I need suggestions for soil for most of my cacti & succulents... i know it has to be quick-draining, but that's about it...
Any brand suggestions? Should/could I just add something in to a potting mixture, like perlite, to help it? I'm lost....

**I haven't had too great an experience with miracle-grow cactus soil, so I'm trying to avoid that... **

Any ideas?

--Mark--

IMHO avoid Miracle Grow anything at all costs. Avoid anything with added fertilizer, you want to control when and how much to use. I do not use perlite, it always eventually winds up on top of the soil (leaving the bottom heavier than you want), discolors, and looks ugly. This is what I do. I start with a good quality, rich organic potting soil; Macenroe's. I don't know how wide spread the brand is, the farm where they make it is about 1 hour drive from here, but I've seen it in Agway. To this I add mixed size grit, from coarse sand up to ~1/4" pebbles. This I get from various sources. Some of it's fishtank gravel, some I sift from bags of traction sand bought at the hardware store (yes, I sit outside on warm days and sift sand! Get rid of the fine stuff, it holds water.), some from 'wild' sources. Then I get to vary the mixture according to the plants' needs. Soil to drainage material, cacti like ~ 1 1/2:1, aloe 1:1 or 2:1, hoya 3 or 4:1, like that. I recycle the grit from healthy plants only. By this I mean a strong growing plant in exhausted soil I will repot, shaking off the dirt a bit without disturbing the roots to much. That dirt I will let get bone dry, wash (OK, ok, I don't really have too much time on my hands, I'm just happily nuts!), the organics will float to the top of the bowl, grit sink to the bottom. I toss the dirt and keep the grit. I do this with plants that died of too little water, too. Be careful with this, when in doubt toss it all, you don't want to spread anything bad. Anyway, after way too many words; good organic soil with no additives and your own grit mix. Good luck!!!

i just got schultz cactus potting mix. its got added organic material to it.

I just went through a bag of that here Sibyl!

I just buy the plain cheap potting soil..like WM has and then I add perlite to it at half perlite and half potting soil..mix it thoroughly, moisten it a small amount and it is ready to use. I use it for almost everything I grow.

I have been using Miracle Grow's cactus soil for about 6 months. I haven't had a problem with it...and the plants seem pretty happy with it.