Types, composition, storage and mix yourself

the essentials in brief

• Potting soil is a fine, loose soil with a pH value between 6 and 7, mostly with Slow release fertilizer is offset.
• For many flowers such as B. Hydrangeas, Geraniums or roses there are special earths, because they have special requirements.
• Buying potting soil with peat should be avoided for ecological reasons.
• Potting soil can be made from garden soil and compost yourself.

What is potting soil?

Pot and balcony plants need a suitable substrate in the pot, because without it they will not grow. It is important to rely on a high-quality product, because the plants are completely at the mercy of the material and its ingredients - in stark contrast to the plants in the garden or even in the wild, which let their roots grow where there is nutrients and water gives.

Indoor plants, which are usually only repotted every few years, are particularly dependent on good potting soil. This must be firm enough so that the plants can find support in it, but at the same time also store water and nutrients and at the same time release them again when required. In addition, potting soil is optimally composed in such a way that it neither hardens nor silts up. Normal garden soil is usually not suitable for this purpose, as it often has the wrong composition and is not fine-crumbly enough.

Potting soil or potting soil?

Although the terms potting soil and potting soil are often used synonymously, there are still some subtle differences:

In principle, you can of course also use potting soil for your potted plants, but then you should additional components such as a slow release fertilizer and, if necessary, some quartz sand for a finer structure Add. Conversely, potting soil is also suitable for use in the garden bed, which you are unlikely to choose. High-quality potting soil (or potted plant soil) is often more expensive than potting soil.

What is the pH value of potting soil?

With the exception of special soils, which are adapted to the needs of bog plants and are therefore acidic If you have a pH in the range between 4 and 5, normal potting soil will have a neutral pH between 6 and 7 brought. Since many of these soils are made on the basis of acid peat, manufacturers add lime and / or quartz sand. Most plants grown in pots and other containers grow best when the pH is neutral.

The ideal pH of potting soil varies depending on the needs of the plant

Digression

Plant substrates without soil

What types of potting soil are there?

In the garden specialist center there is a huge range of different potting soil, so that one stands in front of it and cannot really decide. After all, which earth is suitable for your own project? The following overview is intended to help you make a decision.

Do you really need all these special earths?

In view of all these special soils for roses, hydrangeas, cacti, geraniums etc. Many hobby gardeners ask themselves whether these actually make sense or whether normal potting soil doesn't also serve its purpose. In fact, some special soils are basically superfluous, as the needs of the respective plants can also be met with conventional potted plant soil. You can save yourself expensive rose or geranium soil, for example, both types thrive very well in normal, humus-based potted plant soil.

The situation is different with soils that are supposed to meet the very special needs of certain species. So rhododendron and bog bed soil is suitable for all plants that prefer an acidic environment. Cacti and succulents, on the other hand, need a rather dry and nutrient-poor substrate, while orchids cannot tolerate potting soil at all. These feel most comfortable in a coarse substrate made of pieces of bark and other fibers.

Peat or compost?

Many potting soil is based on the natural raw material peat. Although this is biodegradable, it is nevertheless extremely problematic for both plants and the environment for various reasons.

• Drainage of peat bogs: Peat bogs are valuable habitats that are worth protecting and are home to many rare plants and animals. In addition, these ecosystems, which have already become rare due to the urban sprawl and intensive agriculture, store climate-damaging carbon dioxide. If the moors are now drained for the purpose of peat removal, one not only destroys an inestimable ecosystem, but also releases vast amounts of fossil CO2.
• Depletion of peat deposits: Due to the drastic decline in peat bogs and the ongoing peat extraction, the deposits will be exhausted within a few years. For this reason alone, more sustainable alternatives should be sought and found.
• Disadvantages for container plants: In particular, the cheap "no-name" potting soil from the discounter is largely based on peat or peat. Peat waste. Do not use these soils because you are doing your plants a disservice. Peat-based potting soil tends to become rock-hard when it is dry and can then hardly absorb water. The roots cannot grow unhindered and are also hindered in their absorption of water and nutrients.

Given these drawbacks, it is important to resort to peat-free potting soil. But what options are there anyway?

The disadvantages of peat and a possible alternative are presented in this video:

What is peat-free resp. peat-reduced soil?

There are several ways to replace either all or part of peat in potting soil. For a number of years now, hardware stores and supermarkets have been offering potting soil made from coconut fiber, for example. This mostly comes as an ultra-light package to which water is added at home and which then swells up and can be used.

The rapidly renewable raw material coconut is extremely user-friendly, although it has been criticized for ecological reasons. The dried coconut fibers ultimately have to travel a very long way to Germany, which in turn causes carbon dioxide. In addition, coconuts are grown on plantations that have made way for rainforests.

Compared to coconut fibers, xylitol, which is obtained as a by-product of charcoal production, does not cause any additional environmental pollution. The material was only recently discovered for use in potting soil and shows extremely positive properties with regard to the growth and flowering behavior of potted plants. Xyliter earth is characterized by a very high air permeability and contains a similar amount of humic acid as peat earth. This keeps the pH of the flower substrate at a consistently healthy level.

What is compost soil?

In addition to the mentioned peat substitutes is also Compost soil a very suitable plant substrate for many container plants. This also has the advantage of being absolutely environmentally friendly, after all it maintains the natural cycle of life and turns organic waste into a valuable source of nutrients. But be careful: Do not put your potted plants in pure compost, instead mix one part of ripe, finely crumbly compost and two parts of reclaimed, clayey garden soil. Alternatively, you can buy suitable compost soil in the garden center.

