Different Mixes of Potting Soil
Although potting soil may not seem exciting, it is important to the health of your plants. Plants cultivated in containers have different demands than those grown in the ground, so potting soils were created for them. This isn’t a guide to the various sorts of potting soil available; rather, it’s a look at some of the most well-known and well-known brands.
Most container gardeners have certainly seen bags of potting soil in their local garden center and assumed they were the best choice. However, knowing the tricks of the trade, you will be able to decide which is best for you.
The choice of potting soil in your local garden center may be based on a mix of several different brands. It may be a mix of sand, perlite, and vermiculite, or it may be all perlite. The difference is due to the type of organic matter used.
Perlite serves as a sponge, keeping the soil moist while allowing it to dry out more quickly, allowing for better drainage. The other ingredient is sphagnum moss, which acts as a water reserve for the soil.
A better mix of all three ingredients may be created by using one tablespoon of charcoal to eight cups of water. The charcoal removes excess moisture, while the moss provides water and a small amount of nutrients for the soil. The sponge keeps the soil moist while allowing it to dry out quickly, providing for better drainage and aeration.
Sand mixes with other soil particles to form clods of sand. The clods won’t contain water, and they won’t help you add nutrients or compost, but they will keep soil from draining. Sand clods create good mulch, but if there is too much sand in the soil mix, it will have a dull feel and should be raked out and discarded.
Perlite is a tiny bit clay like and is used mainly as a potting medium. It is fine and sparkly, like gravel. It is an excellent soil additive, with a fine texture and excellent water retention. However, the clay-like particles in perlite make it an ideal container growing media, and if there is too much of it in the soil mix, it will clump together to produce mounds of clay-like material. It is great potting medium, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Sphagnum moss is a coarse, white gravel. It contains clay like particles, and is a great planting medium, but will clump together to form mounds of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is a great potting medium, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Limestone is a coarse, greenish dirt. It contains many lime free particles, and is fine to work with for potting, but will clump together to form mounds of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is a great potting medium, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Rock gravel is a greenish soil. It contains many lime free particles and is fine to work with for potting, but will clump together to form mound of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is a great potting medium, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Sphagnum moss is a coarse, white gravel. It contains clay like particles, and is fine to work with for potting, but will clump together to form mound of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is excellent potting, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Limestone is a coarse, greenish dirt. It contains many lime free particles and is fine to work with for potting, but will not clump together to form mound of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is a great potting, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Lime sand is a very fine grayish soil. It contains many lime free particles and is fine to work with for potting, but will not clump together to form mound of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is excellent potting, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
Plastic mulch is a fine grayish soil. It contains many lime free particles and is fine to work with for potting, but will not clump together to form mound of clay like material if there is too much of it in the soil mix. It is a great potting, but will not hold water and is not good for adding compost or plant nutrients.
