Four Top Succulent Soil Comparison

This is a succulent potting mix comparison video. I compared 4 succulent mixes side by side, starting from the cheapest to the most expensive. These are some of the most used and popular succulent mixes out there. The first one is Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm and Citrus Potting Mix, the second one is Hoffman Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix, the third one is Sun Gro Black Gold Cactus Mix, and the last one is Bonsai Jack Cactus and Succulent Mix.

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[DrLauraRPalmer]

THANK YOU for mentioning THE SIZE OF THE BAG YOU BOUGHT to help give newbies a size comparison when they’re order ONLINE and have no clue what the size look like in comparison.
It’s been dam near impossible in the last two hours to find anyone mentioning this simple detail. People just speak and assume everyone knows this stuff. Thank you!

[ashkanahmadi]

It would have been great if you added 500ml of water to each soil and measure how much water leaves the pot after 2 minutes. That would tell you how much water is retained

[philipaday]

Really useful. Cannot believe how free draining that last one is. My plants would see the water coming and then realise they had missed it. Like the idea of making mixes that suit your own style

[skylarmickel]

Great review of all these soils. I have used all of them as well. But now I just make my own because it's cheaper and I can make it to my exact needs.

[Vixacious]

Thank you! Your video was super helpful and concise!! Much appreciated.

[devilmecare]

I use the Miracle Gro potting mix. I bake it at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes to kill the bugs.

[Ra-Heru]

Great video, very informative. Right now Im caring for my cactuses that I just bought from the store and a few of them need to be repotted so when I go to my hardware store I will try "black gold" it seems very promising and reliable.

[josettegrimske]

Thank you for showing the difference in the products!

[teresawingbermuehle]

I just started using EPSOMA CACTUS MIX ITS MIDWEST

[dporter]

I love the Bonsai Jack! I usually mix a bit of the original potting mix when I repot my succulents.. Might look into adding some black gold!

[StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Great video. I'm a miracle gro user and I've learned how to work with it over the yrs. It's not the best but it keeps my succulents happy. I'm looking to switch brands so this was pretty helpful. Thanks for sharing. I know I should have been using the good soil all these yrs, but you do what you can, with what you have lol. With a collection growing everyday, I figured I'd better invest in a better potting soil. I have over 200 succulents so I'm looking for something that lasts for a while. The blackgold seems the best from what I hear.

[Mr._Lister_The_Sister_Phister]

You actually don't need to add anything to the Bonsai Jack, it retains moisture better than you're probably expecting. One of the ingredients is pine coir, which is excellent at providing optimal moisture retention. The mix also has "monto" clay which basically has the same properties as hard akadama. That to say, it retains just the right amount of moisture while also allowing the excess to drain more easily. I've actually used all 4 of these at one point or another, with succulents as well as with bonsai, both indoors and out. The Bonsai Jack is definitely the best product out of the 4, by a pretty wide margin actually.

[chuckk]

Well hey, it’s neat to see the company I work for on here! I work for the third one you talked about, on the production floor.

[carollevasseur-cv]

Thank you! very helpful, good demonstration!!

[koreansucculentplants]

당신의 프로필 사진에 나오는 화분은 한국에서도 저렴하게 수매할 수 있고, 저도 가지고 있어요 ! 그래서 더 반갑네요 .

soil mix 영상 잘 봤어요 !

[kiritokirigaya]

Thank you so much for making this, I'm just getting into potting and it's so annoying to tell the difference between soil types

[jjrose]

The intro reminded me of jack and Daxter a bit (video game) and thank you for the video :)

[jeffhurst]

I tend to use initial mixture Bonsai Jack cacti/succulent. I do mostly succulent plants (e.g dwarf/large Jade, with a few cacti). Then add additional ingredients like what you indicate (bark, potting soil, large sand, crushed granite, etc.). I do not add any fertilizer in mixture for cuttings/young cacti/succulents (bad experiences). I use granular organic and fish/kelp fertilizers mostly on top of soil. I’ve noticed the liquid fertilizers tend to wash through too fast. Thank you for this video.

[kenziemitchey]

Just bought the Sun Gold Cactus Mix from ace hardware for pickup. Only costs $6.49 for 1 8qt. bag :) awesome video, thank you so much! I'm new to succulents!

[erikm]

In my opinion, any soil is good for succulents or cacti, BUT—I always amend them myself, as you said. For example; Miracle-Gro is WAY too thick, organic & rich for ANY plant, in my eyes, not even just succulents. It has almost no drainage. I add whatever inert ingredients that I possibly can to the soil I purchase; perlite, pumice, decomposed granite, Oil-Dri (small clay flakes, or unscented organic kitty litter), crushed volcanic rock.

The only brand I’ve not had to add anything to is Black Gold succulent mix. But I still did. You can see the small volcanic rocks and pumice in it. It’s expensive on Amazon but cheaper at certain other places.

In reality, I’ve learned from semi hydroponics and houseplants. Have you heard if Lechuza Pon? “Pon” is a substrate made of mostly rocky materials with Osmocote granules for nutrition. You can do it in a DIY version. Pumice, perlite, the unscented kitty litter, zeolite, activated charcoal and the Osmocote. It seems like nothing, but it’s ideal and succulents will root. If water retention is a concern I would add vermiculite to the mix. Pon even works for tropical plants if you keep it in a small tray of water (semi hydro). It’s an improvement on LECA (clay balls). At PetSmart and Petco they sell a zeolite and charcoal blend for $13. It’s a good amendment to any substrate too. Helps purify the soil and prevent anaerobic bacteria, while adding drainage.