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Depends on when I potted up the tree.... I experiment...

Portulacaria afra (a succulent) are in:
100% turface with a sprinkling of goat poo (new mix, so far so good)
100% Florida yard sand (compacts fast but WOW does it make fat roots....)
Half turface half jungle growth (local soil mix, seems to be mostly small bark with perlite and organics)
Regular potting soil (ran out of turface..... stays soggy)
Half soil half turface (compacts, but not as fast as yard sand)
Broken up chunks of red lava rock (pain to make)

Ficus are in half turface half various bark types (orchid, jungle growth, etc)

Bald cypress in 100% FLorida yard sand (I dug a hole in the yard because I didn't have enough soil... sand with organics)

JBP in 100% turface on recommendation... and they seem happy

I do not recommend 100% turface in the deep south for anything other than the succulent and the JBP (that I have), it's a bit too dry for someone living in south florida that only can water once a day....

Am staying far far far far away from anything with lots of peat in it in Florida, it dries out hard as a rock and very hard to rewet...

One local grower exclusively uses the half turface half bark receipie for everything. Another uses pure turface for succulents and ficus and half/half for all else... both growers water pretty much daily for about an hour a day with overhead sprinklers.

7-Apr-2007	#22
nsmar4211 just me :) Join Date: Jul-2006 Location: South Florida Country: us USDA Zone: 9 or 10 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 391	Depends on when I potted up the tree.... I experiment... Portulacaria afra (a succulent) are in: 100% turface with a sprinkling of goat poo (new mix, so far so good) 100% Florida yard sand (compacts fast but WOW does it make fat roots....) Half turface half jungle growth (local soil mix, seems to be mostly small bark with perlite and organics) Regular potting soil (ran out of turface..... stays soggy) Half soil half turface (compacts, but not as fast as yard sand) Broken up chunks of red lava rock (pain to make) Ficus are in half turface half various bark types (orchid, jungle growth, etc) Bald cypress in 100% FLorida yard sand (I dug a hole in the yard because I didn't have enough soil... sand with organics) JBP in 100% turface on recommendation... and they seem happy I do not recommend 100% turface in the deep south for anything other than the succulent and the JBP (that I have), it's a bit too dry for someone living in south florida that only can water once a day.... Am staying far far far far away from anything with lots of peat in it in Florida, it dries out hard as a rock and very hard to rewet... One local grower exclusively uses the half turface half bark receipie for everything. Another uses pure turface for succulents and ficus and half/half for all else... both growers water pretty much daily for about an hour a day with overhead sprinklers.