Hello, plant lovers! Today, I’m going to give you the inside scoop on blending your own soil mix for aroids! Having the right soil mix is critical to the health and well-being of your plants. You can totally use potting mixes right out of the bag, but sometimes they don’t quite fit the needs of your plant(s) and your watering habits, and may need a little bit of tweaking. I’ve also found that different brands can have radically different textures and moisture-retaining capabilities, and some may need to be adjusted more than others. And with aroids in particular, the soil mix needs to be well-draining with plenty of oxygen reaching the roots. If you read on, I will give you my Easy Aroid Soil Recipe and a Custom-Blend Aroid Soil Recipe that you can make entirely from scratch.
Easy Aroid Soil Recipe
Base substrate:
- Potting soil (I use Miracle-Gro or Black Gold)
Aeration material:
- Perlite or pumice (either is fine, but if you prefer one over the other, go for it!)
- Horticultural sand (NOT beach sand! This will kill your plants!!)
- Horticultural Charcoal
- Orchid bark (can be swapped with the charcoal, and the smaller chips would be best. In general though, I don’t usually use orchid bark in my soil mixes. Charcoal tends to be much cheaper than orchid bark.)
Overall, my general formula is 60%-70% of a base substrate (potting soil) plus 30%-40% of aeration materials (perlite/pumice, sand or orchid bark/charcoal). So when I mix up a batch of soil, I use about 7 scoops of potting soil, 1 scoop of perlite or pumice, 1 scoop of sand and 1 scoop of charcoal or orchid bark. Mix everything well, et voilà! A nice, quick batch of soil for your aroid plants!
If you tend to be someone who overwaters and does so frequently, I would recommend upping the percentage of aeration material and slightly decreasing the base substrate. This will allow for better drainage so your plants’ roots aren’t constantly waterlogged, which will cause root rot. Conversely, if you are someone who has a tendency to forget about watering your plants, I would recommend decreasing the percentage of aeration material and increasing the base substrate. The soil would need to be more moisture-retentive to make up for the decreased water availability. Keep in mind though, the amount of water a plant needs is also dependent on how much light it receives. Observe your plant first to see how much time it takes for the soil to dry before adjusting your soil composition the next time you repot.
Custom Blend Aroid Soil Recipe
Base substrate:
- Coco coir or peat moss
- Compost or worm castings
Aeration material:
- Perlite or pumice
- Horticultural Sand
- Horticultural Charcoal
- Orchid bark (optional)
As with the first soil recipe, I still follow the general guideline of 60%-70% of a base substrate plus 30%-40% of aeration materials. There’s no need to measure everything out precisely, and feel free to experiment with the ratios of each ingredient.
If you’re on a tight budget, I would not recommend making your soil completely from scratch. Buying all of these soil ingredients separately can add up, as well as take up a lot of space. Tweaking a commercial potting mix would be a much cheaper and easier method, and your plants really won’t know the difference.
Both of the recipes above can also be used for most houseplants in general, although it may not be necessary to use the orchid bark at all.
Let me know if these recipes work for you or if you have your own version of an aroid soil mix!
Always Keep Growing,
Heather (a.k.a. The Botanical Chick)
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