Containers - Choosing the Right Soil for Container Plants
Choosing soils and potting mixes for growing plants in pots and containers.Garden soil is too heavy and problem prone to use in containers and pots. Plants need a well draining potting mix that starts off disease free and yet still provides some nutrients. Here are some suggestions for choosing soils and potting mixes for growing plants in pots and containers.
Do you need organic potting soil in your containers? Maybe not. But if you have the choice, wouldn't you rather have healthy, living soil rather than a growing 'medium' that requires tons of fertilizer to make it through the season? Here are some pros and cons of using an organic potting mix.
Starting plants from seed is a lot of fun, but it’s not so much fun to watch them wither and die shortly after germination. One way to gain an advantage is to use a sterile potting mix, because you never know what problems come along with soil from the garden. If you’re going with a potting mix anyway, you might want the further advantages a soilless mix brings. Here’s a rundown on what’s in the potting mix if you leave out the soil, and why you’d bother to in the first place.
A soilless potting mix is preferable to using outdoor garden soil for several reasons. And there are many good soilless mixes on the market. However if you need a large quantity of mix or have a need for a special blend, it is often easier to simply create your own potting mix. Here are some basic recipes to try and to improvise with.
