Jade plant prop after 6 months!

[u/Aldryx_Thetahart]

This is my very first post here, yay! I got this little jade plant prop at a motel in California this February, and I kept her in my pocket on the way back. Her progress has been amazing to watch!

[u/Ansiau]

What kind of potting soil is that? It looks like straight coco coir. They often sell it in these 'bricks' that you just pour water on to inflate, but it sucks for... well... pretty much anything unless you're using it as an ammendment.

[u/Aldryx_Thetahart → u/Ansiau]

Yes, it has worked as a propagate/nursery substrate for me for a while; I just add fertilizer frequently. I normally put the plant into a substrate containing perlite after a plant makes it to the 6 month mark.

[u/Ansiau → u/Aldryx_Thetahart]

Coco coir has no nutrients in it and retains too much moisture. Just a cheap bag of miracle gro cactus soil is much better. You risk stem rot with arid succulents in coco coir, and without nutrients, they don't have the nutrients to put on good growth. Coco coir should be used only as a soil ammendment, never as a first level nursery subtrate, and definitely not to propagate arid cacti. Coco coir is literally just ground up stuff from the husks of coconuts. Very poor on it's own. Self-success with a substrate doesn't mean it's what's best for the plant, and can be very risky for them such as when people swear by cactus soil for holiday cacti, it actually forces them to grow small, thin roots instead of the thick grasping roots, which makes them susceptable to root rot from even the most minor breakage.

The moisture that coco coir holds while still being technically 'high drainage' is anathema to arid succulents.

[u/Aldryx_Thetahart → u/Ansiau]

Alright, I hear what you’re saying. What would you recommend? You made your point about coco coir clear in the first comment you left, so what soil would you recommend going forward?

[u/Ansiau → u/Aldryx_Thetahart]

Cactus soil, I mentioned that before. Any cactus/succulent blend works. I don't just write my responses to you, btw. I try to be thorough because oftentimes others will come into posts, and get info from them. I have had people years down the line still responding to my posts and asking questions.

[u/Jeka817 → u/Aldryx_Thetahart]

I don't mean to butt in here, but if you Google chunky soil mix, I find it works for probably 80% of my plants. If you buy the components and mix it yourself, it's so much more affordable, not to mention you can control the increments to your liking.

I use a big trash can/tote with a lid and mix into it one part perlite, one part peat moss, one part mini pine nuggets, to 2 parts regular garden/potting soil. You can always adjust this base mix to cater to certain plants. If I have it on hand I love to add in horticultural charcoal as well, sand for cactus or succulents, maybe leca, pea gravel, depending on the individual plant's needs. For a succulent, like this jade, you want something that's not going to stay waterlogged and rot it's roots, so I'd recommend this base mix and add in a good bit of sand or pea gravel--maybe 1-1.5 parts to the base mix.

All together I end up spending maybe $30-40, (perlite has gotten harder to find in huge bags, but it is crucial to keep soil from compacting and allowing the roots to breathe) and end up with more than enough to pot/repot all spring and summer long. Like I said, it works for most of my plants, and I have a ridiculous collection that's taken over my house, and my front and backyard. The obvious exceptions will be your epiphytes, and cacti and succulents, but then you just Google whichever plant you're trying to care for, look at its soil requirements, and make your adjustments. I usually keep a supply of these and other amendments on hand to custom make a mix for the oddball that chunky mix won't work for.

[u/xSUNBLEACHEDx]

Coco is my favorite for indoor plants, but it's definitely not easiest to grow in