Well Draining Potting Soil Mix

Orchid potting mix improves drainage and helps air reach roots.

Well draining potting soil mix.

It provides the right structure for root growth and anchoring. While aeration is important the best potting soil must balance aeration with water retention. Perfect potting soil mix qualities how to make your own nutrient rich general purpose potting soil duration. This blend of coarse materials is designed for many kinds of orchids.

Sphagnum peat is lightweight and inexpensive. Orchid potting mix usually doesn t have fertilizer or moisture control pellets. Just as importantly it s well draining yet water retentive. Limestone is added to peat based potting mixes to help balance the ph.

A variety of bagged mixes are available commercially but you can easily make your own mix at home. Yes potting soil. Most houseplants do best in potting soil that allows water to drain easily. Stagnant sticky soil clings to plants and can rot the roots or allow harmful fungal growth.

Our top choice is fox farm happy frog organic potting soil mix. And it provides aeration so the roots can breathe. Sphagnum peat moss is well draining and well aerated but it s very low in available nutrients and it has an acidic ph typically ranging between 3 5 and 4 5. Holds enough water for healthy plants while still having good drainage.

Homemade mixes are often better. Mita bishnoi garden tips 11 798 views 10 17. They need to drain well to avoid mold or rot but hold on to some moisture so your plant s roots can drink. Soil drainage is a very important factor to consider when planting salvia agastache lavender penstemon and other perennials that like well drained soil.

Organic potting mixes are chemical free and made from natural organic materials. Peat is also on the acidic side and most seed starting mixes have a soil ph around 5 8 which is fine for starting most seeds. Bagged potting mixes are pre packed with the nutrients your plants need so there s no need to add soil compost or anything else. Good potting soil will have a consistency that makes it easy for plants to anchor their roots.

There are dozens of specialized potting soil mixes you can make. Granted until you get the peat thoroughly moistened the particles can be very unpleasant to work with. The good news is all potting mixes are well draining so all you need to do is choose a potting mix that s appropriate for the type of plant you re potting up.