When it comes to the soil your houseplants are planted into, I could talk for a long time, going into detail on different components and factors and growing mediums. However, there are a few simple but key steps to take when it comes to choosing the correct soil for your houseplants and today we’re going to keep it simple, so we can get it right, and have happy, healthy houseplants at home.

The main, number one, most important, tip top tip is to to make sure your houseplants compost has good drainage. The number one killer of our beloved houseplants is when they end up sat in soggy, moist compost for a long time and the roots of the plant start to rot.

If your compost has good drainage, using a mixture of components to create gaps and aeration, then the water can flow through and the fresh input of air will help to prevent root rot.

To build up a good houseplant compost, start with a good base. This could be coir, like our Coco & Coir soil bricks, which is made from coconut husks, a natural waste product of the coconut growing industry. Just make sure it’s peat free.

Then add in other components to create the aeration and drainage our houseplants love so much. This could be pumice or perlite, vermiculite which holds water and nutrients a bit longer than perlite, or even orchid bark mix to really create a fast draining mix. 

I also like to sprinkle in some activated charcoal, this does a fantastic job of purifying the soil to prevent mould and even soak up excess water away from your precious plants roots.

Add a dash of worm castings, the ultimate natural fertiliser, and you’ve got yourself a dream compost mix for the majority of houseplants!

If all this sounds a bit much, get yourself along to the store and get some Coco & Coir compost with Perlite and you’ll be starting from a better place than most! 

Happy planting,

Rosanna x