DIY: Potting Soil
We’re starting a new blog series here at GPL: DIYs. Today, we’re going to teach you how to make your own potting soil at home! If you enjoy being crafty and saving a penny or two, this blog is for you. Let’s get started —
soil vs. dirt - what’s the difference?
No, soil and dirt are not one in the same! Although it seems to be identical in meaning, dirt actually suggests the inability to source life to plants. In other words, it’s dead. Whereas soil does house a multitude of micronutrients to nourish gardens and landscapes. Although you can purchase great, quality potting soils at your local gardening store, making your own will save you lots of money and it’s a therapeutic home project for you to try! We’re always advocates of getting outside and into your garden anytime you can.
what you’ll need
Essential tools:
Gardening gloves
Large bins with lids to store your gardening soil
Hand fork to mix ingredients
Typical ingredients used:
Compost made from your leftover food scraps and outdoor debris that deliver rich nutrients to your soil
Perlite is an almost weightless volcanic rock that helps aerate the soil
Sand is extremely common in soil mixtures and used to anchor the plant with the weight it offers
Vermiculite is a mineral that is also from volcanic descent and expands with heat. Similar to perlite, it assists with aerating the soil
Peat moss derives from Sphagnum moss and it’s utilized to provide moisture to better absorb nutrients
potting soil MIXTURE
Recipe
2 parts compost
1 part perlite
1 part peat moss
Notes
“Parts” means whatever you want it to; it all depends on how much potting mix you’re needing.
This is our favorite variation for a potting mix, however, this recipe is easily interchangeable with other ingredients listed above. However, it also isn’t limited to just those ingredients if you have something lying around your house that you’d prefer.
A healthy mixture has a pH of 6-7. You can measure this by using a soil test kit.
For your compost, make sure that it is completely broken down, fine, and sifted through for it to perform optimally. Keep the worm castings!
Your goal with a good potting soil is that it’s nutrient dense without any weed seedlings, it's aerating your soil well to allow for proper drainage, and it has some weight to hold down and support your plant. If your mixture hits these 3 marks, you’ll be fine. Again, we just really love this specific recipe!
need assistance?
We understand you may not have the additional time in your schedule to do it yourself. Need help with beginning your garden? The team at Golden Palm is here to help! Fill out our contact form below to get started.