Good potting soil is the mainstay in the cultivation of ornamental and vegetable plants. Experienced house gardeners are not irritated by the unmistakable range of expensive special soils and produce potting soil themselves. This guide explains step by step how to do it.

Garden soil, sand and compost should not be missing in potting soil

What characterizes good potting soil?

The vast majority of flowers, perennials and shrubs that people like to plant are undemanding in terms of potting soil. As long as the planting plan for your garden design does not contain any ericaceous plants or exotic rarities, your floral favorites will thrive in a substrate with these properties:

  • Structurally stable for reliable stability
  • Rich in nutrients, trace elements and soil organisms
  • Airy, loose and well permeable to water
  • Good absorption capacity and storage capacity for irrigation and rainwater
  • Slightly acidic to neutral pH around 6.0

Step-by-step instructions - this is how the ideal potting soil succeeds

A balanced mixture of valuable, natural components is a guarantee for premium quality potting soil. Mineral-chemical additives have just as little place in it as peat. The following instructions explain how to make high-quality substrate for your ornamental and useful plants yourself:

  • Provide a large vat or bucket
  • Fill by hand or with a scoop
  • 1 part loamy garden soil
  • 1 part mature compost soil
  • 1 part sand, fine-grain gravel or pure charcoal ash

Mix the potting soil with both hands so that all the ingredients combine well. If you are just starting out as a hobby gardener, you can purchase the ingredients mentioned at a hardware store or garden center. Good garden soil, also known as topsoil, is offered by regional recycling centers and gardening companies at an extra low price. If you still have a semi-shady, secluded spot on your property, we recommend using this location for your own production of valuable compost soil.

Potting soil seven

If you use home-made potting soil for sowing, we recommend a further step. Seeds germinate faster and seedlings root more vigorously if they are offered a finely crumbly substrate. For this purpose, please take a soil sieve with a mesh size of 6 millimeters and sieve the finished potting soil.

tips

Please note that classic potting soil containing compost is not suitable for growing strawberries. Compost soil is too high in salt and lime for sensitive strawberry plants. A mixture of humic garden soil with a third leaf compost and a few handfuls of horn meal is more suitable as a plant substrate.

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Care tips