Here's a pic of the root system after misting I also added stones on the bottom of the pot for drainage

Congratulations on working on a better draining mix for your Adenium!!!

Al's Gritty Mix is a 1:1:1 ratio of Pine or Fir Bark, Turface, Granigrit ( Growers size) or Cherrystone ( size 2 ) All based on being similar in particle size. When you speak of silica sand instead of Granite, Sliica sand basically is smaller particles of crushed stone or granite . Coarse sand can be used as long as its in the right size.

Here is a pic of my Gritty Mix...

Once you make the mix, you don't need a layer of gravel on the bottom of your container.. It's a good idea to put a small piece of screen or plastic mesh ( used for cross stitch available at Michaels arts and crafts) to cover the hole. The mix will come out of the hole because of the small size, so its a good idea to protect the drainage hole.

I'll link you to the info that Al has posted and you can see the sizes needed for the Gritty Mix!

Gritty Mix

1 part uncomposted screened pine or fir bark (1/8-1/4")
1 part screened Turface
1 part crushed Gran-I-Grit (grower size) or #2 cherrystone
1 Tbsp gypsum per gallon of soil (eliminate if your fertilizer has Ca)
CRF (if desired)

I use 1/8 -1/4 tsp Epsom salts (MgSO4) per gallon of fertilizer solution when I fertilize if the fertilizer does not contain Mg (check your fertilizer - if it is soluble, it is probable it does not contain Ca or Mg. If I am using my currently favored fertilizer (I use it on everything), Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro in the 9-3-6 formulation, and I don't use gypsum or Epsom salts in the fertilizer solution.

This link will help!!!

Good luck,

Laura

Here is a link that might be useful: Containers Soils -Water Movement and Retention XVIII

This post was edited by loveplants2 on Mon, Apr 28, 14 at 20:12

Laura,
Your display of components of Gritty Mix is like Art Work. So well presented.
FLadenium, nice plant. You will see a big difference in time using this mix.
Watering frequency will depend on location, time of year and conditions we each apply.
Nice to have you join this group.
Rick

{{gwi:1295}}

Al

Thanks to everyone for the follow up I'm hitting Silica sand company either tomorrow or the following day, and Laura I'm adding a screen on the bottom hole of the pot like you said, and maybe a little Dyna-Gro's Foliage-Pro too from a hydroponics store. Thank you all

FWIW - particle size is a critical consideration when substituting granite and silica, or any other ingredients in the gritty mix. Though both are inert ingredients and hold no water internally, if the size or size range varies, the way they interact with the rest of the ingredients as a fraction of the whole changes. IOW, you can't substitute silica sand about the same size as coarse salt for #2 cherrystone or grower size grit and expect the soil to perform as it would if you were using the larger components.

If you're interested, the link that Laura left above offers a detailed overview of how water behaves in soils. An understanding of the information in that link probably represents the largest step forward a container gardener can take at any one time. Once you understand it, I promise the proverbial 'light' will go on.

Al

fL...Good luck!!!! You will love the Foliage Pro!!!

Thank you, Rick ! , so kind...

Al, always a pleasure! Thank you for sharing....

Take care,

Laura

What exactly is turface? I've never heard of it before.

Vivey,
Turface is a calcined clay used for improving drainage. Many Ball fields, Soccer fields use for this purpose.
I get mine through a wholesale company here that sells fertilizers, etc.
Many substitute Pumice (used in some masonry work) or Quincan gravel.
Use what you can find and is readily available to you. Many people use Perlite if they need to and some for the purpose of keeping the weight down on pots.
Rick

This is copied from a thread searched here Posted by tapla z5b-6a mid-MI (My Page) on Sat, Sep 3, 11 at 11:03

Turface vs Napa Floor Dry

Turface is calcined Montmorillonite clay, while the Floor Dry is calcined DE (diatomaceous earth). Both are very internally porous, but the calcined DE getting the nod for most water retention. Because the DE is more porous, it has more surface area and more attachment sites for nutrients, so it's CEC is better than that of Turface. Turface comes in at a pH of about 6.2, Floor Dry around 7.0.
There is a thread floating around somewhere that discusses a floor-dry product OTHER than the NAPA that has a larger avg particle size and very little waste. Though I do lean toward Turface over the DE, and perhaps it's because I don't NEED the extra water retention, I think I would take a serious look at switching to the larger DE product if I could find it (I think I cut myself too much slack there - I should have said if I wasn't so complacent and too lazy to make the effort.) ;-).

I think I'll go try to find that thread & reread it. If I locate it, I'll share.

Al

Thought this might help!!

Laura

I am also in S. Fl. Just embarked on the gritty mix journey myself. Exicted and replanting. I got my granite at Tractor and Supply. Turface at John Deere landscaping. Appreciate all the info. Am always searching threads. Hope this helps, thanks to all!

One more thing. The granite is mamma-pro chicken grit, Tractor Supply. They carry granite and crushed shell, so be wary. Good luck! Bout to start some plumeria cuttings in gritty mix, Whoooo

Great job!!

Tractor Supply ... Love that store too!! You are correct, you want the 100% granite and not the oyster shell crushed with granite!!

