Making your own potting soil doesn’t have to be hard! I’ve been overwhelmed with so many options in-store and online, and it all comes down to this: a good mix of water retention, drainage, and nutrients for your plants. I wanted an easy go to, all-purpose soil mix, so I created my own recipe. The best part about it: you can find all of these ingredients at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Nothing fancy!
Easy Potting Soil Recipe For Tropical Plants: Ingredients
- 2 Parts Potting Soil
- 1 Part Orchid Mix
- 1 Part Cactus Mix
- 1 Part Perlite
- 1 Part Worm Castings
- Handful of Diatomaceous Earth
The Purpose Of Each Ingredient
- Potting Soil: This is your base, and helps retain moisture.
- Orchid Mix: Improves drainage & aeration.
- Cactus Mix: Improves drainage & aeration.
- Perlite: Improves drainage & aeration.
- Worm Castings: Adds additional nutrients.
- Diatomaceous Earth: Prevents pests!
Well-draining soil is very important, especially in preventing root rot.
Preparing Your Soil
- Add each ingredient to your chosen container
- Mix ingredients thoroughly with a trowel
- Cover the container & store in a cool, dry place until you use it
Amending Your Soil
As an all-purpose soil, this mix works for most of my tropicals, but not all of my plants.
For cacti & succulents, I use a different mix. For plants that need more water retention, like Ferns, Calatheas, Spider Plants & Syngoniums, you can add Peat Moss to increase water retention, or try a hydroponic medium like Leca balls.
Fertilizing
In addition to DIY soil mix, I also fertilize my plants with Dyna Gro Foliage Pro. This fertilizer is water-soluble and super easy to use. I use it every time I water my plants in soil, and my plants in leca, and have seen amazing growth results so far. I was nervous about incorporating fertilizer into my plant care routine, but after I realized how simple it is to drop some in each time I water, it’s been totally worth it for me.
Happy Planting!
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