What Is the Best Soil for Houseplants?
Most houseplants do best in a well-draining, indoor potting mix, and the right adjustments depend on the plant. Never use soil dug from your garden in pots, since it compacts and drains poorly.
What should a good potting mix do?
Hold enough moisture for roots to drink, while draining fast enough that roots also get air. Most problems that come from soil are drainage problems, which lead to overwatering and rot.
What is the best mix for common foliage plants?
A general indoor potting mix works for many plants like pothos and spider plants. For plants that like faster drainage, such as monstera and philodendron, mix in perlite and bark for a chunkier, airier blend.
What about succulents and cacti?
Use a cactus or succulent mix, or make one with potting soil and coarse sand, pumice, or perlite so water drains quickly. See how often should you water succulents?.
What about orchids?
Most orchids grown indoors are epiphytes and need a very open mix of bark, not regular potting soil.
What about plants that like moisture?
Ferns and peace lilies prefer soil that stays lightly moist. A good potting mix with some organic matter, and consistent watering, suits them.
What should I avoid?
Garden soil and heavy, dense mixes. Also avoid pots without drainage, which can defeat even a great mix. See do houseplants need drainage holes?.
How often should I refresh the soil?
Repot with fresh mix every year or two, or when the soil breaks down and stops draining well. See when to repot a houseplant.
Do I need to add fertilizer?
Many mixes contain some nutrients at first, but they run out over time. See how often to fertilize houseplants.
Related reading: How to repot a houseplant
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