Due to the pandemic, many people staying at home are starting to consider trying out gardening with indoor plants since these plants are suitable and great for growing inside the comfort of your home. This means that there will be no need for you to get out of your house to take care of them.
Moreover, you won’t have to deal with the scorching heat of the sun since indoor plants do well with natural window sunlight or grow lights.
However, back when I just started, I had little to almost no research about indoor plants at all, which resulted in disastrous mistakes that costed the life of my indoor plants. Later on, I realized that the soil I was using either had pests, bad drainage, or other soil complications.
This is when I started to find solutions to these problems, and I found that all of these problems can be fixed by using the right type of soil that is compatible with indoor plants.
Below, you will learn the fundamentals of soil and the best soil for indoor plants. Furthermore, I would also like to share my experiences with you to help prevent you from making the same mistakes that I did when I started gardening with indoor plants.
What are the Different Types of Soil?
For starters, there are numerous types of soil available in the market. Below are the common ones that you most likely heard of:
1) Clay Soil
Clay soil is one of the common soils that is used on plants that require less water retention since clay does not drain water as fast as organic soil does. Clay soil is also excellent for preventing root rot since too much moisture is the main cause of this problem. This type of soil is still categorized as natural soil with unique clay minerals.
It can develop plasticity after you water the clay soil, and it can easily become hard and brittle after drying up.
2) Silt Soil
Silt soil or silty soil is a powdery type of soil that contains high amounts of fertility. However, silt is a component that is prone to waterlog, which means they are not suitable for plants that do not adapt well to high moisture levels, especially cactuses. This is one of the reasons why silt soil is underrated since this type of soil can easily catch root rot.
3) Sandy Soil
Sand is commonly known as the largest particle in soil. This type of soil does not hold nutrients well, so what is it used for?
Sand soil is commonly used for planting, cultivating, and plowing. There are not a lot of plants out there that can adapt well to sandy soil alone, but this type of soil is commonly used as an amendment to other types of soil. Plants like vegetables appreciate some amount of sandy soil in their original soil for better growth and development.
4) Loam Soil
Loam soil is basically the combination of the three aforementioned types of soil. Its amount is perfectly balanced (33.3%) for excellent plant boosters. But the amount of the three different types of soil can also vary, such as a 40%-40%-20% distribution. Loam soil is commonly used among the three due to its versatility. This type of soil can be applied to most garden plants.
How do I know which Type of Soil to Use?
The answer to this question will depend on what type and kind of plant you plan on growing. If your plant prefers dry soil with less water drainage, then sandy soil and clay are your options.
If the plant that you have appreciates high moisture levels, then you can apply silt soil to it. However, make sure to do regular maintenance on it to avoid possible root rot.
In terms of using loam soil, it is suitable for countless species of plants. I personally use loam soil for most of my plants, and they do very well in it! However, I do recommend doing more research on your plant to know what type of soil it is suitable for.
Best Soil For Indoor Plants
I consider sandy loam as the best soil for indoor plants. As mentioned, loam soil is composed of the three main types of soil which are clay, sand, and silt. The combination of the three promotes optimum growth for most plants, especially indoor plants that are less exposed to sunlight, air, and rainwater.
The components of sandy loam adds more nutrients to the nutrient cycle of the plants, which benefits the microorganisms living in the plant’s soil as well since they are fed by the plant, which in return will naturally make the soil structure even stronger.
To further enhance the soil, in this case, the sandy loam, you may add compost. Compost is another organic material that is used for various applications.
To know more about compost, check out the following articles below:
- 8 Composting Tips For Beginners
- How To Heat Your Greenhouse With Compost
- How To Get The Right Carbon To Nitrogen Ration In Your Compost
Should I Make or Purchase Indoor Soil for Plants?
Since the majority of the world is still affected by the pandemic, chances are, you are either going to purchase indoor soil online or make your own soil.
If you decide on purchasing one, make sure that you are purchasing from a reliable seller. Nowadays, a lot of gardeners; including me, have used low-quality soil from sellers that we thought was legitimate. This resulted horribly, leading to gnats infestation, root rot, and the death of my indoor plants.
On the other hand, if you prefer making your own indoor potting mix, use the right ingredients to avoid soil complications.
Final Thoughts On Soil For Indoor Plants
Indoor plants may have specific requirements when it comes to their soil but rest assured, they are not that picky compared to outdoor plants. But the species of your plants can have an impact on this factor.
Regardless, the best soil for indoor plants can either be purchased or made on your own, as long as the soil you purchased or made is of high quality for your indoor plants to thrive.
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to ask below!
