How to Test and Store Succulent Soil

The soil for succulents and cacti is one of the most determining factors when it comes to providing good health to your plants. Previously, we have explained what kind of soil succulents need and, in addition, we invite you to try one of our 7 homemade succulent soil recipes. 

In this article we are going to answer two frequently asked questions about the substrate:

1. How to know if a soil is suitable for succulents and cacti?
2. How to store the soil that is not being used?

The goal is to teach you how to test and store succulent soil.

How to know if your substrate is suitable for succulents

A good substrate for succulents should be porous and should not be compacted. There is a very easy and simple way to verify that the substrate is suitable for use with our succulents. We tell you step by step how to do it:

1. Moisten the substrate mixture,
2. Take a handful of substrate and squeeze it tight.

When you open your hand, the substrate should crumble with ease. If so, you will know that it has the right composition, that it will drain well and that it will allow the roots to breathe.

By contrast, if after squeezing the handful it becomes a ball, if it remains compact and does not fall apart, it means that it needs more inorganic elements. You must then add more of the inorganic component that is present in the recipe of your choice (for example: perlite, coarse sand, pumice stone, vermiculite, among others). After doing so, perform the test again until you have the perfect mix.

How to store your own homemade substrate

As we have discussed several times, one of the advantages of making your own homemade soil mix for succulents is that you can prepare the right amount you need at the moment or you can make a little more and store it. Preparing a little more substrate will give you the advantage in the future of not having to mix again. You can make a large quantity, store it, and use it to plant your succulents later.

Contrary to what it may seem, storing the substrate is very simple. For example, you can store it in your garage or garden. You can put it in any container that can be sealed. This is key because we do not want any insects to enter our substrate, as they could become a pest on our succulents later.

As you can see in this article, it is really easy to know how to check if the substrate mixture you have made is suitable for your succulents and how you can store it without any problem to be able to use it again in the future.

We usually make a large mixture of substrate and use what we need. We store it in a large plastic container with a lid and leave it in a dark place.

And you, how do you test and store the substrate for your succulents?