Create the perfect environment for your plant's roots with these easy and cost-saving DIY potting mixes
After writing a recent post on potting soil basics, I realized it might be useful to share a few simple recipes. One great advantage of making your own soil is that once you have the ingredients, you can adjust the ratios to meet your specific needs. There's also no need to store multiple mixes: just create the basic potting mix and then add extra ingredients to customize it for your current use. If you already have a lot of an all-purpose potting mix, you can use it as the base in other recipes. All the following recipes are measured in "parts," making them easy to scale to any required quantity. A "part" can be any unit you choose, from a scoop to a pound to a truckload. Simply use the given numbers of each measurement, and the ratio remains consistent. Remember, we're not baking a cake here. These recipes are quite forgiving, and the measurements are rounded for simplicity. Small measurement variations won't affect the mix's effectiveness. So enjoy, experiment, and put your own twist on things. All the ingredients mentioned are readily available at garden centers and online retailers.
Basic Homemade Potting Soil
2 parts peat moss or shredded coir (coco fiber)
1 part compost or a mix of compost and manure
1 part perlite
If using homemade compost, sift it with a garden sieve before adding it to the other ingredients. Once everything is measured (or just eyeballed) mix together thoroughly. The mix can be stored indefinitely in a cool, dry place and used as needed.
Homemade Soil Mix for Succulents and Cacti
2 parts basic homemade potting soil (above)
3 parts desert sand (or other clean coarse sand)
1 part perlite
The desert sand and additional perlite create extra drainage to prevent root rot and limit moisture content.
Homemade Soil Mix For Aroids (philodendrons, pothos, monsteras etc.)
1 part basic homemade potting soil (above)
1 part orchid bark
1 part perlite
The chunky orchid bark (a mixture of pine bark, activated charcoal and coarse peat) and additional perlite create a well aerated mix for the air loving members of the araceae family.
Homemade Potting Mix for Tropical Plants
4 parts basic homemade potting soil (above)
1 part vermiculite
Adding a little vermiculite helps this soil retain a little extra moisture to protect moisture-loving tropical plants such as begonias from drying out too quickly.🪴
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