If you’re getting ready to build your indoor garden or already have one, it goes without saying that one of the basics you need is good potting soil.
The upkeep of indoor plants depends on how well you prep them for survival during potting.
Furthermore, this is why the potting soil has to contain the right ingredients which are able to provide the essential nutrients and aerate the soil.
An all-purpose potting soil will fit any type of plant, however, if you have delicate flowers or succulent plants you might need a special type of soil to cater to their needs.
One of the most important things you need to consider when purchasing indoor potting soil is the soil pH, it’s capacity for holding water and porosity.
Amazon offers a variety of products and to make your gardening life easier, we’ve prepared a detailed overview of the best potting soil for indoor plants.
Read on!
Top Pick
FoxFarm’s ocean forest potting soil organic mix is ready to use right out of the bag and it’ll create the perfect environment for young sprouts and turn them into wonderful plants.
It’s lightweight and provides good aeration which is essential for optimal root growth. The adjusted pH of 6.3 to 6.8 will improve the nutrient intake for your indoor plants.
Lastly, it comes with pearsons protective gloves which’ll come in handy for your gardening activities.
Budget Pick
There’s no need to think twice when it comes to our budget pick potting soil!
This is definitely the Miracle-Gro indoor soil mix which is particularly blended for various container plants.
Its special formula is less prone to insects and consists of coconut coir that can hold and release water which guarantees a healthy growth.
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What’s the Best Indoor Potting Soil?
Although indoor plants are more sturdy and there’s not too much fuss when it comes to their nurturing, an experienced gardener can’t underestimate and ignore their needs.
One of the first things you need to take into consideration is the type of potting soil you’re using. Some plants thrive better in a more acidic environment and others in a more balanced one.
When it comes to drainage make sure the potting soil is able to absorb the excess moisture fast, but not to get too dry and provide good aeration for the roots to grow healthy.
Lastly, some plants may require more nitrogen to help them grow and this versatility is why you need to dig deeper and find out what suits your plants best.
What’s the Difference Between Indoor & Outdoor Soil?
There aren’t any significant differences in indoor and outdoor soils except for the product label. It’s good to know that they both contain the necessary nutrients essential for optimal growth.
Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that you can use outdoor potting soil for your indoor plants, but not the other way around.
What’s Potting Soil Made of?
Most of the soil mixes used for indoor plants are peat-based and have an adjusted pH from the added lime.
Moreover, some of the soils we presented in the article are enhanced with fertilizer or water-retention agents.
A quality indoor potting soil mix usually consists of peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. These mixes are able to absorb moisture pretty well, however, can dry out quickly.
This is why you can enhance them with fertilizers or purchase a potting soil instead of a potting mix since they already contain additional nutrients.
If you’re an experienced gardener, you must’ve notice that a change of soil goes a long way when it comes to plant health.
Thus have in mind that peat-based soils aren’t designed for long-term use and its essential to change it up within a year or two depending on the plant condition.
Below, we review some of the basic ingredients used in potting soils:
Sphagnum
This is a natural plant material which provides aeration, has water-holding capacities, it’s light-weight, infertile and acidic. This ingredient decays slowly and becomes compact over time.
It can provide some beneficial ingredients and when used it’s usually adjusted for fertility.
Furthermore, sphagnum can either be dried sphagnum moss that is harvested live and then dried and peat moss which is basically decayed sphagnum from organic peat bogs.
Coconut Coir
Coconut coir recently became famous in gardening. It’s made of coconut husk fibers and good water-holding properties than peat moss.
With a neutral pH, this ingredient is more acidic than peat moss and its best used when combined with it since they’ll complement each other.
Perlite
This is a well-known volcanic glass that is non-toxic and reusable and it has a neutral ph. Perlite is really good at providing aeration to the soil and it makes it fluffy. It has micro-pores which absorb water and fertilizer for the roots.
Pumice
Pumice is also a volcanic leftover and a great soil conditioner quite similar to perlite. One of the differences is that it’s heavier so it doesn’t float and it provides good drainage and aeration.
