Meet the newest member of the GT gang: GT Succulent Focus. A gentle, carefully formulated, complete and balanced fertiliser to give succulents and cacti everything they need, and nothing they don't. Guaranteed no sodium, chlorides, urea, cobalt or nickel. Plus succulent-safe nitrogen. But there's much more to it than just a pretty label. It's what's inside that's pretty impressive...

Available in 250ml (this size), and 1 litre (available here)

PS: Wondering why it's not called 'Cacti and Succulent Focus'? All cacti are succulents :)

Why what's in the pot changes how you feed succulents and cacti

Most succulents and cacti require a mix high in inorganic elements like sand and pumice, and low in moisture-retaining organic matter like soil and peat. The resulting fast-draining, grittier, airy mix holds less water and lacks the same soil biome of microbes needed to break down organic fertilisers.

That's why 'feeding' succulents and cacti with organic fertilisers can lead to deficiencies that can appear the same as not feeding at all, including leggy growth with weaker, thinner stems, smaller leaves, slower growth, leaf yellowing, thinner, misshapen leaves, and reduced resistance to pests and disease. Inorganic fertilisers like GT are important to make sure all the essential nutrients your succulents need, they can actually get.

That's also why GT is urea-free. Typical succulent mix lacks the level of microbes to easily break down urea into essential nitrogen, and urea causes dangerous pH spikes in drier soils. GT uses urea-free-nitrogen instead (more expensive but safer for succulents and cacti).

Directions for use

3mls per 1 litre water*

Succulents and cacti are not plants that require low water, they are plants that require less frequent watering. In their natural habitat rain is infrequent, but when it does rain it's normally intense. When you do water, water well so no roots miss out.

GT Succulent Focus supports the way succulents and cacti prefer to be watered. It's safe and gentle enough to use every time you water. Even for thirstier jungle succulents like Christmas cacti, Thanksgiving cacti, Rhipsalis and similar. However, like all fertilisers - even a lower salt fertiliser like GT - around one water every one to two months (or every third water for plants watered less frequently), should be with plain water (advice that applies to all plants, not just succulents).

*A NOTE ABOUT DOSE: For thirstier succulent family members like Christmas cacti and Rhipsalis, or for faster growers or heavy feeders, increase to 5mls per 1 litre water. For hydroponics / semi-hydroponics use 5mls to 7mls per 1 litre water.

Avoiding fertiliser burn for succulent's sensitive roots

COMPLETE & BALANCED The 12 minerals in GT may be essential, but minerals are still largely salts. Mineral salts from water, fertiliser and substrate can build-up over time and burn roots. GT is perfectly balanced to maintain the Goldilocks nutrient zone, to avoid both nutrient deficiencies and excesses, and help avoid build-up of excess mineral salts.

pH BUFFERED to be slightly acidic. Increasing nutrient availability, reducing leftover mineral salts and helping any salts present stay more soluble to flush more easily away from sensitive roots.

FREE OF SODIUM & CHLORIDES The most common, highest-salt-index ingredients in most fertilisers. No sodium or chlorides significantly reduces the risk of fertiliser burn.

CHELATED MINERALS The 'metal' minerals in GT are chelated. Essential metal nutrients like iron, magnesium and zinc can react in the substrate, turning into un-usable solids. One reason symptoms of deficiencies can be seen even when you feed (such as pale foliage, brown leaf margins, yellowing lower leaves and bronzing). Chelation adds organic molecules that keep minerals water-soluble and available to roots, reducing deficiencies and salt build-up.

What's in GT Succulent Focus?

GT Succulent Focus is carefully balanced to be higher in potassium to support succulents and cacti's more delicate root systems and help support resistance to succulent diseases such as mildew, removing the need for the common practice of supplementing potassium for cacti in particular. Lower in nitrogen and phosphorus to balance succulent and cacti's lower growth rate, without falling short on nitrogen for leafier succulents like Euphorbias.

The full list includes:

Nitrogen (N) 2.4% w/v essential for leaf and stem growth.
Phosphorus (P) 0.7% w/v for roots and disease resistance.
Potassium (K) 3% w/v for disease resistance and growth.
Calcium (Ca) 1.6% w/v for root tips and strong, healthy growth in general.
Magnesium (Mg) 0.5% w/v for chlorophyll production to enable photosynthesis.
Sulfur (S) 0.2% w/v for chlorophyll formation and protein synthesis for growth.
Iron (Fe) 0.08% w/v for oxygen and chlorophyll production.
Manganese (Mn) 0.018% w/v for enzyme and chlorophyll production.
Boron (B) 0.005% w/v for cell growth, especially root tips and new growth.
Zinc (Zn) 0.005% w/v for disease resistance and converting light to sugars needed for growth.
Copper (Cu) 0.003% w/v for plant respiration, photosynthesis and disease resistance.
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.001 % w/v for plant cells and for nitrogen-use.

What you WON'T find in GT Succulent Focus

No sodium or chlorides, two of the highest salt index ingredients in most fertilisers.

Free of urea, a common, cheaper form of nitrogen used in most fertilisers. Urea is more difficult for plants to access essential nitrogen from and can quickly spike pH to dangerous levels (8.5 to 9.0), harming plants. Less concerning in wetter soils, but in the drier soils preferred by succulents and cacti, non-urea-based nitrogen is recommended (like GT uses).

No cobalt or nickel. Essential for crops like peas and spinach, but known phytotoxins for succulents and cacti.

GARDEN FEED AND SOIL

Yates Thrive Orchid Liquid Plant Food - 500ml

Growth Technology SUCCULENT Focus - 250ml

Grosafe Ocean N Boost - Nitrogen Boosted Seaweed Concentrate - 500mls makes up to 166 litres