Most kinds of store-bought potting soils will work well in planters, but you can also use them to combine and combine soils to be able to provide just the perfect mixture for any kind of plant, herb, vegetable or flower and their drainage and moisture requirements.
Container potting mixes offer various benefits based on the type of soils or plants you would like to grow. For instance, following is a list of the most frequent kinds of planting lands and their applications.
All-Purpose – This is a sterilized mixture of sand or perlite and peat moss soil that’s usually used for shrubs and trees in addition to vegetables and annuals.
This sort of soil mix can also be referred to as loam-based potting mix. As its name suggests, its main ingredient is loam. It comes in many diverse mixtures and advantages and can be used long term for shrubs and trees.
The advantage of the kind of potting soil is that several diverse mixes and recipes can be created that are amazing for many different sorts of trees and plants. It’s supplied with a fantastic number of nutrients and retains water better than some other kinds of potting mix. Still, quality also depends upon brand names. Overall, loam-based mixes contain small amounts of peat.
Soil Less or Peat-based
This sort of potting soil is a combination of sphagnum peat moss, sand or perlite. Perlite can be substituted for rough sand. Perlite is a sterile, lightweight, white aggregate made from volcanic minerals. Perlite promotes ventilation of potting soil mixtures. This sort of potting soil also contains compost or dried manure or vermiculite, a soil additive. This sort of potting mix is typically used for temporary crops such as vegetables and annuals.
It’s important to keep this sort of potting mix slightly moist, as when allowed to dry out completely, it can be tricky to resaturate.
The benefit to using a peat-based potting mixture is it is an excellent mix, one that’s lightweight, clean and simple to use. However, it’s also prone to water logging, dries out faster than other combinations and comprises low nutrient levels.
This sort of potting soil can also be a sterilized combination of peat moss, sand, leaf molds, grit and dirt that’s favored by woodland and alpine type crops.
A water retentive potting soil is a combination of an all-purpose type mixture of components and water-retentive crystals which is acceptable for use with any kind of plant except succulents and cacti.
Coir is available as loose potting mix or in cubes. Made from shredded coconut husks, coir is blended with different kinds of potting soil in a one-to-two ratio as it includes no nutrients by itself.
Coir is lightweight, inexpensive, and perfect for use in pots that hang or are anchored on walls or balconies. It has a couple of disadvantages, such as it is not to be used for permanent plants, it dries fast and needs to be regularly watered.
This sort of potting soil has become more popular as customers become more aware of green waste composts. Because it’s made of recycled household waste, it keeps a dark, rich colour.
Using this sort of potting mix has many benefits. It’s fine for many potted plants, contains adequate nutrient levels and retains moisture well. Additionally, it was heat treated, which kills pests, weeds and diseases. Still, remember that some plants do well with this kind of mix and others don’t.
This sort of potting soil is specially created for use planting cacti and succulents and is made from of a mix of sterilized soil, gravel, ground limestone, sand and vermiculite.
This sort of potting soil can also be created by mixing an all-purpose form potting mix with added peat moss in addition to ground pine or fir bark. It’s best used on ericaceous plants such as heather, rhododendron, and azaleas.
Potting Soil Recipe
Basic Potting Soil Recipe
- 1 part peat moss or leaf mold
- If desired, you can also add a slow release fertilizer or bone meal
Acid-Loving Plants Recipe
- (Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Camellias)
- 2 parts coarse sand,
- 2 parts peat moss,
- 1 part leaf mold,
- 1/3 part well composted manure
- Bulbs Recipe
- 1 part coarse sand,
- 1 part leaf mold or peat moss,
- Bone meal according to package directions
Cacti and Succulents Recipe
- 2 components packaged potting soil,
- 2 parts sand,
- 1/2 part leaf mold or peat moss,
- Add bone meal or walnut according to package instructions
A good potting mix does not contain any native lands and is designed for greater absorption and drainage. You can make your own blends utilizing different kinds of packaged potting soils mentioned previously or create your own using the recipes provided below. For these recipes, it’s ideal to locate a potting soil which has vermiculite or perlite as its foundation for the best results.