There are so many different brands and types of potting soil available that it can be quite difficult trying to choose the right one. Not all are the same as they’re formulated for different plants and growing conditions. When it comes to growing indoor plants, you want a potting soil that is loose and aerated while still providing nutrients, drainage and water retention. Luckily, finding the best one won’t be so hard as below we’ll go through the best brands of potting soil for indoor plants.
What Are The Best Brands of Potting Soil for Indoor Plants?
Potting soil is used for a variety of different plants to provide nutrients and support . Choosing the right type of soil is essential to keeping happy and healthy plants. Below I’ll go through the best brands of potting soil that are good to use for different types of indoor plants.
Miracle-Gro Potting Mix
The Miracle-Gro Potting Mix is suitable for indoor and outdoor container plants. It contains a fertiliser that can feed your plants for up to 6 months. This potting mix contains a mixture of sphagnum peat moss, aged bark finds, perlite, wetting agent and fertiliser. It’s made to provide proper drainage, water retention, aeration, fertiliser and support.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Suitable for indoor and outdoor use | Sometimes contains fungus gnats |
| Contains fertiliser for 6 months | Not organic |
| Low cost | |
| Provides drainage and aeration |
Espoma Organic Potting Soil Mix
Espoma potting mix is an all purpose organic mix that can be used for indoor and outdoor plants. It contains sphagnum peat moss, aged forest products, humus, perlite, limestone, earthworm castings, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, feather meal, mycorrhizae and yucca extract. This potting mix is full of nutrients, has good aeration, drainage and water retention.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Natural and chemical free | Can be expensive |
| Suitable for indoor and outdoor use | |
| Provides good drainage and aeration |
Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix
The Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix is formulated specifically for indoor plants. It contains sphagnum peat moss, coco coir, perlite and quick feed fertiliser. This potting mix is made to be less prone to fungus gnats as it doesn’t contain any compost or bark. It contains coco coir which is excellent at helping to retain water and has fertiliser that will feed plants for up to 6 months.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Less prone to gnats | This soil mix isn’t organic |
| Contains coco coir for moisture retention | Contains chemical fertiliser |
| Contains fertiliser for 6 months | Small quantity |
Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil is an organic potting soil that is rich in organic matter. It contains forest humus, peat moss, earthworm castings, bat guano, fish meal and crab meal. It’s full of nutrients while still providing drainage and has a light and aerated texture. This potting soil has been pH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to better help with nutrient uptake.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rich in organic matter | Can be expensive |
| pH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to help with nutrient uptake | |
| Provides drainage and aeration |
All Natural Orchid Potting Mix 4qts. by Perfect Plants
Perfect Plants Orchid Potting Mix is a natural mix that is made for orchids or can be added to a potting soil for added drainage and aeration. It contains charcoal, sponge rock (perlite), pine bark and coconut chips. This is a well-balanced mix that creates the perfect environment for roots to grow while still retaining enough moisture and nutrients that orchids need.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| All natural | Doesn’t contain fertiliser |
| Provides excellent drainage and aeration | |
| Resealable bag |
Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix
Hoffman Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix is an organic mix that is specifically made for cacti and succulents. It contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss, reed sedge peat, perlite, sand and limestone. This mix is formulated to loosen the soil to create better aeration and drainage.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Organic | Can retain too much moisture for some cacti and succulents |
| Provides aeration and drainage |
How to Choose The Best Potting Soil
When it comes to choosing a potting soil, you need to consider the type of plants that you’ll be using it for. For example, cacti and succulents will need a sandy, dry soil while a fern will need a rich, moist soil. The best potting soil to choose is one that will provide good drainage and aeration, nutrients, retain moisture and provide support for your plant.
You’ll want to look for potting soils that contain peat moss/sphagnum moss, perlite, bark, vermiculite or coco coir. Most potting soils will also contain fertiliser. You will also need to make sure the potting soil you choose is made for indoor and outdoor container plants.
How to Store Potting Soil
You can store potting soil in the bag it comes in or in a container. It’s best to use a container that has some aeration to avoid the soil becoming mouldy. Store potting soil in a dry area that’s away from sun and moisture. Unopened potting soil can last up to 1-2 years meanwhile, opened potting soil bags will last about 6 months before it starts degrading.
