baileysup
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Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:04 am
Location: NE-PA(Zone 6a-5b)

miracle grow cati media for everything?

I've read that most container/house plants do best in a fairly fast draining media. I've also read that miracle grow cacti media does not really drain well enough for most cati and succulents. would this make Miracle Grow cacti media a good media for just about ANY houseplant? I will have to transplant my snake plant and dragon tree soon, and was just going to use this media, because it seems to work well with everything, and I can not find the separate components to make my own right now anyways (I'd be lucky to find any media of any kind this time of year). would this cacti media be ok for my snake plant and dracae marinata?

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Kisal
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Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

I don't use Miracle-Gro products. I don't have anything against them, but I'm very happy with the brands of potting mixes that I do use ... 'Nature's', and 'Whitney Farms'. They're available at the stores near my home, even the Albertson's supermarket. :)

Mixes designed for cacti are formulated to be alkaline, rather than acidic. Most tropical plants prefer soil that is on the acidic side. That might preclude the Miracle-Gro mix from being appropriate for your other plants. I can't speak with certainty about that, though, because as I said, I don't use that brand.

You can increase the drainage, without disrupting the pH, by adding some perlite to regular potting mix, but I've never found that to be a necessity. There was another brand I used to use called 'Black Gold'. It was really good stuff, IMO. I'd love to find some again. It's made by the same company that makes 'Nature's', which I've also found to be very good. :)



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