Making potting soil is a cost-effective way to keep your money in your wallet when you’re gardening…
If you’re looking for a way to reduce gardening expenses, then you’ll want to learn how to do it…
The growing medium for potting plants can be easily made at home…
… for a lower cost by using inexpensive material so you’ll find your best potting soil.
Hear it from Rick!
In this time of pandemic, I am starting my own habit of a green gardening…
I tried my best to reduce the use of chemicals and using tools that are environmental friendly…
So far, I am proud of the small steps I take because I can sense a difference in my life…
Not just that I feel more healthy on the inside, but also the environment I’m in…
One of the steps I take, is by making my own potting soil – in my opinion the best potting soil…
This is to ensure that I know what my plants are consuming…
… while also reducing the waste of my gardening hobby.
I’ve found my best potting soil recipe for my garden…
… and I encourage all my fellow gardeners to do the same.
Where’s your stance on that?
Making your own potting soil is not only a great way to save money…
… it allows you to control exactly what goes into your garden.
You won’t have to rely on manufacturers…
Making your own soil puts you in control, allowing you to customize it…
… for your plants based on their individual requirements.
No more generic soils that might not have what they need…
I initially found the idea of making potting soil a bit surreal…
All you have to do is run to your local garden supply store and pick up a few bags of soil…
Buying soil is so simple that I felt making it would be a waste of time…
I discovered that buying dozens of bags of potting soil…
… costs too much money when I have a large garden like mine.
Making potting soil myself also helps me to understand…
… and manage the media I have to use to grow my fruits, greens, and vegetables.
It may not save you a ton of money, but even pennies count…
Moreover, you can modify the ingredients if you have a specific goal in mind…
Additionally, you can adjust the recipe based on what plants you want to grow. What have you got to lose?
But first…
What Is Potting Soil?
The potting medium, also known as potting soil or potting mix…
… is a mixture of ingredients used to grow plants.
Good potting medium stays light, doesn’t compact around roots…
… and provides nutrition and the right growing conditions.
When starting seeds, rooting cuttings, potting houseplants, growing vegetables in pots…
… or filling hanging baskets, potting soil is the perfect medium for good growth.
Potting soil is specially designed to promote the growth of container plants…
The best potting soil, including homemade potting soil…
… shares a few common characteristics with other good mixes.
- Potting soil drains better than garden soil.
- It’s more lightweight than typical garden soil.
- It’s easy to handle.
- It contains the right mix of nutrients for most plants.
Potting soil blends come in a wide range of textures, nutrition values, and densities…
By carefully choosing the ingredients you use, you can customize the soil…
… to meet the specific needs of the plants you’re growing.
Common Potting Soil Ingredients
It is possible to make soil-based and peat-based potting media at home…
… by mixing a variety of ingredients in large quantities.
You will use a larger portion of the primary ingredients…
… while a smaller portion of the secondary ingredients.
Sphagnum Peat Moss
The primary ingredient in potting soil, peat moss is coarse in texture…
… and has an appropriate water-holding capacity while providing sufficient aeration.
The peat moss in the mix will keep the mixture from drying out too quickly…
However, too much sphagnum peat moss can hinder soil drainage…
Be sure to moisten the moss before adding it to the other ingredients…
Sterilized Soil
Using soil makes your potting medium heavier…
… so look for a loamy soil and make sure it’s sterilized.
Seed-starting mixes often skip soil since it makes your potting medium heavier…
Soil-based mix are best suited for outdoor potted plants…
Coarse, Sharp, or Builder Sand
Construction sand is used for construction and is a major ingredient in potting media…
Sand helps improve drainage and aeration but doesn’t hold water well…
Be careful not to put too much sand into the containers and don’t mix it with clay soil…
Perlite
Whether you use peat or soil-based potting media, perlite can replace sand…
Perlite is heated volcanic rock and is much lighter than sand…
It provides excellent drainage, but its lower density and higher air capacity makes it great for air-planting…
A few disadvantages to perlite include its price…
… and the tendency to grow a layer of dust on top of it when moistened.
If you plan on using perlite regularly, be sure to moisten it when working with it to keep it from doing this…
Coir Fiber
Coir fiber is a by-product of the coconut industry…
Due to its pH level, it behaves somewhat like sphagnum peat moss in home-made potting mixes…
This plant is more nutritious than peat moss and lasts longer…
Unlike peat moss it can also regenerate itself. However, it’s more expensive to buy than peat moss…
Vermiculite
Gardeners use vermiculite instead of perlite. It is a clay that naturally occurs in laminated flakes…
For better water holding capacity, vermiculite folds can be easily compacted…
Perlite does not compact so easily, which reduces its ability to hold water…
Limestone
Limestone is readily available and inexpensive, so you can add it…
… to peat-based potting soils when needed to neutralize acidity.