Vermiculite
This ingredient absorbs more water than the previous two so you can use it for the plants that require more water or for the ones you forget. It has a neutral pH, doesn’t decompose and improves aeration.
Sand
Sand is a rather common ingredient in soil mixes because it is inexpensive and reusable. Have in mind that it doesn’t absorb water.
What types of Soils are There?
All-purpose Potting Mix
One of the classic options is the all-purpose mix which is light and spongy it can hold moisture really easy, plus it’s fertile and it has a good pH level.
Succulent Mix
As the name implies this mix is specially made for succulents and cacti plants. It doesn’t hold moisture and it drains out fast. Moreover, it can contain sand, it has average fertility and it’s slightly alkaline.
Epiphyte Mix
Weak-rooted plants such as orchids need more aeration and structure thus, the ideal soil for them is infertile and acidic. Usually, the bark is one of the main components.
Specialized Mixes
Some plants such as bromeliads, azaleas, African violets and evergreens require a special mix that can be quite convenient for use.
How to Improve My Potting Soil?
If you want to be on top of your gardening activities, there are a few steps you have to take for soil upkeep:
- Repot yearly. One of the most practical and logical options is to repot yearly in order to provide your plants will the necessary nutrients from the new potting mix.
- Flush the soil. Every 4-6 weeks make sure you flash out the soil in order to remove any accumulated fertilizer salts or tap water deposits.
- Wick your pots. Use a wick and insert it in the pot through the drainage hole. This will help wick away excess water and improve drainage and you’ll avoid root rot.
Potting Soil for Indoor Plants Review
1. FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix
Highlighted Features
- pH6.3 to 6.8
- Ready to use
- Light-weight & well-aerated
- Ideal for seedling & cuttings
The ocean forest potting mix can be used right out of the bag with no special preparation. It creates a perfect growing environment for young seedlings and turns them into blossoming plants.
Moreover, it’s formula is lightweight, well-aerated, and with an adjusted ph of 6.3 to 6.8 which allows the roots to have a maximum fertilizer uptake.
It works great for both indoor and outdoor plants, especially container plantings.
Additionally, the packaging comes with pearsons protective gloves to protect your hands when potting and managing your plants.
2. Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Soil Mix
Highlighted Features
- Suitable for container plants
- Feeds up to 6 months
- 6 qt.
- Good drainage
It’s a breeze to grow wonderful indoor plants with the Miracle-Gro indoor soil mix.
Moreover, it’s multifunctional and blended for different types of indoor container plants and its special formula is mixed to repel any gnats.
Further, it doesn’t contain any compost bark which can be a haven for fungus insects. This is a mix that is easy to water and provides the soil with moisture while feeding your plants in the next 6 months.
The indoor soil mix has coconut coir that actually helps to withhold and release the water, so rest assured your plants will be more vibrant than ever.
3. The Next Gardener Organic Soil Mix
Highlighted Features
- Professional Danish Formula
- Ideal for succulents
- Light-weight
- 100% organic
This organic succulent and cacti soil mix is a professional formula imported from Denmark that’s suitable for your beautiful succulent garden.
It drains well and will help you grow healthy plants without too much effort.
What’s more, this soil provides great drainage and is able to hold moisture and this enables your plants to breathe better and get enough water.
Also, the soil is lightweight, clean, has a pH of 5.5 and it’ll provide great moisture and plant support for your lovely plants.
4. Espoma AP4 Organic Potting Mix
Highlighted Features
- All-natural potting mix
- Enhanced with myco-tone
- Promotes root growth
- Improves moisture retention
The amazing soil mix by Espoma is regionally formulated from 35-45% top-quality ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, sandstone, perlite, earthworm castings, kelp, alfalfa. feather meal as well as yucca extract.
Its great combination of ingredients makes it suitable for all indoor and outdoor container plants.
Ideally, you can use the mix any time you start planting in new containers as well as during re-potting.
