This easy-to-follow recipe for homemade potting soil will give your potted plants and hanging baskets the boost they need to have their finest growing season ever.
Even better, compared to expensive commercial brands, it can save a lot of money.
Most importantly, you’ll have the knowledge that comes from understanding exactly what’s in your soil. And more crucially, knowing what’s not!
What Makes Good Potting Soil?
First of all, it needs to be light so that it can be used for containers and baskets. It must also be porous enough to let water through while yet being able to hold onto moisture.
Finally, high-quality potting soil should be rich in nutrients to sustain plant growth over time. Those that gently release and feed plants.
This “ideal mix” of soil can really be created in the comfort of one’s home. Everything is made with standard, everyday items and, most importantly, all-natural, organic components.
This Is the Best Potting Soil Recipe You Will Ever Use
This is a great recipe for giving your flower pots, baskets, and containers a boost.
It is low in weight, well-structured, and packed with a variety of natural, slow-release fertilizers. Best of all, at the end of each growing season, we can add it directly back into our compost pile!
Below you’ll find the recipe, along with a brief explanation of each item. As long as the ratios remain the same, the recipe can be adjusted to make as much or as little potting soil as desired.
- Compost – 6 cups
- Pulverized Top Soil – 6 cups
- Worm Castings – 2 cups
- Spent Coffee Grounds – 2 cups
- Perlite – 2 cups
Compost – 6 cups
Massive volumes of water can be absorbed and retained by compost. It can take up to 15 times its weight in water.
A potting soil with this kind of absorption capacity will not dry out as rapidly.
Pulverized Soil (6 cups)
Top soil pulverized is basically loose dirt/soil. It is commonly sold in bulk or bagged form at garden centers and other retail outlets selling mulch and soil.
You can also use garden soil if it is loose and friable.
Worm Castings (2 cups)
To put it plainly, worm castings are an important component of this whole. They offer plants a fantastic balance of slow-release nutrients. All while the soil remains lightweight and absorbs water.
Coffee Grounds (2 cups)
Recycled coffee grounds are among the most potent humus-building organic materials available. And it’s so simple and convenient to obtain!
They function similarly to worm castings in that they serve to bring structure to potting soil, which is quite vital. In addition to this, they have a moderate quantity of trace nitrogen, which is an element that plays a significant role in the plant’s capacity to fertilize.
Perlite – (2 cups)
In its natural state, perlite is 100% natural volcanic glass. However, when it is heated, it opens up almost exactly like popcorn.
When combined with other components of potting soil, however, it takes on almost magical qualities. Not only does the use of perlite help to enhance drainage, but it also helps to keep the overall soil mix light. This popcorn-like substance also has the ability to soak up a significant amount of liquid.
Perlite, much like compost, has the ability to retain moisture close to the roots of potted plants while also allowing that moisture to drain away as the soil dries out. Because of its pH level of 7, perlite won’t change the composition of the potting soil in any way. This is just one more reason why it is the ideal ingredient for lightening the soil!
