Black peat
Cacti are succulent plants that live in the deserts of America. As it rains so little and the insolation is so strong, the soil that feeds them has been eroding over millions of years to transform it into what it is today. A sand poor in nutrients, which, unfortunately, does not receive the organic matter that does, for example, the land that gives life to tropical forests.
Why am I telling you this? Very simple: if we intend to grow a few specimens of plants, it is very important to know the characteristics of their habitat, so that we can have more or less a clear idea of how we should take care of it. When it comes to soil, succulents need excellent drainage, otherwise they will rot. To avoid it, We are going to explain how to make a substrate for cacti.
What do I need to make a cactus substrate?
Image - Pomice per Bonsai
Cactus roots do not tolerate waterlogging. From experience I can tell you that if you have them in the yard and one day a torrential rain falls that floods practically everything, it will not cause too many problems for most species of succulents as long as there is no frost. Now, if they receive too much water many times, in the end what is going to happen is that they will rot. So what does it take to make them a good substrate?
- 50% coarse sand, such as the cheek or akadama for example. It can also be washed river sand. It will favor the aeration of the roots and their support.
- 50% black peat. It will guarantee the good development of the root system.
So that it has even better drainage, we can put a first layer of volcanic clay inside the pot.
¿Cómo hacerlo?
Once you have the sand and the black peat, you just have to mix them well and fill the container, leaving room for the root ball or ground bread. The base of the cactus should be at the same height or a little lower than the edge of the pot, since this will make it easier for it to absorb all the water that we add.
With this mixture, the plant will grow wonderfully, for sure.