Are you a cactus lover? Do you have a huge collection of these amazing plants? If so, you might be wondering: can you use cactus soil for other plants.
You’re able to use cactus soil for other plants. You may need to adjust the soil to provide the right levels of nutrition and moisture for your plants. Nevertheless, cactus soil is well-aerated, drains excess water quickly, and can encourage a healthy environment for your other plants.
While cactus soils can be beneficial for other plants, it is important to understand the differences between cacti and other types of plants before using this type of soil. Using cactus soil for plants that are not accustomed to dry conditions could result in unhealthy plant growth. Here’s what you need to know!
Can you use cactus soil for other plants?
Cactus soil can be used for other plants. However, you may need to adjust the soil to provide the right levels of nutrition and moisture for your plants. A well-draining substrate, cactus soil offers a great foundation, making it a great starting foundation for just about any kind of plant.
Cactus soil is formulated specifically for plants that prefer to grow in arid environments, as most succulents do. However, all plants benefit from well-draining soil, which is what cactus soil provides in general. These benefits are similar regardless of whether you grow plants in pots or in beds. You may notice the benefits of cactus soil for plants in containers earlier, however, since pots tend to drain water and nutrients faster than beds.
Most cactus soil mixes will include ingredients like coarse sand and stones. The sand improves drainage and adds some heft to the mixture, while stones provide necessary air gaps and aid in water drainage. Again, all plants can benefit from extra drainage so that their roots do not become waterlogged.
Some mixes also contain things like compost, which adds nutrients and encourages microbial growth, and perlite. Perlite helps improve the structure of the soil while also removing excess moisture. It is sterile and pH neutral, though, which means you’ll need to pay close attention to the acidity requirements of your plants.
You might also find pumice in a cactus soil mix. Pumice improves drainage and absorbs excess moisture that’s present in the soil even after the water has passed through the soil. It doesn’t decompose over time and is rich in trace minerals to help support microbial growth. Healthy levels of soil microbe process and move nutrients better, something that’s essential for all plants.
Cactus soil might also contain volcanic rocks to promote drainage along with pebbles.
Occasionally, cactus soil might contain peat or coir. This adds shape and structure to the soil mixture, helping to retain water for longer periods of time. While well-draining soil is essential, it does need to hold at least a little bit of water so the roots are properly hydrated.
The main difference between cactus mix and potting soil has to do with these ingredients. Cacti and other kinds of succulents don’t need very much water so it’s important that the soil drains well. Using soil that’s too wet can lead to root rot and kill your plants.
You should avoid using cactus soil for tropical plants that love moisture-retaining soil, such as daylilies, ferns, and lilies of the valley.
Can you use cactus soil for regular plants?
Each plant has vastly different needs in terms of how much water and what kinds of nutrients it likes. You’ll want to pay close attention to the unique needs of your plants before you decide if regular cactus soil is the right choice for them. In most cases, you can use cactus soil all you like – but you may need to add other ingredients to the mix in order to alter the soil texture and structure.
Various plants like various textures. Silt, for instance, is loaded with nutrients but retains moisture for much longer than sand.
Sand, as you likely know, has the best air circulation and drainage but doesn’t hang on to anything, water or nutrients, for very long. Clay tends to hold moisture and nutrients for a long period of time – not ideal for plants like cacti that don’t enjoy having their feet wet!
You can grow regular plants in cactus soil provided that you do some work to make sure your non-succulent plants get what they need. You will need to modify and adjust the soil so that it offers exactly what your plants need.
In order to make your cactus soil denser and moisture-retaining, you can add additional compost or peat moss. Shredded leaves can help, too. Generally, your goal should be to add more organic matter to the soil so it stays moist for longer periods of time.
Depending on the preferences of your plants, you may need to decrease the acidity of the cactus soil, too (which tends to be higher in acidity). To make the soil more alkaline, if that’s what is needed by your plants, you can add compost or lime to the mixture.
What can I use cactus soil for?
Cactus soil is, of course, ideal for growing cacti.
However, you can also grow other types of succulents in cactus soil without having to make any adjustments to it.
Plants that will grow well in cactus soil include:
- Jade
- Orchids
- Aloe vera
- Agave
- Echeveria
- Euphorbia
- Gasteria
…and many more!
Can I mix cactus soil with potting soil?
You can mix cactus soil with potting soil if you want to provide your plants with a growing medium that is well-draining – but not too well-draining.
Just make sure you check the labels on both packages of soil to see what kinds of ingredients are used and to get an idea of any supplemental ingredients you might need to add, like compost.
You can also make your own cactus soil if you want to save money and produce larger quantities of soil to use for your plants. To do this, you will mix together the parts of coarse sand or even gravel, three parts of potting soil, and two parts of pumice or perlite.
When you choose a potting soil for this homemade mixture, avoid using one that contains added fertilizers. Not only are these not necessary for your cacti, but the roots of these types of plants are delicate. The fertilizer can burn the roots and cause them to either die or grow in a leggy, spindly fashion.
Final thoughts
If you’re curious about trying out cactus soil for your plants, we recommend giving it a try today. It drains well, holds nutrients fairly well, and offers a mostly neutral pH – just what plants need, in general, for healthy growth!
So, if you’re looking for an affordable and sustainable way to improve your soil quality, give cactus soil a try. Just be sure to create a hospitable environment with enough nutrients and suiting water drainage for the new plants, that don’t have the same growing requirements as your cacti!