If you notice your plant’s growth is stagnant or you see its roots coming out of the drainage holes, it means it’s time for re-potting to a larger container.
For optimum results, feed the plants monthly during the growing season beginning at least 2 weeks after you plant them.
5. Black Gold 16-qt. Organic Potting Soil
Highlighted Features
- Ideal for container plants
- Enriched with organic fertilizer
- OMRI listed
- Rich, loamy mix
Nurturing indoor plants is not an easy task and that’s why you need the best products to help you grow a beautiful garden.
The Black Gold organic potting soil is a rich, loamy mix that is perfect for container-grown flowers, herbs and vegetables.
It’s enriched with earthworm castings, perlite, pumice, and organic matter and OMRI listed for organic use, so you can be certain you’re using the best for your plants.
The mix has good draining and contains perlite and pumice to make sure there are optimum pore and air space for sturdy growth.
6. Premium All-Purpose Soil by Proven Winners
Highlighted Features
- Professional blend
- Encourages vibrant plants
- Excellent drainage and porosity
- Easy to use
The all-purpose potting soil by Proven Winners is specially blended to improve plant performance and can be used on a variety of plants.
As soon as you start using, the flowers will become more beautiful, vibrant, with strong stems and roots and your garden will be colorful as never before.
What’s more, the potting mix has excellent drainage and porosity which encourages healthy root growth.
The mix contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss, processed softwood bark, perlite, lime as well as a professional wetting agent.
7. Sun Bulb Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix
Highlighted Features
- Phalaenopsis fertile mix
- Good drainage & airflow
- 8-qt. packaging
- Good for re-potting
One of the favorite orchids in the USA is the phalaenopsis orchid which doesn’t require complicated maintenance and has a long bloom life hence, it’s very popular among growers.
For instance, as soon as the first bud opens, the orchid will remain in bloom for the next 3 months.
Moreover, as long as you provide them with the right soil, fertilizer and care the orchid will continue to bloom season after season.
This is where the Sun Bulb potting mix comes into play. It’s professionally blended with enough fertilizer and moisture which’ll stimulate proper plant and root development.
The mix contains Canadian chunk peat, western fir bark, hardwood charcoal as well as coarse perlite.
8. Bonsai Soil Mix by Bonsai Outlet
Highlighted Features
- Professional formula
- Good for bonsai plants
- Ready to use
- 2.5 gallons
Your bonsai indoor plants will absolutely love this soil mix formula. It’s a professional blend made by the expert to provide optimum growth for your bonsai garden.
The mix has good drainage and moisture and is ready to use right out of the bag without additional prepping.
What’s more, the premium blend comes double-sifted, dried and bagged in a re-sealable bag which you can store away in idle season.
As far as the ingredients go, it’s made of 100% double-sifted akadama, red lava rock and pumice.
Lastly, the manufacturer has been committed to providing its customers with the best products for their indoor plant’s needs thus, you can be certain you’re using a top-quality mix.
Final Thoughts
Indoor plants require quality care and time in order to provide the best results. This is why buying the best potting soil for indoor plants can be of great help when it comes to plants upkeep.
Instead of searching and combining different ingredients, you can purchase your soil on Amazon as soon as you read our reviews.
One of the essential features of good potting soil is the NPK ration so make sure you check it out before purchasing.
If you’re inclined on getting the best for your plants please check out FoxFarm’s ocean forest potting soil. There’s no need for additional preparations and you can use it right out of the bag.
Moreover, you can be certain it will provide your plants with good aeration and nutrient intake for optimum growth.
It comes with a pair of protective gloves to use for your planting activities.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more affordable, the Miracle-Gro soil mix might be just what you need.
Since this soil has been blended for a wide variety of container flowers you can’t go wrong with it. Moreover, it’s been formulated to repel gnats, so you can be sure your plant will grow healthy and happy.
We’re sure you already have enough information to make an informed decision and choose what’s right for your indoor plants.
Don’t forget to have fun!