How to store soil media

[eggshell]

Hi
I am wondering how to properly store Worm Castings, Horticultural Charcoal, expanding Coconut coir pucks, and pumice.

for the worm castings i saw somethings online about a wet paper towel.. and some thing about a bucket with holes..
so im not sure.

Im hoping I can maybe just throw in a couple silica desiccant packets and seal the bag or container?
thanks



I

 

[Marck]

The charcoal, coir, and pumice can should be stored dry. Worm castings will initially not be dry but there is no reason to dry them down quickly. However, do store them in a container that breathes, so that will become drier with time.

I'm not certain about your situation, but usually there is no need to store worm castings.
Instead you could just regularly side-dress your beds and plantings throughout the year.

 

[eggshell]

The charcoal, coir, and pumice can should be stored dry. Worm castings will initially not be dry but there is no reason to dry them down quickly. However, do store them in a container that breathes, so that will become drier with time.

I'm not certain about your situation, but usually there is no need to store worm castings.
Instead you could just regularly side-dress your beds and plantings throughout the year.

the situation: I ordered a couple of succulents online. I am not liking the soil mix they arrived in. its not well draining. I believe its just soil and perlite.

I decided to repot them in 2 parts coco coir, 1 part worm castings, .5 part horticultural charcoal, 1.5 parts pumice ?!

im not sure about my ratios!

I ordered all the media online. I have not opened the bags yet because I want to make sure I know what to do with the left overs. I will definitely have left overs. I have a couple small succulents for indoor pots.

I have terra cotta pots for them. but I am also maybe thinking about potting them in glass that way I can see all the root action.

I dont want mold or anything to grow on my worm castings. I will hopefully get more plants soon. but in the mean time should I maybe just have them in an open container. ? will that be ok. should I stir them every now and then?
thank u

 

[Marck]

The first imperative of potting soil is drainage, especially for plants such as succulents.
Nutrients may be added into the mix, but they can also be introduced by liquid or granular fertilizer.
Your potting blend may work fine, though the nutrients from the worm casting will eventually be exhausted. At that point you could switch to a liquid fertilizer.

Do oyu know which succulents you are growing? SOme are remarkable touchy about excess soil moisture, but many of the common types will do fine in a variety of soil mixtures, including general-purpose potting soil. The crucial point is to tailor one's irrigation to match the water retention of the mix.

By "potting them in glass" do you mean a non-draining terrarium or something similar? I generally recommend against this.
Short-term it certainly can be done, if one considers the display a temporary arrangement akin to dried or cut flowers, but long term the plants usually suffer. even slight overwatering will lead to rot, and chronic underwatering will also end with weak, spindly plants. Salts and other toxins will slowly (or not so slowly) accumulate as well.

 

[eggshell]

They are variegated and non variegated hoya kerri hearts!
Im hoping to stay away from the liquid fertilizers. Approx how long do you think the worm castings will be ok till they start to exhaust?!

I will tailor the irrigation with patience for the happiness of my plants

I shall keep in terra pots then!

I was thinking if theres enough pumice in there that root rot wouldnt happen. I thought it would be nice to see to make sure that all the soil is being evenly watered.

 

[Marck]

Ah I see, Hoya kerrii '"Hearts''. Those are interesting curiosities, but something must be explained to avoid disappointment.
Many of the Hoya kerrii that are sold as "hearts" are only rooted leaves without any stem tissue. Without stem tissue it is very unlikely that the leaves will grow into a complete Hoya vine. Usually they just sit in their pot until they finally expire.
However they are still interesting "plants" and they might persist in that state for several years.

How long the nutrients from worm castings remain in the soil will depend on the amount of growth, leaching, and other factors, but Hoya kerrii '"Hearts'' would not need a large amount of nutrients as growth will be minimal.

Hoya vines, being a "jungle" succulent, do like a richer soil mix and somewhat more moisture than succulents from drier regions.

 

[eggshell]

Ah I see, Hoya kerrii '"Hearts''. Those are interesting curiosities, but something must be explained to avoid disappointment.
Many of the Hoya kerrii that are sold as "hearts" are only rooted leaves without any stem tissue. Without stem tissue it is very unlikely that the leaves will grow into a complete Hoya vine. Usually they just sit in their pot until they finally expire.
However they are still interesting "plants" and they might persist in that state for several years.

How long the nutrients from worm castings remain in the soil will depend on the amount of growth, leaching, and other factors, but Hoya kerrii '"Hearts'' would not need a large amount of nutrients as growth will be minimal.

Hoya vines, being a "jungle" succulent, do like a richer soil mix and somewhat more moisture than succulents from drier regions.

I am hoping to keepy single heart leaf alive and happy for as many years as possible.!

should I maybe do .5 part instead of 1 part worm castings?!

moisture rich soil?

can I accomplish that with the media that I have?

thanks marck

 

[Marck]

As long as it drains well, you should be alright. My Hoya and Ceropegia are planted in a mix that is a blend of general-purpose potting soil and a grittier succulent blend. For argument's sake, lets say 50/50, but in truth, I just eyeballed it.