The gardening year often begins in January or February for many a garden lover. From now on it's time to bring the vegetable plants forward for the coming year - or simply to ensure the supply of fresh vitamins in winter too. Herb and growing soil is particularly suitable for both. In this guide you will find out what is important with this substrate and which plants it is suitable for.

Potting soil supplies young plants with all the necessary nutrients

Our recommendations

our recommendation
COMPO SANA growing and herb soil with 6-week fertilizer for all young and herb plants, culture substrate, 5 liters
6.49 EUR To the product
quantity / packaging 5 liters
ingredients Raised bog peat, perlite, (37.51€) lime, NPK fertilizer
start fertilization yes, for 6 weeks
structure fine, loose
Is suitable for Sowing, germination, pricking out and for herbs
price/kg about {PRICE/5} EUR

Compo Sana's growing and herb soil is very popular with gardeners. Most customers are very satisfied with their Amazon ratings, even if some complain about fungus gnat infestation (disinfect the soil before use!) or fungal growth (keep the soil moist, not wet!). You can purchase the proven substrate in different packages of five, ten, 15 or even 20 kilograms - depending on your needs. The product is a real all-rounder, which is not only suitable for all kinds of herbs, but also for growing vegetables and other plants. The included initial fertilization that is effective for six weeks ensures healthy growth right from the start.

our recommendation
Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil, 20 L, peat-free & climate-friendly, pre-fertilized
12.49 EUR To the product
quantity / packaging 20 liters
ingredients vegetable substances, perlite, lime, rock phosphate
start fertilization no
structure loose, finely crumbly
Is suitable for Herbs, cultivation and sowing, transplanting and for cutting propagation
price/kg approx. EUR {PRICE/20}

If you value a peat-free herbal soil, the organic herbal and seed soil from Plantura is the right choice. Instead of ecologically problematic peat, the manufacturer relies on a mixture of plant materials - mostly coconut and wood fibers as well as compost - from the food, luxury food and animal feed industries as well as from forestry. This can save up to 60 percent of environmentally harmful CO2 - and your plants will thrive in finely tuned, finely crumbly soil. In addition, the substrate is completely harmless for domestic and wild animals, even if the dog or cat wanted to snack on it.

our recommendation
Hochwald - organic herb soil 20 L peat-free with sustainable long-term fertilizer - soil with natural fertilizer for herbs - basil organic soil balcony & raised bed - special soil with soil additive for herbal plants
14.45 EUR To the product
quantity / packaging 20 liters
ingredients Compost, humus, zeolite, algae lime
start fertilization organic-mineral long-term fertilizer
structure finely crumbly, loose
Is suitable for herbs
price/kg approx. EUR {PRICE/20}

This product from Hochwald is also 100 percent peat-free, which is approved for organic farming due to its ingredients - mainly compost - and the absence of chemical additives and pesticides. Instead, the manufacturer relies on the power of natural components such as compost, algae lime and zeolite. This mixture stimulates soil life, promotes the natural formation of humus in the garden soil and also offers many herbs optimal growth conditions. In their reviews, Amazon customers are mostly very satisfied with this herbal soil. You can easily prevent fungus gnats from appearing by sterilizing the substrate before use.

Purchase Criteria

scope of application

It is not without reason that most herb soils are sold as "growing and herb soil" or "herb and sowing soil". This special soil is multifunctional and, due to its nature, is often also suitable for sowing and cultivating many other types of plants, as the first substrate after pricking out and for propagating cuttings. Some herbal soil can even be used for the cultivation of cacti and other succulents. Herbal soil is just right for plants with low nutrient requirements.

quantity / packaging

You can use herb soil for growing kitchen herbs in pots, for seed trays, in the garden and in the greenhouse. How much you need depends on the intended use - do you just want to plant a few purchased herbs in fresh soil or should the herb spiral / kitchen bed in the garden be filled with them? Depending on your needs, you can purchase different packages. Stored in a cool and dry place, good herbal soil will keep for a while - but you shouldn't store it for longer than a few months. Otherwise it could start to mold.

ingredients

No herb soil is like the other, because depending on the manufacturer, different raw materials are used for their production. Herb and growing soil consists of peat or compost, plant matter from the food, beverage and animal feed industry or materials - mainly wood fibers - from forestry. However, some herbal soils are also made from coconut fibers - these form the basis for so-called swelling tablets or humus bricks, which you have to water vigorously, which then swell and can be used as a substrate.

