Why do people use Gritty Stuff around their Cactus and Succulents?
The Gritty Stuff is called ‘Top Dressing’. It can be any type of coarse sand, gravel, clay balls, charcoal grit, volcanic rock etc. It helps by:-
- Preventing splashing of mud on your plants when you water. ( Not an easy job to clean a cactus).
- Your plant stands out as a hero wanting to be photographed against a nice background.
- Prevents growth of weeds.
- Retains moisture in the substrate by preventing evaporation..
- Provides insulation to roots against temperature fluctuations.