Use about 1/4 cup per six gallons of peat moss. Limestone is readily available and cheap…
Compost
You should use compost in your DIY potting soil recipes to promote healthy plant growth…
… and you should not use it for seed-starting because it is too heavy for young seedlings.
Compost contains billions of beneficial microbes, so it’s an excellent addition to potting soil…
Fertilizers
Fertilizers must be added to peat-based potting soils…
… as they don’t contain enough nutrients to support plant growth.
A good mix contains natural fertilizer, animal manures or by-products, plant materials, or manure…
How To Make Potting Soil
Making your own potting soil blend is straightforward…
… and gives you greater control over the growing process.
Here’s a quick recommendation from a research…
Coconut fibre was looked at as a sustainable alternative to peat moss in the potting soil mix. It was found that
Sophia Jones, Julia Kossakowski, Siri van Gruen in Development of a Sustainable Potting Soil Mix for the NCC Nursery
mixtures containing solarized soil showed a significant reduction in weed growth
You need a good soil for your container garden…
… because it’s important to meet all the needs of the plants.
Make large quantities of potting soil in a compost tumbler or cement mixer…
Your arms will thank you. If you want to make smaller quantities, use a wheelbarrow…
… large bucket, or mortar mixing tub. Be sure to stir everything thoroughly.
I’ve put together a few recipes for homemade potting soil…
General Potting Soil Recipe
Vegetable plants need a growing medium that can support them by holding their roots firmly…
It must also meet the requirements of the vegetables that you intend to grow…
- 6 gallons of sphagnum peat moss
- 6 gallons of sterilized soil
- 4.5 gallons of perlite
- 6 gallons of compost
- 1/4 cup of limestone, if you’re using peat moss
- 1 1/2 cup of a DIY container fertilizer blend or 10-10-10 fertilizer
Basic Soilless Container Mixture
- 10 quarts peat moss
- 5 quarts perlite
- 5 quarts vermiculite
- 4 quarts compost or well-rotted cow manure
- 2 cups fine sand
- 2 cups time-released fertilizer
- 1/2 cup lime, if you’re using peat moss
Seed Starting Potting Soil
Inadequate seed media can lead to seeds failing to germinate…
You need proper medium for growing seeds…
Sprouting seeds require a mix that retains moisture, which promotes germination…
- 2 gallons sphagnum peat moss or coir fiber
- 2 gallons vermiculite
- 1 gallon coarse sand
- 3 Tbsp lime, if using peat moss
Potting Soil Recipe for Houseplants
Houseplants shouldn’t be planted in garden soil, whether homemade or purchased…
Garden soil is not designed to meet the nutrient needs of houseplants…
… and compacts in pots, reducing access to water and air for the roots.
- 2 gallons sphagnum peat moss or coir fiber
- 2 gallons sterilized soil
- 1.5 gallons perlite
- 2 cups coarse sand
- 3 Tbsp lime, if using peat moss
- 2 Tbsp granular, organic fertilizer
Potting Soil Recipe for Potted Trees and Shrubs
Composted pine bark is recommended for this recipe, but other composted wood chips can be used…
- 3 gallons compost
- 2.5 gallons of coarse sand
- 3 gallons sphagnum moss
- 2.5 gallons composted pine bark
- 3 gallons perlite
- 2 Tbsp limestone
- 1 cup organic, granular fertilizer
- 1/4 cup organic cottonseed meal, if growing acid-loving trees and shrubs
Tips For Making Potting Soil At Home
In addition to the recipes, you will also find some tips to keep in mind…
As you can see, they are not complicated…
All you need to do is combine the ingredients in a large container and mix…
- If you want to make potting soil, you prefer one that is loose and porous. The lighter the soil, the better. It makes the container lighter to move, while also helping to transport water, fertilizer, and air to the roots of plants.
- If you choose to add soil sulfur to lower the pH level or lime to increase it, you can find both of these substances at your local garden center.
- Perlite, coarse sand, and other alternatives may help make the recipe less sticky. Coir or peat moss may be added to the recipe if it’s too gritty.
- If you’re growing vegetables, the medium will need to able to retain moisture, so add more ingredients. If you’re growing succulents, the reverse is true.
- Heavy feeders include annual flowers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and family crops such as cabbage. Moderate feeders include green beans, greens, and herbs, and light feeders include root crops. Use fertilizer accordingly.
To sum it up…
I hope by the end of this article, you found a new meaning in gardening…
Not only making your DIY potting soil will give you the best potting soil ever existed…
… but you can also gain a bunch of other benefits such as cheaper gardening cost…
… flexible ingredients, and also environmental friendly.
Several alternatives mentioned above are the most common ones you can choose from…
Go experiment and let us know how you did it!
Conclusion
Comment down below for further queries or contact us…
Tell us about your DIY potting soil journey, or any more alternatives you’ve come up with!
Check out more posts in our website like this one here!
Have an awesome gardening journey!