
What is a good soil mixture? re 
Soil Mixture 
A knowledge of where the plants are from will furnish a clue as 
to the proper soil mixture, amount of water, and the required ex- 
posure to the sun. A basic soil mixture consists of: 
1 part garden loam 
1 part leaf mold, well decomposed 
1 part coarse sand (not beach sand) 
poultry charcoal and old mortar (crushed) 
When in doubt use this standard mixture and then as you gain 
experience you may vary the soil to the requirements of the different 
plants. The greatest trouble is to get matured soil and not that which 
is in the process of decomposition. Leaf mold that is not thoroughly 
decayed—that is, two or three years old—may give trouble by creat- 
ing an acid condition which may infect the roots and cause them to 
develop rot. Coarse leaf mold invites infestation of root mealies. 
Sooner or later, most every collector will experience the sad results 
of root mealies unless precaution is used; we have seen whole collec- 
tions ruined before this pest was discovered. 
There are a few exceptions in cacti that will thrive on an acid soil. 
These plants are from the tropical areas where they live in trees and 
feed from the pockets of decaying vegetable matter. Such plants as 
Chain Cactus (Rhipsalis), Orchid Cactus (Epzphyllums), and Rat 
Tail Cactus (A porocactus) may safely be planted in a mixture of: 
4 parts leaf mold 
2 parts peat moss 
3 parts cow or sheep manure 
2 parts gravel 
2 parts sharp, washed sand not too fine 
The main requirement of the soil for all succulents, including 
cacti of course, is that it shall be porous. If water penetrates the soil 
immediately and does not stand in the pot, then it is sufhciently 
porous. The garden loam gives consistency to the mixture and pre- 
vents too quick drying of the soil. Most of the cacti welcome more 
lime than the other succulents and this can be obtained from old 
plaster walls. Charcoal from a poultry feed store also tends to pre- 
vent a sour soil and helps to keep it porous. 
