HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN POTTING SOIL MIX

Here are a few things to keep in mind before creating your own mix:

When it comes to potting mix, the lighter it is, the better. Loose and porous mixtures not only make a container lighter to move, but they transport water, fertilizer, and air to plant roots more quickly, and allow for good drainage, which is important for container gardening.

The perfect potting mix does not contain actual soil or garden dirt. It’s composed of peat moss, vermiculite, perlite, sand sand, and shredded bark or compost.

Start with the basic recipe below and then add soil sulfur to lower the pH or lime to raise the pH, according to the needs of your plants. Both additives can typically be found at garden centers. 

Plants such as lettuce, Russian sage, and marigolds prefer sweet soil with a pH of about 7.5, while others are acid lovers, like ferns, asters, and strawberries. They need a pH of about 5.5 to 6.0.

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.

Potting mix is sold by volume (typically measured in quarts), and most pots are measured by their diameter. To translate quarts of mix into various pot sizes, use this quick reference.

POTS & TUBS Container Size. Amount Needed

8-inch 3 quarts

10-inch. 6 quarts

12-inch. 8 quarts

14-inch. 12 quarts

16-inch. 20 quarts

20-inch. 24 quarts

24-inch. 28 quarts

30-inch. 72 quarts

36-inch. 96 quarts

Do you make your own potting soil? Share your recipe in the comments below! Yours in the garden Farm2Markt.