Dirt Doctor Weekly Newsletter - Potting Soil

 Potting soil – as opposed to native soil, loam, dirt or landscaper’s soil – is what should be used in pots - no matter what the crop.

I do not recommend peat moss potting soils.  Why?  Peat moss is anti-microbial.  Microbes don’t grow well in it.  That’s just the opposite of what we want.  Peat moss is excellent for storing bulbs or shipping food or other live material that might otherwise decay.  Potting soil should not be sterile as some recommend, but alive and dynamic.  It should be light, loose, well aerated, fertile, full of microorganisms and have the ability to stimulate quick and sustained growth.

Interior plants and outdoor potted plants should be planted in a well-drained, organic potting soil like I recommend.  My favorite basic ingredients are compost, coconut fiber and expanded shale.  My latest recommended formula is as follows:

40% compost
40% coconut fiber
10% expanded shale
10% mix of lava sand, greensand and alfalfa meal

Soil Mender makes my specific formula, but there are other “non-peat moss” potting soils on the market.  Two others that we know of are Ladybug and Nature’s Guide Bagman’s Blend.  The very best soils are also spiked with mycorrhizal fungi. 

Some of the best fertilizers for interior plants include earthworm castings, kelp meal and coffee grounds.  They are mild and odor free.  Volcanic rock such as lava sand should also be added to the potting soils.  Nature’s Creation Organics has Quick Dissolve Tablets that are excellent for interior plants. 

If you have any questions regarding this newsletter or any other topic, join me for my radio show heard in Dallas/Fort Worth on Saturday at 11am and  across the country on Sunday from 8 - 11am (CST). Radio