Compost soil is environmentally friendly, rich in nutrients and, at best, free of charge

How do you recognize high-quality potting soil and potting soil?

Whether or not a potting soil is good can hardly be determined without opening the sack. In addition, you will often only find out during use - i.e. when your plants are already in it - whether it is a high-quality soil. As long as your indoor and other potted plants grow splendidly, bloom profusely and otherwise appear healthy, the potting soil is basically fine. Otherwise, please pay attention to these features when purchasing:

• Buy peat-free soil.
• Forget about cheap potting soil from the discounter.
• This contains too much salt and too many fillers and is harmful to your plants.
• Prefer mixtures of organic raw materials.
• This also includes organic fertilizers, such as. B. Horn shavings or compost.
• When opening the package, the earth must not smell musty or even putrid.
• However, an intense earthy smell is normal and desirable.
• The individual components of the earth should be mixed evenly.
• Only a few coarse parts should be recognizable.
• The fresh potting soil should be fine-crumbly and slightly damp.

A high-quality potting soil must be able to store moisture well and be able to release it again when necessary. In addition, it must not become hard if it dries, but must absorb the water quickly when it is poured again.

Store potting soil correctly

Always buy as much potting soil as you currently need. The material is not suitable for long storage, as the nutrients it contains decompose very quickly, especially in warm, humid weather. If there are any remains of earth, keep them in a closed sack and as cool and dry as possible. The dark basement is better suited for this purpose than a sunny balcony. Incidentally, many garden centers and hardware stores store the potting soil incorrectly: The sacks are placed on top of each other in the blazing sun and wait for their buyers there. Therefore, if possible, use goods that have been stored in cool interiors and away from the sun.

Replace potting soil regularly

Potted plants should be repotted regularly

Potting soil is exposed to heavy loads and therefore uses up very quickly. In addition, the natural product accumulates over time with such unsightly things as mold spores and other fungi, bacteria and even pests that lay their eggs directly in the earth. For example, fungus gnats are often brought into the house with fresh potting soil. These reasons speak in favor of completely replacing the soil in the pot every one to two years in order to keep pathogens and pests away. In addition, your plants benefit from regularly fresh soil, as it is finer and looser than the old and therefore more aerated.

Digression

How can you dispose of used potting soil?

Mix the potting soil yourself - instructions and tips

Until the 1970s, it was common for plant lovers and gardeners to mix their own potting soil and potting soil. These consisted mostly of compost and peat, loam and clay, sand, charcoal and other materials in different compositions, depending on which plants are to grow in them.

Good potting soil is a mix of different materials

Even today, numerous recipes for your own mixtures can be found in gardening books and on the Internet. This is usually based on fine-crumbly, sandy-loamy garden soil that our grandmothers took from molehills that were raised. This is loose and has just the right consistency for potting soil. Green compost or something else is added humus (such as bark compost) as well Primary rock meal and horn meal. It is also important to observe the correct pH value and, if necessary, to check it with a test strip from the pharmacy. If the pH is too low, add something else Garden lime(€ 9.70 at Amazon *) (without further additions!). Now mix the ingredients thoroughly so that the potting soil is as uniform as possible and the individual components are evenly distributed.

Ideal mixing example for a self-mixed universal soil:

• a third of ripe compost
• two thirds of fine garden soil
• fine sieve both materials!
• for loamy garden soil: a handful of quartz sand
• in sandy garden soil: a handful of clay granules
• a handful of bark humus (commercially available)
• two to three grams per liter of horn meal
• if necessary some garden lime

Most potted and houseplants feel very comfortable in this potting soil. So that no unpleasant surprises develop in the form of pests or weeds, you should put the finished soil in the microwave for a few minutes (at 600 to 800 watts) or Disinfect for half an hour in the oven (at 75 ° C).

frequently asked Questions

Can I also put topsoil in the flower pot?

at Topsoil it is about 20 to 30 centimeters thick, the top layer of the earth's crust. This is essential for plant growth as it contains many nutrients and is home to active soil life. In principle, you can also use topsoil for your potted plants, but the material also contains admixtures of weed seeds, small stones, remains of roots and animals. Planting or Potting soil, on the other hand, has been cleaned so you don't have to worry about wild growth in the flower pot.

The potting soil is moldy. What should I do now?

First of all: not every whitish layer on the surface of the potting soil is mold. In many cases, it is only limescale deposits that have accumulated from watering with lime-containing tap water. You are harmless. Real mold, on the other hand, occurs when potting soil with high organic proportions is poured too heavily and is therefore too moist. Remove the top, moldy layer of soil, replace it with fresh substrate and water less. Good drainage in pots also helps, for example by mixing in sand and thus increasing the drainage.

Mushrooms suddenly grow out of my flower pot. Is that bad and what can I do about it?

If mushrooms suddenly grow in the flower pot, you have probably watered too much. However, the fruiting bodies have nothing to do with the quality of the potting soil, because fungi feed themselves of dead biological material and therefore appear wherever such material can be found is. If you remove the fruiting bodies and water your plants less, the "problem" will go away on its own.

The potting soil in the freshly opened bag stinks. Is she bad?

If fresh potting soil "stinks", i.e. a strong smell emanates from the sack that has just been opened, there is no reason for alarm. In particular soils with organic ingredients such as Horn meal or horn shavings, guano,(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) Compost, bark humus etc. often smell very intense. Enjoy it (and hold your nose), because the smell is a sign of the good quality of this earth: The The microorganisms contained are currently doing their job and converting the organic ingredients into easily usable for the plants Nutrients around. If you are bothered by the scent, let the soil in the open sack air out one or two days before use in a less frequented place.