Choosing the right potting mix (2024)

FAQs

Choosing the right potting mix? ›

Indoor/outdoor pots and planters

Look for blends that contain no compost or bark, which can shelter fungus gnats, a common indoor pest. Raised beds: Formulated for outdoor raised bed plantings, these mixes may be fortified with nutrient-rich ingredients for growing vegetables and other heavy feeders.

While the basic peat moss, pine bark and perlite type potting mixes will work fine for almost all annual flowers and mixed potted plants, there are some crops for which specialty mixes might be helpful. The most common is potting mix for orchids.

Potting mix is commonly lighter and has better drainage and aeration than standard potting soil. It's also sterile, so you can be sure it won't introduce any fungi or weeds. However, because it's not soil, you'll want to replace it (i.e., repot your houseplants with fresh mix) every six to eight months.

So as you stand there in the garden center on Saturday morning looking at the bags of soil and wondering which kind to buy, know this: Garden soil won't work in your pots, and potting soil won't work in your garden.

When growing plants in containers or raised beds, you need to pay special attention to the soil you use. Soil taken from your yard or a garden bed is too dense to use in a pot or raised bed. Instead, for containers, you'll want to use potting mix (also called potting soil), a lightweight and fluffy alternative.

A mixture of 70% garden soil and 30% organic matter creates a good general potting mix for planting up trees, shrubs, perennials and fruit. If your garden soil is heavy, reduce the soil content by around 10% and add some sharp sand, grit, or bulky organic matter in its place to improve drainage.

The best soil for gardening is well-draining but moisture retentive. While loamy soil is ideal for most plants, it's important to keep in mind that different plants thrive in different types of soils. For example, succulents need sandy soil, and certain trees and shrubs thrive in clay soils.

What brand of potting soil is best? ›

Final Verdict. The best potting soil is the FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil for its ability to expand roots and its versatility; it can be used with indoor and outdoor plants. If you're looking for an effective potting soil that's more budget-friendly, we recommend Burpee Natural & Organic Premium Potting Soil.

NOTES: A simple effective potting mix recipe is to use 75% Peat Moss + 20% Vermiculite + 5% Perlite. It is easy to rehydrate in the event that it completely dries out. This mix is especially good for a sterile potting mix that will be used indoors.

After planting with potting mix, it's a good idea to add an all-purpose fertilizer. However, know your plant's needs so you don't overfeed or underfeed it.

Topsoil is best used for outdoor projects where the root systems have space to expand rather than being confined to a container. Using topsoil for plants in pots will mean that your plant won't get the nutrients it needs to grow and will more than likely die sooner than expected.

Potting soil can be mixed with garden soil for particular cases such as raised beds, but it's not a good mix for containers. Learn more about these different types of soil and how to use them in various types of gardens.

A bag of potting soil is heavier than a bag of potting mix. Potting mixes do not contain any soil. Potting mixes are used for container planting, especially for orchids, succulents, and cacti that need good drainage. A bag of potting mix is lighter than a bag of potting soil.

The best soil for gardening is well-draining but moisture retentive. While loamy soil is ideal for most plants, it's important to keep in mind that different plants thrive in different types of soils. For example, succulents need sandy soil, and certain trees and shrubs thrive in clay soils.

Yes, you can use indoor potting soil for an outdoor plant, but you shouldn't use outdoor potting soil for an indoor plant. Here's why: Indoor potting soil has a viable structure for outdoor plants. You just need to add fertilizer and a wetting agent since indoor soil typically dries quickly.

NOTES: A simple effective potting mix recipe is to use 75% Peat Moss + 20% Vermiculite + 5% Perlite. It is easy to rehydrate in the event that it completely dries out. This mix is especially good for a sterile potting mix that will be used indoors.