Growing guide
How to mix potting soil for cycads
There is one rule behind every cycad mix: water must run straight through. Everything below is a variation on coarse sand and grit with just enough organic matter to hold a little moisture.
Seedlings and germination trays
2 parts washed coarse river sand · 1 part perlite · 1 part fine bark or coir
Open and almost lean. Seedlings need air around the young root far more than they need food. No fresh manure, no water-retaining additives.
Potted plants in bags and containers
2 parts washed coarse river sand · 1 part stone chip (6-10 mm) · 1 part bark · 1 part sieved compost
The workhorse mix for anything from a sleeve to a large drum. Enough organic matter to hold a little moisture, still coarse enough that water runs straight through.
Large and old specimens
3 parts coarse sand and stone chip · 1 part bark · a handful of sieved compost per bag of mix
Big plants sit in the same medium for years, so it must not break down and go airless. Add a layer of pure stone chip in the bottom of the container and keep the base of the stem proud of the surface.
Planting into a garden bed
Raise the bed, break through any clay layer, and blend at least half coarse sand and stone chip into the existing soil
Never plant a cycad into a hole in clay that fills up like a bucket. Plant slightly high so water drains away from the stem base.
Rules of thumb
- Drainage before richness — cycads die of wet feet far more often than of hunger.
- Wash river sand before use; builder's sand and plaster sand set hard and suffocate roots.
- Skip water-retaining gels and peat-heavy bagged potting soils.
- Use no fresh manure. Well-rotted compost, sparingly, is enough.
- Water thoroughly, then let the mix dry out before watering again. In winter, much less.
- Feed lightly while new leaves are pushing, with a balanced slow-release fertiliser and trace elements.
- Repot before the mix collapses into dust — usually every two to four years for potted plants.
Ratios are a starting point. Adjust for your climate — wetter, colder gardens want an even coarser mix than hot, dry ones.