What is the best mix for repotting indoor plants?
Many indoor gardeners use peat-lite mixtures, consisting of peat moss and either perlite or vermiculite. In more recent years, coconut coir (or coco coir) has become a popular, lower cost, and more sustainable alternative to peat moss. These soilless media are sterile, lightweight and easy to handle. Miracle-Gro VB300526 Plant Food (Liquid) Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food is great for use on all indoor plants, including edibles! Instantly feed all indoor houseplants, including edibles, with Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food. Simply apply the formula directly to the soil, or mix it with water. Apply once a week.This Performance Organics All Purpose Concentrate from Miracle-Gro® is said to be suitable for indoor houseplants as well as those in the garden.Can all indoor plants use the same potting soil? Most can, with the exception of cacti, succulents and orchids. Cacti and succulents like a soil that contains a lot of sand, stones and anything that’s going to make water drain off very quickly.Our pick for the best soil for indoor plants is the Espoma Organic Potting Mix because it’s organic, has excellent moisture retention, and can work for both indoor and outdoor container plants. If you don’t need an organic formula, we also love the budget-friendly Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix.Indoor potting soil may contain peat moss, coco coir, biochar, perlite, pumice, and other ingredients. While it may or may not be soilless, it mostly won’t contain organic matter like pine bark which could shelter pests like fungus gnat larvae.
Which compost is best for indoor plants?
Flower compost – a general purpose compost that is good for most plants. It’s a good all-round compost for indoor plants. Organic potting mix – a general purpose compost for potted plants. It’s usually a combination of compost, perlite and vermiculite. While some indoor-specific composts may have added ingredients for marketing purposes, the majority of these products contain similar ingredients to multi-purpose compost. As long as your compost of choice is high-quality and suitable for plants, it will work just fine for your indoor plants.Our pick for the best soil for indoor plants is the Espoma Organic Potting Mix because it’s organic, has excellent moisture retention, and can work for both indoor and outdoor container plants. If you don’t need an organic formula, we also love the budget-friendly Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix.If a potting mix or type of compost is identifiable as ‘multipurpose’ or ‘all-purpose’ which outlines it’s suitable for indoor or outdoor plants, then you’re safe to use it for your houseplants.As mentioned, potting mix is the soilless potting medium created mainly for indoor plants to make their growing process faster. Maximizing the plants’ growth is possible because the potting mix has the correct elements. Usually, the potting mix consists of vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, pine bark, etc.For many houseplants, yes. But some plants have needs that a standard potting mix can’t meet—they may need faster drainage, more aeration, or even some water retention.
Can I use normal soil for indoor plants?
It’s not advisable. You don’t know what your outdoor soil contains so it’s unlikely to give indoor plants the best start in life. It may be clay-based, which is too heavy for indoor plants. It’s also likely that outdoor soil will contain weeds, even if you can’t see them. Compost for house plants is specifically formulated for plants that live indoors, so that you have the perfect indoor plant pot mix for your house plants to thrive. Compost for houseplants is tailored to the type of plant so that your house plant potting mix supports a healthy plant from the soil up.Just like outdoor plants, indoor plants need the right soil to thrive. There are a variety of options but each and every plant is different so make sure to check the care label to make sure you know what your plant(s) need. Houseplant compost is the most common one to buy.The main disadvantage of potting soils is that it can be expensive, while soil from your own garden is free. Some plants can be harmed by a potting mix intended for another type of plant. Also, some potting mixes are not suitable for organic gardening because of synthetic ingredients they contain.Potting mix is different from outdoor soil. It’s best to use potting mix for any indoor plants. Use one that gives your plant roots the preferred air, moisture and nutrition balance it needs. Soil from the outdoors is heavy and is best used for outdoor gardening.Unless it is for a specific group of plants that need special conditions, orchids, say, the truth is that any good, peat-free multipurpose compost is fine for houseplants, but take precautions to improve drainage.
Can I use top soil for indoor plants?
Unfortunately, no. Garden soil, or topsoil, is far too dense and heavy for indoor potted plants. Eventually, it will become too compacted in the pot, suffocating the plant roots. Instead, you’ll need proper potting soil. The first step is to choose the right indoor plant potting mix, it is essential to select a quality potting mix to ensure that it encourages strong root development, has good water holding for circulation, good aeration for moisture retention and will also provide feeding for indoor plants for up to 6 months.FAQs for Indoor Plant Soil Mix When mixing soil for indoor plants, it’s common to use a combination of potting soil, drainage ingredients like coco coir or orchid bark, and additional amendments. Adding perlite or pumice can improve drainage and aeration for succulents and cacti.Indoor plants should be grown in potting mix and not in potting soil. The two are not the same, potting mix is much lighter and less dense. The best potting mix for indoor plants has a fluffy, light texture to maximize aeration and allow good drainage.Can you use the same potting compost for indoor and outdoor plants? Technically, yes. If a potting mix or compost is labelled ‘multipurpose’ or ‘all-purpose’ and says it’s suitable for indoor or outdoor plants, then you’re safe to use it.
What soil do I need to repot indoor plants?
What sort of soil should you use for repotting? Always use potting soil, also known as potting compost. Don’t just use soil from the garden as it will likely be too heavy for your plants and it can contain weeds or other nasties. We encourage the use of peat-free compost, as it’s kinder to the environment. Houseplants periodically require repotting to keep them healthy and growing. But few houseplants will need repotting more frequently than once a year, and most will only need repotting once every three to five years. The use of some mineral soil in the potting helps reduce the need for frequent repotting.The main things you need to know about repotting are: You don’t need to repot your plant as soon as you buy it. Repot every 2-3 years, to give your plant’s roots more space and fresh soil. Only size up to a pot about one or two inches bigger than the old one.One of the easiest ways to tell that a plant needs repotting is to check and see if the roots are growing out of the drainage hole of the pot. If so, this is an indication that the roots have run out of room and your plant needs a larger pot.In general, houseplants’ potting soil should be kept moist, but not wet. They normally need watering once or twice a week in the spring and summer, but less in the autumn and winter. However, depending on the type of houseplant, this is not always the case.