I have been getting ready to add on to my rock garden and also need to mix more potting medium to re-pot succulents. I have had a hard time with getting the correct size grit or sand.If i go to my local feed store and ask for turkey grit is that big enough? Last night i seen a bag of broken oyster shells/oyster grit.I couldn't see the pieces but through the bag the pieces felt big,would that work as well.Is there anything about oyster shells good for succulents?

I have been adding pea gravel to my rock garden but have been lucky enough to be planting on a hill.The parts i'm adding on top & to 1 side of the existing bed aren't on as much of a slope.I'm going to have to build up with amended soil.I really need to make sure it drains good.Pea gravel works but would grit or sand work better? I have asked for the sand and i'm always shown play sand even when i tell them big grain,for good drainage etc... even lowes say they didn't have anything "like that".

I do want to use the best for drainage but looking for best price as well.
The 1st. photo is on the side of the bed so it's still on the slope but you can see in the 2nd photo i started the bed on top of the slope and now want to go a little further up but the ground is leveled off up there.I want to wrap the bed around the stump that has all the sedum on it.It's really spectacular when it blooms & the angelina is great in the winter.These plants spread so fast i won't have to wait long for the stump the be covered in both summer & winter!!


Any advice appreciated, i still have some cleaning up to finish to get the bed ready for the addition of some new plants.

JoJoe, I don't have experience with or know much about oyster shell, but it seems to be an "extra thing" that might not be needed if you can find chx grit of the size and price you want to help with drainage.

DO NOT USE Play Sand as it is too fine for drainage and will contribute to compactness of soil. If what you are using is working, available and affordable, then just stick with that. That way you only have to worry about your expanding landscape planning and your planting and watering chores for the specimens you already have out there.

I mixed some small pea gravel that the hubby uses at work in the part of the bed that i've already finished.My hubby works doing concrete construction and adds things to the concrete for (looks maybe).This pea gravel was tumbled or a river rock type of pea gravel it's very smooth,small and a nice brown & tan color,it's also expensive.

I don't have any of it left so now i need to find something to add to the compost to assist in drainage. I know not to use play sand,i am just trying to figure out what size grit,sand etc... i need to use. If i go to the feed store is turkey grit the biggest or is it big enough? The crushed oyster shells was just a lucky find,if it's big enough then great but i'm sure it's more expensive.

If i go to Lowes what exactly do i ask for? Last time i explained what i needed it for and they still said they only had play sand?? Where in the store is it? In case the store's aren't set up the same, what other products is it sold with.

I hope i was more clear this time. I have a sedum 'tri-color',2 jovibarba heuffelii hybrids, 4 semp's, ('oddity','tectorum','green apple' and arachnoideum 'cebenese') they need to be planted soon so i need to get at least one side of the bed built up & finished.I am putting them on the side that is on a slope,the top is very flat.I want to put maybe ice plants or something that doesn't need the soil to be as fast draining as semp's.

Jelinda, ask for horticultural sand. It should be in the garden dept.

Just be aware that shells will change the pH of the soil.

I have asked for the sand in the garden department and i they look at me like i'm crazy you (lady you need potting soil not sand). Actually told me they didn't have it and didn't know what i was talking about.

I have heard to look for construction sand,it's black and they use it for sand blasting, cars,remove paint etc...

Horticultural sand?

will do and will let yall know what happens!!

Use drainage rock, sold as drainage rock or gravel, its what you would use to build a french drain if you dont have rocks or broken cement/ masonry.
speaking of, if you can put that down then cover in drainage rock then put any soil of any sort on top it will drain faster then anything else will

Yeah, masonry sand is always what I was told to use. You just have to be careful not to add it to clay soil or you can make your own hardpan.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Perlite - it is kind of double duty - helps with the drainage but still keeps some moisture without exposing roots to actual water. I've been using it (successfully, at 100%) to root cactus that I've had rot in a light soil mix. Something else that I'm seeing more of is lava rock.

I'd be a bit nervous about the shells, too - alkaline soils are okay for a lot of C&S, but if it was harvested from the ocean, the salt intrinsic to it will kill most plants.

I root plumeria in 100% perlite too.

Horticultural sand is (or should be) sterile, salt-free and coarse enough to aerate the soil properly.

Thanks for all the help, if i can't figure it out not i never will.

Tee, taking your advice i googled horticultural sand and found the best site.
http://repotme.com/garden-cent...

That's a great selection they have there, joejoe. Shipping might be prohibitive though?

From that website, "Turface MVP" is an expanded rock that absorbs water into each grain, but is coarse enough to allow air flow around the grains.

#2 Chicken Grit is coarse enough for most of my purposes, but I don't grow cacti. I would think that turkey grit would be plenty large for most horticultural uses.

I agree that anything called "sand", even "coarse sand" is actually going to be entirely or mostly much too fine.

If you can find a place that sells to people who mess with concrete, look for different grades of "crushed rock" or "crushed stone". If it isn't hugely expensive, it may include some fine stuff that you will have to screen out or blow away or put up with.

I think you probably want grain sizes around 2-3 mm. Around 1/10 inch. Like, between 1/16th inch and 1/8th inch. Grit much smaller than 1 mm probably increases water retention, instead of decreasing it.

But once again: I don't grow cacti. I'm just aiming for very fast-draining potting soil.