Soil mix is one of the key factors in your plants growth and survival. It has an impact on the roots, leaves looking lush and obviously new growth.
So here’s few things to keep in mind before repotting your plants.
- It’s hugely more cost effective to buy all the different substrates and mix them yourself. No matter how tempting it is to buy a ready mixed bag it’s not worth the money for the quantity you get.
- Always add a potting medium to increase drainage. All plants need this regardless on species.
The products I always have around to create my mix it’s houseplants soil, perlite, vermiculite, bark, coco husk, horticultural charcoal and clay balls. But not all these products will go into the my mix.
Aroids Soil Mix
For all my aroids (Philodendron, Alocasia, Anthurium, Syngonium, Aglaonema, etc.) I use a ratio of 60% coco husk and bark, 20% soil and the rest perlite/vermiculite, horticultural charcoal and a bit of spaghnum moss. You can change these ratio however you want though. For example, if I pot into terracotta I’ll decrease the amount of coco and husk and increase the soil as it will dry faster. The less soil you add the more often you need to water basically.
Here’s the products I use to create the above soil mix:
For moss I use Tildenet Fresh Natural Sphagnum Moss which is usually found in garden centres.
Orchids Soil Mix
My precious orchids (mostly jewel orchids) go in terracotta pots with a mix of 10% soil and 90% high quality bark with a bit of sphagnum moss.
Maranta and Calathea Soil Mix
My Maranta plants get a similar mix to Aroids: 50% coco husk, 30% soil and the rest perlite and horticultural charcoal.
Hoyas Soil Mix
Hoyas are super easy to grow and the soil mix for them it’s easy too. I plant mine in 50% perlite and 50% soil with a handful of horticultural charcoal.
Succulents and cacti
I admit my collection is not big on succulents and cacti but the ones I do have go in a 50% light soil or cactus soil and 50% perlite and pebble or pon mix.
