6 Homemade Potting Soil Recipes For Thriving Plants
If you have ever bought a bag of potting soil only to have your plants grow miserably, you’re not alone. Or, maybe you’re looking to cut costs and make your own potting soil. This is a much better option because you know exactly what’s going into your potting soil (and your plants).
Bagged mixes sometimes have cheap fillers like fresh wood products and composted sewage sludge. Making your own potting mix at home also couldn’t be easier. We like to use different recipes depending on our needs. Whether you’re planting vegetables outside in the garden, or looking for a chunkier mix for your houseplants, one of these recipes should definitely work for you.
Note: We use percentages for our recipes, but don’t overthink it! The main goal is to achieve a texture you like that your plants will grow well in.
Potting Soil Recipe #1 (Universal Mix)
Good for outdoor vegetable gardens or indoor plants that need good moisture retention
If you grow veggies, herbs, fruits, or flowers, then this recipe is going to excel in your garden. It’s just 5 ingredients and it’s our go-to soil mix that can easily last for 4 or 5 years in containers.
- 30% peat moss
- 30% compost
- 15% coarse perlite
- 15% vermiculite
- 10% biochar (optional)
Peat moss acts as a sponge for water and a great network for root growth. It also doesn’t break down quickly like other materials. Compost adds slow-release nutrition and biological activity (homemade compost is best). Perlite aids in drainage and aeration, while vermiculite helps the soil hold onto nutrients instead of them washing away. Finally, biochar offers an excellent habitat for soil microbes to colonize, and provides a permanent buffer to the soil.
Keep in mind, you’ll need to fertilize your plants in containers, even with the addition of compost. For that, I recommend this fish and seaweed fertilizer, or just use your preferred all-purpose fertilizer.
Don’t overthink this one – the percentages don’t have to be perfect. This soil will grow about 95% of what home gardeners want to grow: tomatoes, peppers, squash, carrots, leafy greens, and so much more. If you want a recipe to use for life, this is it!
Potting Soil Recipe #2 (Native Easy Mix – Outdoor)
For outdoor use only. Too dense for pots.
- 30% native/garden soil
- 30% compost
- 25% peat moss or coco coir
- 15% perlite
This is an easy mix that uses native microbial life from your garden. It’s only suitable for outdoor use (see below for some indoor plant soil recipes). This recipe is very dense and also not suitable for container gardening. This is a simple recipe that will feed your vegetable garden slowly and effectively with compost, all while being a lot more cost effective than purchasing bags of potting soil for your vegetable beds. The small amount of peat moss or coco coir helps to lighten the soil and the added perlite helps to prevent waterlogging.
Potting Soil Recipe #3 (Chunky Slow Release)
Best for indoor houseplants that are on a liquid fertilizer schedule.
- 50% peat moss or coco coir
- 30% coarse perlite
- 10% horticultural charcoal
- 10% worm castings
This chunky mix includes earthworm castings for a slow-release feed for your plants. It’s nice and lightweight for easily moving your plants around indoors as needed. When using this recipe for houseplants, it’s best to supplement with liquid fertilizer during the growing season.
Potting Soil Recipe #4 (Extra Chunky, Fast Draining)
This mix is best for indoor plants that need fast draining soil with air around the roots.
If you have tropical houseplants or plants that don’t do well when the soil is saturated for a long time (hello, fungus gnats!), then this is a great mix to start with.
- 40% peat moss or coco coir
- 30% orchid bark (medium)
- 20% perlite
- 10% worm castings
This potting mix has a great base to hold moisture, but also has orchid bark which creates large air pockets around roots and mimics the chunky debris of a forest floor. This is critical for any epiphytes you may be growing, like orchids or certain ferns. You also get a great slow and gentle release of nutrients from the worm castings in this recipe.
Potting Soil Recipe #5 (Seed Starting, No Nutrients)
Best for starting seeds.
- 50% peat moss or coco coir
- 25% perlite
- 25% vermiculite
When starting seeds, you don’t need any added nutrients. This simple potting mix is the perfect, fluffy texture for starting seeds. The base holds moisture well to prevent your seedlings from drying out, while the perlite and vermiculite help with drainage and aeration.
Potting Soil Recipe #6 (Coarse Mixture)
This mixture is best for cactus and succulent plants that need to drain extra fast.
- 40% indoor mix
- 30% horticultural sand
- 20% perlite
- 10% pumice
For the indoor mix, use your favorite bagged potting mix or one of the recipes to make your own. You’ll be adding extra sand/grit which helps to replicate mineral soils that cactus and succulents are used to growing in. This helps to prevent any water from pooling up. Perlite helps to add extra aeration and pumice helps wick away extra moisture so your plants are never sitting with wet roots.
Let us know if you’ve ever made your own potting mix at home (indoor or outdoor) and what you like to add to it. There are so many different options to create a truly custom soil for your plants, and you’re usually saving money over store bought options!
