Pebbles or no?
So I was going to finish Citrineās terrarium but I didnāt know if putting pebbles on top was a good idea or not. I donāt want Citrine to go thirsty. Thereās pebbles that the bottom for drainage and I wanted to know if putting pebbles on top would be too much?? If it is too much I can just leave it the way it is. (I swear someone is going to yell at me for posting so much š°) #Terrarium #CactusClique #SucculentSquad
5ft to light, direct
6ā pot with drainage
Last watered 3 years ago
13
I'd love to know the answer too! I used to always top my plants with pebbles but one got to smelling like mushrooms... I'm in Tucson so I thought it was good to hold in some moisture, but almost all my plants have that white mold on the top of their soil. I kind of doubt adding pebbles would help that situation... I still use them in the bottom and in my saucers so I can drain the extra water and no one sits with "wet feet." Anyway, I'll be following this one!
@ChaosPlains
I vote pebbles I think some say it serves no function but I say 1)keeps light off your soul which should help reduce fungal growth and 2)they help keep water off your plant
3)I think decorative rock on top looks good
I vote pebbles I think some say it serves no function but I say 1)keeps light off your soul which should help reduce fungal growth and 2)they help keep water off your plant
3)I think decorative rock on top looks good
I agree with @Lithopslover I actually put a little sand and a few rocks on the top of my soil, I bottom water though.
I agree with @Sassylimey! A lot of problems that plant parents have is they put too big of pebbles on the soil, which causes growth and watering issues.
If you choose to place pebbles, make sure not to pack them tightly as to avoid growth issues. Also, avoid overhead watering as sometimes the pebbles can either make it difficult for the water to seep into the soil, or the pebbles can make the soil retain more water than itās needed, especially for cactus! It is better to underwater cacti, than to overwater! Itās easy to give it a little drink if needed, but itās difficult to revert root rot.
If you place pebbles, I would do what Sarah says, #ButtChug or Bottom watering š
If you choose to place pebbles, make sure not to pack them tightly as to avoid growth issues. Also, avoid overhead watering as sometimes the pebbles can either make it difficult for the water to seep into the soil, or the pebbles can make the soil retain more water than itās needed, especially for cactus! It is better to underwater cacti, than to overwater! Itās easy to give it a little drink if needed, but itās difficult to revert root rot.
If you place pebbles, I would do what Sarah says, #ButtChug or Bottom watering š
I would put pebbles but use a water meter before you water to make sure the soil is dry all the way thru before you water again. The pebbles will trap a lot more moisture and you donāt want it to rot. Itās better to underwater than over water. But pebbles wonāt hurt anything as long as you have quick draining soil that drys fast
Pebbles at the bottom of a glass container actually don't help with drainage- the water cannot evaporate through the soil as easily and just pools in the pebbles instead. Eventually this will cause root rot as succulents don't like having wet feet. If possible, I'd drill a hole (carefully!) in the bottom of your bowl for proper drainage to ensure Citrine has a long, healthy, and happy life =)
@ChaosPlains I reuse old candle jars for succulents! I use a diamond tipped drill bit, submerge the jar underwater, and drill really carefully and then bam, instant new pot! I have one called Plant Lady that I'm just dying to find the right plant for!
What a lot of people use is bonsai soil as a top layer. It will dry fast still and looks really good. Especially Adakama bonsai soil. You wonāt have the problem of trapping in too much moisture and cacti look great with bonsai soil as a top layer. These are pics of some I used pebbles or bonsai soil that are doing great. Iāll find a pic of one with adakama soil. The one with the pebbles gets watered much less than the others . Sometimes not watered for a month or more.
If itās known to be a rot prone plant like one type of mamillaria Iāve had die on me twice from rot then I would avoid the pebbles. And would use a really rocky soil mix. Rabbit hill farms cacti soil with a bunch of lava rocks mixed in. Then it will drain and dry fast.