Plants in pots need the right nutrients, water, air and a quality potting mix to live happily ever after.
Most of us rely on purchased mix but it’s very easy and satisfying to make your own. Depending on how much we need, we either mix it up in a bucket or trug, or in the wheelbarrow.
Photo - V.J.Matthew / Shutterstock.com
We choose anything from an empty pot to a bucket to measure out the quantities, again depending on how much we need. Any leftovers are stored in a bucket
with a lid. When planting into the mix, add a teaspoon of a suitable controlled-release fertiliser at root level. Fancy giving it a go? Here are our
most-used recipes.
Everyday potting mix
This standard potting mix provides good drainage with good water retention. Use it in terracotta pots for plants that like drier conditions and use plastic
pots for plants that prefer moist conditions.
Recipe:
1 part mushroom compost or well-aged compost
1 part perlite or horticultural sand
1 part composted pine bark or garden soil
Succulent mix
Succulents grow well in pots, some even prefer it to growing in the garden. This potting mix offers the perfect drainage.
Recipe:
1 part mushroom compost
1 part composted pine bark
1 part coir
1 part perlite
1 part horticultural sand
Photo - Stocksnapper / Shutterstock.com
Native mix
Native plants need a well-drained potting mix that’s not as rich as the standard mix. Add controlled-release fertiliser specially formulated for natives
at planting time.
Recipe:
3 parts standard mix
2 parts horticultural sand
Seedling mix
We love growing our own plants from seed, especially vegetables. We’ve found this is the perfect DIY mix to get them off to a flying start.
Recipe:
1 part perlite
1 part coir