Good potting soil is the mainstay in the cultivation of ornamental and vegetable plants. Knowledgeable home gardeners do not allow themselves to be confused by the huge range of expensive special soils and instead produce their own potting soil. This guide explains step by step how to do it.
How do you make your own potting soil?
To make your own potting soil, mix 1 part loamy garden soil, 1 part mature compost soil and 1 part sand, fine-grained gravel or pure charcoal ash in a large container. Mix the ingredients thoroughly by hand or with a shovel to create an even, nutrient-rich mixture.
What characterizes good potting soil?
The vast majority of flowers, perennials and trees that are often planted are undemanding when it comes to 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 and storage power of irrigation and rainwater
- Slightly acidic to neutral pH value around 6.0
Step-by-step instructions – how to create the ideal potting soil
The guarantee for premium quality potting soil is a balanced mixture of valuable, natural components. Mineral-chemical additives have no place in it, nor does peat. The following instructions explain how you can produce high-quality substrate for your ornamental and useful plants yourself:
- Provide a large tub or bucket
- Fill by hand or using a shovel
- 1 part clay-containing garden soil
- 1 part mature compost soil
- 1 part sand, fine-grained gravel or pure charcoal ash
Mix the potting soil with both hands so that all the ingredients are well combined. If you are just starting out with hobby gardening, you can purchase the ingredients mentioned at a hardware store or garden center. Regional recycling centers and gardening companies offer good garden soil, also known as topsoil, at an extra reasonable price. If you still have a semi-shady, secluded spot available on your property, we recommend using this location to produce your own valuable compost soil.
Sifting potting soil
If you use self-made potting soil for sowing, we recommend another step. Seeds germinate more quickly and seedlings root more strongly if they are offered a fine, crumbly substrate. For this purpose, please take a soil sieve (€17.00 on Amazon) with a mesh size of 6 millimeters and sieve the finished potting soil.
Tip
Please note that classic potting soil with compost content is not suitable for growing strawberries. Compost soil is too rich in s alt and lime for sensitive strawberry plants. A mixture of humus garden soil with a third of leaf compost and a few handfuls of horn meal is better suited as a plant substrate.
Information about Terra Preta, the Black Earth, has been compiled for you in this article.
