Best Potting Soil for Indoor Plants
Buying the best potting soil or the best potting mix for indoor plants can be overwhelming because several varieties are available.
Of course, you want your house plants to be strong and healthy, and that’s only possible with the best indoor potting soil for those specific plants. Remember, indoor plants require a different soil type from the standard soil used for outdoor gardening.
Read on to learn the best potting soil for indoor plants.
- Blended for a wide variety of indoor plants
- Feeds up to 6 months
- Designed to be less prone to gnats (Contains no compost or bark, which are known to shelter fungus gnats)
- Contains coconut coir, which holds and releases water and helps soil easily re-wet
What Makes a Good Potting Soil Mix for Indoor Plants?
Indoor potting soil consists of several ingredients that promote the proper growth of in-house plants, container flowers, or herbs. The structure and mixture of nutrients, moisture, and air should all be just right.
It should let in enough air for the roots to breathe. The potting soil should also store enough water for the plants to get the amount they need. It should not drown the plants but drain away if in excess.
In addition, it should allow the plants’ root system to thrive, be strong, and be healthy to absorb nutrients for the plant effectively. Vermiculite and perlite in indoor soil mixes allow for efficient drainage to ensure the roots don’t rot from prolonged exposure to water.
Our Top Indoor Potting Soils
To make it easier for you to decide on the best potting soil for your indoor plants, here is a brief review of the best mixes out there that will keep your plants happy.
1. Miracle-Gro Potting Soil Mix: Best Overall
Is there a potting mix more popular with gardeners all over the world than Miracle-Gro? Its reputation speaks out loud and clear.
Miracle-Gro potting soil mix should be the first indoor potting soil you consider. It’s affordable and easy to use without wastage as you can use it from the bag directly. The good news is that this mix can feed your plant for up to six months.
This potting soil is good at retaining water and draining the excess, thanks to the coconut coir present in the soil. It’s made from Canadian sphagnum peat moss (with large cell structures), making it great at absorbing water and air.
With Miracle-Gro, you don’t have to worry about fungus gnats as it doesn’t contain any ingredients known to shelter them, such as bark or compost. Instead, this soil comprises an all-purpose fertilizer that feeds indoor plants with the nutrients they need.
Miracle-Gro is suitable for use on just about every in-house plant. Regardless of the conditions in your house, it’ll produce great results.
2. Espoma AP4 Organic Potting Mix: Best for Water Retention
This Espoma organic potting mix is known for its water-saving capabilities. It’s blended richly with sphagnum peat moss, perlite, humus, and even some limestone (to adjust soil pH).
Espoma AP4 is purely organic and meets the requirements of all types of indoor plants. Even better, this product includes Myco-tone enhancement. Myco-tone is a water-retention formula that makes Espoma AP4 the best water-saving potting mix.
With this product, water is no longer a problem for your container plants as it helps increase water intake while at the same time reducing stress.
You can use Espoma AP4 straight from the bag, and there’s no need to mix it with other ingredients. The ingredients in this mix guarantee strong and healthy houseplants.
3. FoxFarm FX14047 Happy Frog Potting Soil: Best Nutrient-Rich Soil
Every inhouse plant will thrive happily in this Fox Farm product. If you’re looking for the best nutrient-rich mix, look no further. FoxFarm FX14047 is made from a wide variety of organic materials, giving your plants the nutrients they need to grow strong and healthy.
This product contains earthworm castings, composted forest humus, and bat guano, a rich blend of vital soil microbes, sediment, and mycorrhizal fungi. These ensure the plants develop a strong root system with plenty of nutrients to feed on.
Additionally, it includes an adjusted pH to give your plants a suitable growing environment. The light texture of this Fox Farm product is essential for aeration and drainage. Your soil will always be optimally aerated and wet.
You can use FoxFarm FX14047 for almost all houseplants direct from the bag and get plants with strong leaves. It’s also a great product for boosting flowering.
4. All-Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix by Perfect Plants: Best for Succulents
This indoor potting mix is designed specifically for succulents. These plants require a perfect balance of moisture and air, which this product offers.
All-Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix consist of garden coir, sand, composted pine bark, and perlite. It has excellent drainage properties. And considering succulents require very little water to bloom, it’s the perfect potting mix.
Perfect Plants adds lime to their product to balance the soil pH, ensuring the potting mix has a perfect balance of alkalinity and acidity.
All-Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix are available in resealable bags. Therefore, the soil will always be fresh even after using some.
5. Organic Orchid Potting Mix by Perfect Plants
Another great product by Perfect Plants is the Organic Orchid Potting Mix. But this one is specifically for orchids. Remember, orchids die easily if the drainage is poor. They have aerial roots that are highly susceptible to wetness.
This product has light pine bark, coconut chips to make the soil airy for the aerial roots to climb and spread, charcoal to absorb any salt leftover from fertilizers, and spongy rock to help balance the soil pH.
Whether your in-house plants are semi-terrestrial or terrestrial orchids, Organic Orchid Potting Mix is the perfect product to promote healthy growth.
FAQs
Which potting soil is best for indoor plants?
There are many different types of potting soil on the market, all with their own unique formula that makes them good for some plants but not for others. You can find organic potting soil, soil-less potting mixes, superthrive potting soils – all made to be used in different situations. Learn what type is best for you and your plant here!
What is the difference between potting mix and potting soil?
Potting mixes often contain less nutrients than soils, so they need to be regularly fertilized or you can add a slow-release fertilizer . They may also contain few, if any, organic matter like compost.
What is the white stuff in potting soil?
The white stuff in potting soil is most likely perlite, a naturally occurring siliceous rock that can be found next to diatomaceous earth. Perlite is great in potting soil because it helps the soil to hold moisture and nutrients, making plants healthier.
What brand of potting soil is best?
The right type of soil depends entirely on what you’re trying to grow and your watering schedule. Our best overall pick is Miracle-Gro Potting Soil Mix.
Is Miracle Grow potting soil good for indoor plants?
Yes! Miracle Grow is good for many houseplants, but only if you water them accordingly. Miracle grow potting soil has extra nutrients to promote fast plant growth, but if you don’t feed your plants to generously then these extra nutrients will burn and likely kill your plant.
How do you prepare soil for indoor plants?
You’ll want to make sure your soil is damp but not soaked, and that it is mixed well. I recommend digging a hole in the center of the pot with your finger to allow air pockets. This will allow the soil to better hold water and nutrients.
How often should you change the soil in houseplants?
You can change the soil in houseplants about once a year. If you’ve planted directly in the soil, then just add more of the same type of potting mix. If you used a pre-mixed potting soil, then you’ll want to use a potting mix that is similar.
Final Words
Of course, the best soil for indoor plants will depend on the plant types you grow. But for overall plant health, Miracle-Gro Potting Mix is the product to turn to. Otherwise, all the above indoor potting soils are best for specific reasons. If your indoor plants fit any of these products, don’t hesitate to order for the same. For example, if you’re growing succulents, consider All-Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil Mix by Perfect Plants.
