Six months with Golden Barrel — what I actually learned

I brought Golden Barrel home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down.

I grow it in an outdoor container brought in for winter and the position has been ideal. remarkable drought tolerance once established is what keeps drawing me back to it. offsetting and pup production in spring was the moment that made me glad I persisted through the learning curve. One honest warning: spider mites in warm dry indoor conditions caught me off guard in month two. Stay on top of it from the start.