Manna Pro is great as well as Gran-I-grit - granite ( growers size ) or Cherrystone #2( crushed quartzite ). I love this but it's hard to find on the east coast...

Good luck!! Your adeniums will love this mix!!!

Laura

I have read through some of Al's postings and threads (yet again) re 5-1-1 and gritty mix; and hear, yet again, about how wonderful it is. I have been considering the transition to gritty mix, but have yet to see proof/pictures of before and after results. Maybe they are out there, but I have not come across them. So could someone please post their "before and after."

-Kadie

O ye of little faith .....

Al

Hi Kadie,. I do not have any before or after photo's of mine. When I first started growing these Adeniums. I had a lot of help and direction from some wonderful people from Australia and the U.S.. Their mixes where similar to Gritty Mix, but with the use of materials unfamiliar or unavailable to myself here, it made it difficult to follow suit.

I read through all of Al's articles and they made good sense and with Al's indepth information. This made it easier to understand. More over, I feel with what I have for weather conditions, this Mix proves to be a very safe and somewhat fool proof method to grow these.

I wish I had something to show you, but I do not. Just wonderful results with the mix.

Rick

I knew it! Someone was going to come along and say something about faith. Thank you for popping in Al. Even if I did not get a response, believe me, I would have taken a chance on at least a couple of my plants.

I agree, Rick, Al's articles make very good sense. And he is very much appreciated for taking the time and having the patience to share his knowledge and wisdom.

Laura, you are wonderful. And your adenium looks wonderful too. So the gritty mix does show very good results. And I like that the caudex does develop more above soil line instead of below (I read that somewhere about gritty mix.)

One question (so far), how soon could I transition a young plant to the mix. Rick, you have seen some of my chubby ones. I will answer my own question -- try it on a couple and see what happens.

Thanks all!

-Kadie

Kadie...

Thank you Kadie!!!!

I wanted to find something for you!!!

You can take a young Adenium and bare root it and pot up in Gritty Mix when they are young. I have a large collection of little ones in the mix..

The Caudex develops as its growing and is growing below the soil line too.. It's still the root system and that's why you see it fattening up!!!

I have smaller trees, but I wanted to post another pic of how I bare rooted one... This isn't the smallest that I have bare rooted..

I'll look for more...

Take care,

Laura

You have wonderful plants, Kadie. I am sure you will find it to be rewarding.

Watering is the one factor which will differ depending on our geographical location (sun, temperature, etc.) with using the Gritty Mix, but this is something that each of us would monitor anyhow.

Rick

Kadie - Even though DRs aren't really my thing, I've grown them in the gritty mix and have seen they do really well in it, as does about everything else I ever tried in it. The frog's wink & smile was genuine, and the 'O ye .... ' comment wasn't meant to be snarky ..... at all (glad you didn't take it that way). I didn't reply because I'm not as interested in convincing you that you should use it as I am in providing enough reliable information that it makes you feel like you might be missing something if you don't. In the end, I want it to be your decision and not my prodding that leads you to try it. Plus, I figured someone would be along with additional testimony and maybe even pictures (Thanks, Laura. Ain't she a peach?).

I really hope it turns out to be a decision that finds you getting a greater return for your growing efforts.

Al

Laura,

You have shown proof that the root caudex does indeed continue to grow and fatten below the soil line in gritty mix. Thank you for enlightening me.

Here is the claim in question: "The 'root' caudex will be small or non-existent and most of the caudex will form above the soil line when the adenium is grown in non-compressible media." From the article: Desert Rose (Desert Rose) Culture

Thanks again!

Al, I agree, Laura is a peach, and you are a plum!

You are more than welcome, Kadie!!!

I will have to go back and read that article, but what caught my eye was the picture of Nancy's Adenium. Hmmmm? Wonder if they had permission to use that picture? Hmmmm?

Glad you liked my picture of mine grown in the Gritty Mix. They just love it !!!

Thanks Al.. I think you are a " Peach" too! Ok. Maybe a " plum". Lol!!!

You guys have a great day...

I'll go back and read that article too... Thanks Kadie!!!

Laura

Rick, thank you for your compliment.

The water issue was the main reason for my considering the
change to gritty mix—I know now about the other good benefits.

I started growing from seeds last August and September, our
wettest months of the year. Every time
it rained I would cringe with worry that the seedlings were going to rot. I did not lose one—I think it was because
they were very young and needed the water.

Now that they are older, they will be susceptible to rot due
to excessive water. So, rather than
spending a lot of money on a canopy to keep the rains off, I will invest in
gritty mix. We have a HD and several
other home centers, feed stores, landscape companies, NAPA, and others I could
check out.

Of the ingredients for the mix, which should I substitute,
if any, for less moisture retention? I am guessing perlite instead of grit?

-Kadie

Ideally, you wouldn't need to substitute anything. If you use perlite instead of grit, you'll need to use a mix of about 2:3:1, bark: screened perlite: screened Turface because the perlite holds a lot more water on a per volume basis than grit. If you want less water retention, you could use 3 bark: 2 Turface: 4 grit, all screened.

Al

Okay, I will "KISS."

Thanks, Al.

-Kadie