Make Your Own Pot Mix

All plants and trees need essential nutrients and good quality soil to thrive. There are many different plants, ferns and herbs grown in containers and pots also. They all need their share of basic nutrients for survival and growth which comes from soil, water, air and sunlight. Basic nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Sulfur and Potassium etc. are absorbed from the soil.

It is important for the plants to get adequate nutrients so that grow in a healthy manner and mature properly. To ensure that the plants are provided with adequate nutrients the soil should be rich in organic matter and it should be well drained. Mostly the soil present in gardens is not considered as perfect potting soil as it contains insects, weeds, diseases etc. So, it is advisable to use good quality potting soil for your container plants.

Good potting soil can be purchased from stores that deal in gardening supplies. Many nurseries also provide rich and good quality soil for the gardens. It is not always essential that the soil you purchase is the perfect one for your plants; it could be worse than what you have already got in your backyard so get your garden soil tested before investing and purchase best rated or certified mix.

You also have the option to make your own pot mixture by adding different types of soil. The mixture should be light so that it can drain well. You can add peat moss, rotted manure, vermiculite or perlite, coarse sand in the soil to make a good potting mix. The quantity of vermiculite or perlite should be more as compared to peat moss or rotted manure and coarse sand should be less in quantity as compared to all the others.

You can also seek help from a professional gardener who can guide you with exact quantities for the number of pots you need. Making your own pot mix does definitely need more work compared to the ones you purchase. However, if you do it well then you can be certain that the soil is suitable for your plants.