WHAT IS THE BEST POTTING SOIL?

Potting soil is different than regular soil. If you put garden soil into your container, it will compact, drown the roots, and disrupt drainage. The best potting soil has:great drainageis lightweighthas humus (organic matter that includes plant and animal decay) If you are only filling one container you could use a high quality organic potting mixes like:

• Eb Stone's Edna's Best Potting Soil
• Coast of Main Bar Harbor Blend Organic Flower and Plant Potting Soil
• Fox Farm Ocean Forest Organic Potting Soil

 l would mix these products with a ratio of 2/3 to 1/3 of a potting soil to high quality compost like Malibu Compost or a similar product.

THE MAIN INGREDIENTS OF POTTING SOIL

Peat Moss 

Many commercial mixes have peat moss in them. It adds bulk to the mix without adding too much extra weight and holds water. HOWEVER, peat moss is not a sustainable material to use. It takes thousands of years to create peat moss and many gardeners are moving to coco coir, a coconut industry byproduct which is more sustainable. 

Coco Coir

Coco coir is the crushed outer layer of coconuts and replaces peat moss in many mixtures. It behaves the same way as peat moss while having more nutrients in it as well as a neutral pH. (Peat moss is acidic and needs lime added to it to balance out.) Coco Coir comes in bricks that need to be rehydrated. This is the coco coir I use.

Perlite

Perlite is a mined volcanic rock. When heated, it expands to look like little white styrofoam balls. Perlite is sterile. It creates porous space in your mix thereby improving drainage while also holding 4 times its weight in water. You can find perlite at your garden center.

Vermiculite

Vermiculite is a mined mineral that adds calcium and magnesium to a mix. It also helps retain water and adds porosity to the mix. I use this Organic Vermiculite.

Sand

Coarse sand is added to mixes to help with drainage and weight. Cactus and succulents use more sand in their mixes to have quicker drainage. 

Compost

Compost is the key ingredient to any good nutritious soil mix and really its foundation. It's alive with moisture, air, and humus created from plant and animal matter decay that teams with microorganisms. You will grow healthy vibrant plants using compost in your mix. 

Fertilizer

I always add a hand-mixed fertilizer in my mixes. You can use an already mixed fertilizer like Dr. Earth's Root Zone fertilizer if you don't want to mix your own. 

If you are like me and decided to do 5-10 to maybe even 30 containers at one time, (I do tend to go overboard) you can mix your own potting soil to fit your exact need for the most cost savings. You would have different mixes for seed starting, cactus and succulents and general potting soil for annuals and perennials. Trees and shrubs would have a mix with more bark in it. All mixes both commercial and homemade would have the above listed ingredients in them in different quantities.

Buy or make this mix, fill your container and plant your fabulous flowers.