pot with a hole (or multiple holes). Unglazed pottery is also nice for letting air in.
My recommendation is 50 pumice, 20 lava, 20 turface, 10 cactus potting soil. Moisten and mix.. pot up in moist mix, vibrating the pot as you go. Don’t water for 3 days or more. I’ve been growing for 60+ years and this mix works for almost everything..
These guys are easy. Give them a squeeze and get a feel of what they’re like when they’re full. They’ll feel very firm. You can give them water when they start to feel softer.