What’s the difference between potting mix and garden soil?

The first thing you should know about shopping for potting soil is that potting soil is not the same as garden soil you use to grow plants in the ground.

Potting mixes contain different things to help plants that are grown specifically in containers (such as perlite and vermiculite which create air pockets for better drainage).

Ironically enough, potting mix does not actually contain soil (since it can carry plant pathogens such as fungus).

This is why you want to add organic material to your potting mixes and fertilize often enough so they stay nutrient-rich.

Potting mixes don’t have as many nutrients as a garden soil requires (it needs enough nutrients for planting year after year), which is why you’ll need to either add to, or completely replace potting mixes each year (you’ll need to completely replace it if your plants developed any sort of disease).

Look for “organic”

For growing organically, you don’t want to use an “all-purpose” potting mix or soil.

Although not always the case, most all-purpose mixes are not organic. They are most times enhanced with time-releasing fertilizers to provide a nutrient-rich environment for a longer period of time for potted plants.

There are many great organic mixes out there. When choosing one, just make sure there are no chemical fertilizers used in the mix.

Some of the potting mixes I’ve used include E.B. Stone Organics, Good Dirt, and Ecoscraps, but there are many out there on the market to choose from.

I think a great place to start is at your local plant nursery. You can see if they have any specific recommendations for great potting mixes.

When In Doubt—DIY Potting Mix

A great way to save money on potting mixes is to make your own! Keep in mind, this will only save you money if you need potting mix on a large scale.

If you’re only planting a few plants in a couple of pots, it’s probably more economical to just use store-bought mixes.

I have included The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s potting mix recipe below.

If you haven’t checked out their website, they are a great resource for looking up garden advice specific to the area you are growing in.

BASIC CONTAINER POTTING MIX RECIPE

Ingredients
1 bucket (10 quarts) peat moss
½ bucket (5 quarts) perlite
½ bucket (5 quarts) vermiculite
½ bucket (5 quarts) screened compost or composted cow manure
2 cups fine sand
2 cups pelleted time-release fertilizer
½ cup lime (to counter the acid of peat and keep the pH level near neutral)

Instructions
Mix thoroughly. Makes enough to fill two 14-inch tubs or five 12-inch hanging baskets. Double or triple recipe for bigger containers.

Extra Add-Ins

As they mention on their website, the type of plant you are trying to grow (whether succulent, ferns, or fruits/vegetables) will determine what other ingredients you will need to add to your mix.

For example, if you are growing ferns you will need extra moisture-retention and a lower pH level. Just make sure you look up the specific needs of your plants before creating your potting mix.

All Set!

Once you have the right potting mix prepared for your plants, you’re ready to get planting and start watching your plants grow!

Because containers require more watering (you can read more about how to keep your container plants from drying out HERE), you will need to fertilize every couple weeks or so since they will be getting washed out quicker.

Happy Gardening!

How’d It Go?

Like always, we would love to hear how your gardening experiences are going! Make sure to share your garden progress on our FB page here, or on Instagram with the tag, @garden_strong.