Which potting soil is best? Potting soil, or potting mix, is a substrate that usually consists of garden soil, organic matter and minerals. Its purpose is to help potted plants such as vegetables, ...

Understanding the Context

Think of your indoor and outdoor plants a little bit like Goldilocks: They need a just-right potting mix or soil to help them really thrive. And although the words “potting mix” and “potting soil” are ... Learn how to make potting mix at home! Commercial potting soil bags are pricey and also vary greatly in quality leading to fried plants.

Key Insights

It's satisfying to make your own to give your plants a healthy start—and leads to less headaches. Potting soil, also known as potting mix, is comprised of various ingredients that provide a healthy environment for potted plants to grow. These mixes are designed to keep the soil from becoming too compacted, which can suffocate roots and impede the flow of water and nutrients. At its simplest, potting soil is the stuff we use to fill up containers for plants. Confusingly, though, the bags we buy at the local garden center or big box store for potting houseplants, hanging baskets, petunias, cherry tomatoes, and herbs are sometimes labeled as potting mix.

Final Thoughts

Homemade potting soil and potting mix is easy to make and better than the bagged stuff. Learn how to make a mix for tropical plants, annuals, succulents and an all-purpose blend. If you have one healthy, fairly large spider plant, there's nothing stopping you from cultivating several plants using this incredibly easy method. Did you know that spider plants can produce seeds? Given the right conditions, the blooms give way to little black seeds which you can germinate for new plants.