Peat or rather peat-free?

For a number of years, it has been advised against using peat-based plant substrates. In fact, peat is an ecologically very questionable raw material for herbal soil, since the degradation irretrievably destroys valuable habitats for rare plant and animal species - quite apart from the fact that moors are important CO2 stores, the destruction of which releases the dangerous greenhouse gas. In the meantime, there is also a whole range of less environmentally harmful substitutes that are better suited for potting soil of all kinds than peat of all things.

Additives and pre-fertilization

One of the most important characteristics of potting soil is that it is low in nutrients. After all, most herbs are extremely weak consumers who do not have a high nutrient requirement or for which such a requirement is even harmful. The same applies to seeds, young plants and cuttings, which should never be oversupplied. Special additives - for example perlite for the looseness of the substrate, zeolite or other rock powder for the supply of minerals etc. - are still useful, since these plant species also have a certain need for nutrients.

structure

Herbal soil should have a finely crumbly and loose structure, feel pleasantly light in the hand and not stick together under any circumstances. Certain additives such as perlite, which are added to the substrate, ensure airiness. The airy, loose structure is intended to ensure that the plants can take root easily and that the roots develop quickly and vigorously. In addition, good herbal soil must have a certain water storage capacity so that moisture can be released to the plants as needed.

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frequently asked Questions

What is herbal soil?

Herb soil is a substrate specially adapted to the needs of herbs and young plants, which is particularly loose and permeable. At the same time, it has the ability to store moisture well so that it can gradually be released to the plants as needed. Furthermore, herb soil is poor in nutrients, since most kitchen herbs are weak consumers. In addition, herbal soil is often used as growing soil for young plants and cuttings - and these develop stronger roots in a nutrient-poor substrate.

For which plants is herbal soil suitable?

First and foremost, herbal soil is of course suitable for weakly consuming herbs, which include, for example, all Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, etc.). Furthermore, the substrate is suitable for the germination and cultivation of almost all types of plants as well as for the propagation of cuttings. Other weakly consuming plants, such as lettuce, summer flowers and onions, also thrive well in herbal soil.

Can I use coconut soil for my kitchen herbs instead?

So-called coconut soil is obtained from coconut fibers and can of course be used for the cultivation of herbs. However, you will have to fertilize your plants more frequently in such a substrate, since coconut soil usually does not contain any nutrients. In addition, although coconut fibers are renewable raw materials, they are not entirely harmless from an ecological point of view - after all, they have to be transported from one end of the world to the other at great expense.

What pH value should herbal soil have?

Herb and seed soil should have a pH value that is as neutral as possible. However, some plants prefer an alkaline pH value, for these you can add some garden lime (no quicklime!) or sand to the substrate. Others, on the other hand, grow best in slightly acidic soil, which is why you can mix the herb soil with some leaf compost or rhododendron soil.

Can I also plant my cacti in herbal soil?

Most cacti - and many other succulents - grow on poor, dry soil, which is why they prefer a well-drained and rather nutrient-poor substrate. Conventional herbal soil has these properties, which is why you can also use it to cultivate cacti and succulents. Add some expanded clay (€19.73) or sand and your prickly growths will feel particularly good.

Will my tomatoes and geraniums also grow in herbal soil?

The situation is different with heavily consuming plant species such as tomatoes, cucumbers or popular balcony flowers such as geraniums and petunias - these have a high nutrient requirement and therefore benefit from a correspondingly nutrient-rich substrate. In principle, you can also cultivate these plants in herbal soil, but then you have to fertilize more often. It is better to use more suitable plant substrates.

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