Types of potting soils

Soils are as different as plants. You can't use the soil in which your orchid thrives, for let says, a tomato. As you can guess from the name, potting soils were created for plants that grow in pots indoors. And in this article, we will discuss them in detail.

What Exactly Are Potting Soils?

Potting soil is a collective term for potting mediums such as potting mixes, potting soils, etc. Houseplants need to be grown in specific soil so that ordinary garden is not suitable. When it comes to potting soil vs. garden soil, distinction is very clear. Garden soil is used for outdoor plants and potting soil for the ones that grow in containers. Garden soil is too dense to let the water drain fast enough; it will be useless for potted plants. Potting soil, for its part, lacks needed nutrients for outdoor plants.

When we talk about potting soil vs potting mix, we also should keep in mind that they are not the same. The first distinction is that potting soils aren't sterile. We don't want to scare you, but there's a possibility you can find gnats and other types of flies as rather an unpleasant surprise in your potting soil. This is not an immense tragedy because neem oil will quickly solve this problem. Secondly, mixes and soils have different ingredients. Potting soil often contains soil, sand, minerals, and other organic matters. That’s why it is heavier compared to the lightweight potting mix: the last one is entirely soilless and contains ingredients that don’t weigh much, such as peat moss, perlite, coir, vermiculite, sphagnum moss.

Why Should You Use Them?

Since pots are fully restrained space, it's harder for a plant to meet all its needs. So when we need to create conditions similar to the natural ones, the soil will hold the required amount of water and provide enough space for air and roots. And plants in containers will have problems with that because pots are shallow. That's why potting soils come in handy since they can meet the needs of plants in containers. The ideal potting soils consist of mineral elements like sand, clay, and silt (45%), compost (5%), air (25%), and water (25%). So thanks to potting soils, plants can get everything they need.

What Type of Potting Soil Do You Need?

As mentioned, the primary purpose of potting mixes is to hold moisture and nutrients to provide air for roots which helps prevent rotting. But it doesn't mean that all potting soils and mixes are the same and will fit almost every plant. There are different types of potting soils and mixes for different plants.

When looking for the best potting soil for indoor plants (or it can be a potting mix), focus on its needs — plants like aloe vera like plant soil and potting mixes with good drainage to prevent root rot. Carnivorous plants are fond of wet soil, and potting mixes with sphagnum moss will be helpful. Most ferns thrive in moist and slightly acidic soils. Bromeliads need well-draining potting soil that can hold moisture. This list can be almost endless, but long story short - keep your plant’s needs in mind, and you will find the right mix or soil.

Potting Soil Types

So here’s the list of different types of potting soil for indoor plants and potting mixes to help you choose the best for your plant.

1. All-purpose potting soil. It's a universal potting medium containing soil, compost, bark, perlite, sand, and rarely vermiculite. This type of soil will work for indoor and outdoor plants due to its fertility and capability to hold moisture.

2. Mix for cactuses and succulents. All-purpose soil won't work with them because that type of soil retains too much water, which is not suitable for these plants. So they need a little bit more drainage, which this mix can provide since it consists of an equal part of potting soil, coarse sand (or gravel), perlite (or pumice).

3. Premium mix. This mix consists of organic composted materials, natural rock trace elements, lime, slow-release fertilizers, zeolite, coir fiber, iron, etc. The premium mix is beneficial to the plant because it gives it a lot of nutrients, stimulates roots, and saves water which means that you can water the plant less.

4. Orchid potting mix. The look of this mix is quite unusual compared to other potting soils and mixes. It's because orchids are epiphytes, and they need soil only as a pillar because they get nutrients and moisture from the air. In their natural environment, they grow on tree bark. Because of it, they need a lot of bark in their potting mix. Very often, mixes for orchids contain perlite and charcoal because they help with drainage.

5. Seed starting soil. The name of this type of mix is self-explained. It is a unique mix for such an occasion when you want to grow something new out of seeds. Seedlings aren’t the same as regular plants, so they have different soil needs. The best seed starting soil consists of sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, and sphagnum peat moss.

What's the difference between potting mix and potting soil?

Potting soil and potting mix are not the same. Just pay attention to the weight of the substance. The difference is caused by the fact that potting soils can contain (or not) dirt, but potting mixes don't include soil at all. So the contrast of potting mix vs soil is obvious. The main potting soil ingredients are garden soil, minerals, sand, and organic matter. Potting mixes consist of bark, coir, sphagnum, perlite, and peat – the most significant and most common element. This material is beneficial due to its ability to absorb moisture. So that's the reason why sometimes these substrates are called soilless potting mix or soilless medium.

But you should keep in mind that some ingredients in peat moss can decompose, so be aware that it's not safe to use it when its term expires. Opened bag of potting soil should be used in two months, and an unopened one can last for a year or even two. Another difference, already mentioned above: potting soil is not sterile, so there's a risk of pathogens that can cause various diseases. There's no confrontation like potting mix vs potting soil. They are used for slightly different purposes. For example, for outdoor pots, potting soil will be way more helpful. Meanwhile, potting mix is considered better for container gardening because of its sterility, better drainage, and aeration.

What is the best potting soil mix?

The best potting mix can be different for a different plant. One thing is for sure a decent potting mix should contain sand, perlite, peat moss, sometimes sterilized loam. You can mix all these elements by yourself. But it would help if you remembered: different plants = different needs. Some of them require mixes that dry fast. Others need the ones that stay wet for longer. So for a reason, there’s a lot of special mixes for specific types of plants.

Choosing suitable soil is the key to success because it will help your plants to flourish. We hope this information was helpful and you will find the right potting soil or mix.

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