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Houseplants Under Lights

Lesson 2: Houseplant Containers & Potting Media

What mixture should I use?

The answer is, it depends on the needs of your plants. Generally, soilless mixtures are used indoors. Most packaged mixes are based on peat with the addition of several other components. There are many common recipes for homemade potting media. Here are some examples. A "part" can be any quantity you choose. Just be sure to use the same measuring container for each of the ingredients.

1 part peat, 1 part vermiculite or perlite
1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part peat
3 parts peat, 1 part perlite or vermiculite (good for plants needing constant moisture)
1 part peat, 1 part calcined clay, 1 part perlite (good for succulents)
1 part peat, 1 part pumice, 1 part calcined clay (good for succulents)

You can come up with many other combinations using the ingredients discussed in this lesson. Generally, a rule of thumb is, use more peat if you need the soil to remain moist (but not soggy) and use less peat or organic material if you need a rapidly draining potting media.

Buying Ready-Made Mixes

Foliage plants: You can find packaged potting medias being sold for African violets, cactus and succulents, or foliage plants. I find that all of these packaged medias hold too much water even for the moisture loving plants. Therefore, I always add perlite or vermiculite so it makes up about 1/3 of the total media.

Succulents: I've never found a packaged mix for cactus and succulents that didn't hold too much water. I mix equal parts of perlite or calcined clay with the packaged mix. If I am concerned about the succulent plant tipping over, I use one-inch or more of gravel mulch on top of the potting media. I also tuck some gravel under the body of the plant to prevent it from sitting on wet soil after I water. This gravel mulch also helps hold top-heavy succulents in the pot while its roots grow into the new potting media.

You are free to create your own mixture if you desire or if you just like playing in the dirt. I must warn you that if you ask 10 indoor gardeners for their potting media recipe, you will wind up with 10 different recipes.