Sun GRO Horticulture 1410602.Q08P Black Gold Cactus Mix (8 qt) (2 Pack)

Started using Black Gold Cactus Soil in the early 70's, when it was 100% genuine soil and was really black. It was beautiful soil and unmatched in quality. Used to purchase it from my bonsai supplier in Manhattan and couldn't find it anywhere else.Sometime in the late 70's, the soil was getting harder to find. Finally, it came back, but was not the "original" Black Gold. As the years wore on, the composition kept changing. It was no longer that rich black soil. The composition grew lighter and was wary of it and started using a bonsai master's homemade mix, for cacti and succulents, in addition to my bonsai collection. (Collection of over 200 trees, plants and flowers, all grown indoors.)When the little bonsai shop closed, I lost my perfect soil and the search was on.Long story short, I came back to Black Gold after several years of trying other brands. I'm not 100% happy with the new "mixes", as opposed to real soil, but all my plants are thriving and I can't argue with that.I find it annoying to have to pay four times the cost if purchased locally, but due to current circumstances with C-19, wasn't left much of a choice.Bottom line, I use Black Gold Cactus, Organic Potting and African Violet Mixes. It may not be the original Black Gold from the 60's and 70's, but it is still the best commercial soil available.

I thought that I loved black gold. The first time I ordered it, it was rich yet not heavy. I did have to amend it with pumice or perlite for better drainage. No bugs in the soil. This time, it’s as if it is a completely different manufacture. It is nothing but perlite and sticks, along with fungus gnats. I would return it but unfortunately I am out of return window because I only needed it recently. I ordered TWO bags and I’m afraid to even open the other one. Fungus gnats happen in storage facilities etc. and while that is a huge pain, I’m more disappointed in the quality of the mix that I received compared to the previous bag I ordered.

My first order of this cactus mix on Dec. 15th was perfect! It is the second picture. Pine Bark, wood products, lava rock....great stuff. I ordered it again Jan 21st and it is horrible! Peat moss and perlite! Wet, moist and fungus gnats flew out of the bag. I have contacted Sun Gro about this inconsistency and they are looking into it. I have talked to several other people in succulent and cactus groups that are experiencing the same problem. The bag labeled "Cactus Mix" is not cactus mix! It's potting soil. I am sending this back and getting a refund. This is not good for cactus's and succulents because it stays wet for too long and does not dry quickly!

I'm pretty sure this is mold or fungus growing on the soil. I ordered two bags and this was on the top of one of them. The other didn't have it, at least visibly, so I used that one. I will post an update once I see how this affects the aloe I transplanted.I am crossing my fingers that this is the legitimate product.

I use Black Gold soil for everything from tomatoes and datil peppers to flowers. It's the best soil I've found. This mix is perfect for cacti and succulents. It is a good draining soil, which they need. If you're using it indoors, you may want to add some extra perlite or inorganic material like clay pellets (akadama) just to make sure that it drains quickly enough to prevent root rot. This is a great deal on the soil, and you can't beat having it delivered to your door!

I love the soil mixes by Black Gold. I use the cactus mix as a base and add in more drainage for my succulents and cacti. There are two versions of this mix, one with pumice and one with perlite. I was hoping that by ordering I would get the pumice version, as I did the last time I ordered. This time it was the perlite mix. From what I have read, the mixes differ regionally, as pumice is heavier than perlite and therefore more expensive to ship. I can get the perlite version locally in the Midwest. I would have preferred the pumice mix, as the perlite floats and separates out of the mix quickly. Please specify which mix is being sold in the description.

This is so disappointing, I was trying to plant some new succulents and I opened the bag and this is what I found in. I don't know why the bag is different from the one on Amazon.??? I don't think anyone should used this succulents and cactus will die in. I wish they were negative stars.

The soil in the pot on the left is their old mix. The soil in the pot on the left is their new mix. The new mix contains no pumice or perlite. The whole point of using pumice and perlite is to make the soil fast draining, otherwise the roots will rot. I have bought several bags without pumice or perlite in the last month. I hope this is a fluke.Even the cactus soil mix that contains the perlite and pumice is Horrible for growing cacti from seed. I have never seen so many Sciarra gnats or fungus gnats in my life I had to buy fungus gnat traps to cope with all the gnats and try to Interrupt the reproduction cycle. My seedlings are growing much much slower in this mix than other mixes I have used