Just to have a little fun:

The challenge ends on Sunday, when I will post the right components and the winner(s).
Name the 6 components of my usual soil mix, and 2 some special add-ons for specific species.
First picture the mix and the main components.
Second and third pictures, just the components.
Go for it!



Close up 01


Close up 02

1 looks like a cactus mix with some pumice in.

2: bark mix, maybe sold as orchid mix.

3 is pumice

4 might be sold as lava rock.

7 is sold ås scoria where I live.

8 could be akadama. But I Think you cannot get it where you are.

4-8 are all from vulcanic sources.

3 could be zeolite (clinoptilolite)
6 lava?
7 terramol?

Wow hehehe this is a great post !
1. Cactus mix with perlite and some compost and sand?
2. Orchid pine bark mix with charcoal?
3. Pumice
4. Hydroton clay pellets
5. Australian zeolite?
6. Lava rock
7. Oh boy... diatomatous earth (DE) / Moler clay / kitty litter
8. That really expensive and hard to get stuff.. akadama

I confess I am very impressed!

@ Tropfrog, close but still not 100% accurate!

@LucR Zeolite is not found around here, but terramol could be a local name or brand of one of the components, yes.

@Aivar1988 you got close, very close! But you mixed up two or three components and didn't name what exactly is inside the 2 special mixes.

Thanks for joining in!

HINTS:

- Have you guys ever heard about LECA? Very usual in Europe.

- If one component looks like, has the texture of, the same color as, and the sizes and forms are the same as an known soil, then it *must* be that soil!

- There is no Zeolite in South America.

- One of the components still unidentified is a classic in not so rich countries. Easily available, good water retention, good drainage, difficult to break down unless frozen, very cheap (for free usually) the only not so good feature is its color.

LECA / Hydroton same thing I think. We call it "light-gravel" over here. Mainly used as the bottom layer in balcony flower pots.
I have used it for volume in the past but those suckers float like champs. If the pellets are cut in half tho, then it looks like it could hold some oxigen.

C'mon guys, did you give up?
Later today the resultas will be posted!

Can i give it one more try?

1. Cactus mix with pumice, peat and sand.
2. Orchid pine bark mix.
3. Pumice
4. Hydroton clay pellets. Leca.
5. Terramol
6. Lava rock
7. akadama
8. diatomatous earth/ cat litter

@Tropfrog, almost there!
Almost all components in your list are there, but there is a mixup somewhere.
And..
I don't see why river gravel is NOT in any of the lists above?
And the cheapest component, no one guessed yet?
Thanks for your participation!