Learn the Ideal Soil Mix for Agave Utahensis

In habitat, Agave utahensis famously grows on limestone, but what does that mean for the plants in your collection? Do you know the ideal ratio of inorganic to organic material in your soil mix for growing #agave utahensis in cultivation? Do you know which specific inorganic and organic materials are the best? And do you know what the ideal mix for your specific growing environment is? In this video I detail the soil agave utahensis grows in in habitat, and how to figure out the perfect soil mix for your #agaveplants.

[@jungho2412]

Thank you for a very informative, helpful video.
There is no actual correct answer to potting media or soil mix, and many people do not mention that.
The soil mix should always be considered by the growing environment as you said!
It is difficult to obtain any crushed limestone in my area, and the fact that it is not necessary makes me at ease :)
I use cactus soil mix, seramis, akadama, etc for my agaves. I usually go 20% or less on organic materials. It's great that it dries out fast, but is downside frequent watering.
I add MagAmp K, osmocot when repotting and frequently give synthetic fertilizer when watering.
The growth definitely feels different when you fertilize agaves, none of my agaves are 'hard-grown' and are doing perfectly fine with forms.

[@mojave_lv]

That mix sounds awesome. And yeah, I think the whole "hard grown" thing comes primarily from cactus folks, and even so I've never been 100% convinced on it.

[@cactsai]

I agree, it depends on your climate. I live in the 5th rainiest state in the country: Georgia. During the spring and summer every single day it sits at about 60% humidity here or higher depending on what mother nature throws my way. For cactus I use 100% inorganic. For agave I add no more than 10% organic material in the form of compost or worm castings. My mix is primarily pumice and lava rock, a lava sand called kiryu, followed by zeolite, akadama, a dash of kanuma, and oyster shell or if I have it on hand, limestone. I'm a bonsai tree enthusiast so I tend to have Japanese soils around anyway which is why I use kiryu, akadama, kanuma, hyuga pumice and black fuji rock. Like someone else said in the comments, if it's agave, I'll add a bit of Magamp K and a small amount of Osmocote Plus upon planting. If it's cactus I'll add the tiniest bit of Magamp K upon planting.
One thing you didn't mention that is also the purpose of porous rock like lava, pumice, and perlite is the aeration factor. Roots and plants grow faster when the roots can breathe. Fine feeder roots explode with growth when proper aeration is in your potting vessel. Adding limestone or decomposed granite (or any other solid rock) is ideal for drainage, but what makes porous rock so perfect in soil is not only does it drain well, it leaves space for air within the rock itself allowing your roots to breathe.

[@cactsai]

I failed to mention that the above is my outdoor mix for agave. Indoors where the humidity is around 30-35% I use a bit more compost or worm castings and a lot more akadama for water retention. I really don't want to water my indoor agave every other day so adding more organic material and/or akadama makes it so that I only have to water once or twice a week.

[@mojave_lv]

Thanks for the details!

[@zpeckler]

13:59 Is this “bonsai block” from Bonsai Jack?

[@mojave_lv]

Nope, it's turface from a local agricultural supply store.