Craig I agree! I would rather have Plain old miracle grow potting soil for most of my succulents than "cactus mix" for the most part! I find echeveria and sempervivum do just fine in it also, unless they are in too large of a pot, but then it's not the potting soil's fault! As far as succulent soil pre made, miracle grow is still my favorite also as far as the likelihood of my plants liking/tolerating it. I haven't used that in a while, but in a pinch it can work fine for many succulents. Some miracle grow mix has more bark than others, and I prefer the barkless option myself. But if I had to pick one single thing to add to miracle grow mix to help succulents it would be pumice! Pumice is SO amazing! I never knew what all the rave was about until I used it! And 1/2 pumice , 1/2 regular miracle grow can make a pretty darn good mix for most non mesemb succulents. Yes, ideally making your own without any peat is "best" for most succulents, but I have had many thrive over the years in miracle grow mix! I think when succulents are struggling, that's when it's good to adjust and move away from more traditional potting mixes, or for mesembs. BUT, as long as they are happy and thriving, I never see a reason to encourage people to change their potting mix. The one exception is I do often warn people that what works in the summer, may not work in the winter. And to be aware and watch out for soils holding too much moisture for too long in the colder months. But if it's not a problem, no need to switch anything up in my opinion! 😁

Thanks so much, I'm using porous clay pots under the grow lights as well in my zone 6, so that is probably why they are doing okay in November in the regular miracle grow. I do have one other question but you have gone way beyond what you need to in trying to help me so if you can't reply, I will understand. I'm not sure what the difference is between plain small pebble rock and pumice. I know that pumice is the residue from a volcano, and is porous, but it only holds water for a very short time as you demonstrated in the video. I am not able to find pumice at this time of the year in the middle of Kansas, not sure if I can find it in the summer either. Doesn't little tiny garden rock work about the same, holding moisture for a short time but not long? I keep thinking that small pebble rock is porous as well. - Thanks so much.

Hello Craig, and hello Ashleen, thanks both of you for your kind and helpful information. I have been running the same tests for my tropical plants mix, I hope to get one day into cactus and succulents with this kind of information you provide. I have a question for you Craig, as your light setup, I cannot hang something to my ceiling, nor pierce it, what kind of pole would you recommend so I can plug in lights.

Craig I decided to just make a quick video answering this question from my perspective, and just uploaded it this morning. I plan to make a more detailed video on pumice soon, explaining some of the more unique properties of pumice, cause it certainly is an amazing rock! You CAN certainly use aquarium gravel, but I wouldn't consider them comparable, but there are advantages to using those types of stones in certain situation if you can't access Pumice. Check out the new video, and if I didn't answer your question satisfactorily or clearly enough please do let me know! ;-)

That's fantastic, Ashley, thanks so much!

Dawn Pleasant pearlite is still recommended for drainage, as it dries out faster, and allows more air into the soil. In 3 days the pearlite had evaporated 1/2 of the water it had absorbed, and if it were larger pieces it would be more, and less would have been absorbed. So it's still a good choice for some things. I just know people don't realize how much it still holds... pot size is another huge factor, and the pot material itself. If these were clay pots instead of plastic, it would be evaporating much quicker as well. But as long as your plants are happy, for many succulents staying wet for a few days isn't problematic at all. As long as they are able to dry completely out between Watering, many of the commonly available succulents will do just fine! Good luck with your babies and I hope you find a mix that works well for you! 💓

Ashley Glassman thanks Ashley. Tomorrow I'm going to the feed store to see if they have dry stall for my lithops. I'll leave my other plants as they are but I want to transfer my lithops into pumice. I only have three little ones. The rest of my cacti and succulents can hold off until spring.

neodrumz, I use pure Pumice on some of my lithops, and others I use a mixture of Pumice, sand, vermiculite, and a small amount of peat for acidity. Sometimes I use a bit of coconut husk as well if they are a variety of lithops that like a bit more water.

Marie Gilbert Hi there. I get my Pumice van Ikea in The Netherlands. Hope you have an Ikea store near by.

not all ikeas sell pumice. In Canada they do not.

The Truth Of The Matter; Yes that is accurate! Warm/hot water molecules are moving faster, and this allows the water to penetrate materials (including soil) quicker than if it was cold. Of course we don't want to use hot water on our plants, but warm, especially if the soil is crusty or repelling water is extremely helpful. The molecules moving faster is the reason we often use hot water to clean with also, as it penetrates and removed dirt and gunk more quickly than cold or warmer. (Random geeky side note there 😝) But also, considering rains for most succulent are rarely cold, room temp to slightly warmer water seems to stress my plants less than cold water as well, but I don't have any "proof" of them being happier, it's just my observation on their happiness... 😉. But as far as soil penetration, yes! Warm/room temp water absorbs faster and more evenly than cold with many substrates! 😁

Here is a link to a video I did specifically comparing the two. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gZOmZZV8l8rckmw.html While scoria can be used as a soil additive, the properties are quite different. Pearlite is a closer substitute and that can be easier to find many places. Hope the video helps, holler if you have more questions about this. Happy growing! 💗

Ty for the link to your other video!!! I'm fairly new here and I love the way you explain things!!! I'm glad I didn't order the scoria but I'm still having a bear of a time finding pumice! I thought I found a good site today, but the shipping was more than the pumice *facepalm*! Another issue is everything is in terms of liters, pints or pounds so I don't really know what is a fair amount for the price on pumice. Size is also a big concern (3/8-1/8 inch) or ( 1/16-1/32 inch) as per the site here hessponics.com/buy-ponics-stone.html . I'm like you and have such an issue with the pearlite floating and collecting on the sides of the pot. When the pearlite sticks to the sides I end up adding more water to "wash" it back into the pot which is just flirting with over-watering issues!!! Plus (and most importantly) I want quicker draining material so I can give my new lithop obsession a good chance at working lol.