Stapeliads are more awkward than cacti, as a gross generalisation. I use something like 1 part JI plus 4 parts mixed aggregate - perlite, gritty sand and coarse grit, all by volume.Herts Mike wrote: ↑Wed May 18, 2022 4:56 pm I used 100% moler clay for a season on my Stapeliads and the result was very good but I found the watering difficult and cumbersome as the water goes straight through and I couldn’t find a suitable tray to stand them in. What do you do Nick?
It works OK for me, but bear in mind that most stapeliads are more than happy to massively overflow a pot, so watering the small amount of potting mix to near staruration represents rather little total water for the plant and lasts it quite a while.
For plants with awkward reputations, I use the pedio' trick - use a moderately moisture-retentive compost mix but use large stones in the pot to reduce the volume of the compost mix while giving the plant lots of root room and reducing evaporation rate.
Depending on age, people may or not remember that building aggregates used to be sold in the UK by volume - you bought a (cubic) yard of soft sand (or whatever). It was sold by volume for very good reason - sands will hold 25-50% of their dry weight, of water - a yard of sand could weigh between a ton and a ton and a half at the extremes. In a potting mix including lots of fines, even if 100% mineral, this is VERY significant, IMO. (Oooooops, slipped in an opinion there................................that will never do!)