Title: Understanding Potting Mix vs. Potting Soil: A Gardener's Guide
Stepping into a nursery or garden center, you'll find a plethora of bagged materials for potted plants or garden beds. However, before blindly picking up the cheapest one, it's crucial to understand the differences between these products to ensure your plant's needs are being met.
Soil, technically speaking, is what you'd find in your yard – a blend of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. It's made up of various particle sizes, classified as clay, silt, or sand, forming the soil texture. Bagged potting soil or garden soil, on the other hand, are meant for in-ground use.
Justin Hancock, horticulturalist at Costa Farms, clarifies that potting mix isn't the same as soil. "Potting mix contains no soil and is a lightweight mixture," he says, "perfect for growing plants in containers." Potting mix consists of various 'recipes,' with a peat or coir base being typical for general-purpose mixes.
It's common for gardeners to interchange potting mix and potting soil, but Hancock recommends calling it potting mix to be technically correct. This soil-less mixture ensures optimal drainage and aeration, which is vital for plants in containers.
Understanding the Differences
Potting mix and potting soil aren't the same, even though they're often used interchangeably. "Garden soil or topsoil, labeled as such, are meant for in-ground use only and are too dense for growing plants in containers," Hancock explains.
When-in-doubt, choose potting mix for houseplants and container plants. For raised beds, opt for potting soil, also known as garden or raised bed soil, primarily formulated for in-ground use.
What's Inside Potting Mix?
General-purpose potting mix may contain:
- Peat. This type of organic matter comes from decomposed peat bogs and retains moisture while resisting compression.
- Coir. A fibrous substance made from coconut husks. It's often used as a peat substitute.
- Vermiculite. A puffed form of mica with excellent drainage and aeration properties.
- Perlite. A porous, white volcanic rock that improves airflow and drainage.
- Slow-release fertilizer (optional). This comes in the form of small, spherical pellets that deliver nutrients over an extended period.
For specialized plants like orchids and cacti, consider using their specific potting mixes. These mixtures may include ingredients like bark or sand, which facilitate faster drainage, preventing root rot from overwatering.
Making your own potting mix is possible but less convenient, especially with limited storage space for raw materials.
So the next time you're in a garden center, don't blindly grab a bag of 'soil.' Make an informed decision based on your plant's needs and choose potting mix for container plants and potting soil for in-ground use.
According to Southern Living, Caring For Your Garden involves understanding the differences between bagged potting mix and garden soil. Their Gardening Ideas suggest using potting mix for houseplants and container plants, as it ensures optimal drainage and aeration, unlike garden soil, which is meant for in-hand use only. To maintain the health of your container plants, it's essential to use the right Garden Tools to mix the potting mix thoroughly prior to planting.
