Contents
In Today’s post, we will learn how to make a well draining soil using 10 things in your potting soil. We will also perform a test on this potting mix for drainage and list out 10 things you should add to your garden soil to make it a perfect well-draining potting mix favorable for healthy plant growth. We will also include some cheap alternatives in this list.
What is a Well Draining Soil?
Well-drained soil is soil where water drains out at a medium rate – neither too quickly nor too slowly. We all know that, if the soil is too wet, plant roots fail to get the oxygen they need, and they tend to rot and the plant dies. If the soil has too many air pockets and if it drains out too quickly, plant roots dry out which again is not good for plant growth.
Compacted clay soil is an example of poorly draining soil, whereas sandy soil is an example of fast-draining soil.
So, to make the perfect or near-perfect well-draining soil, you need soil amendment and adding one or more of certain ingredients to your garden soil in proper proportions. Neither too little nor too much.
We will demonstrate a Simple Test to check whether your soil is the perfect well-draining soil at the end. Before that,
Top 10 Things to Add to Your Potting Soil to Make Well-Draining Soil
10. Peat Moss
Peat moss is an organic dead fibrous material that makes your soil well-draining. It has an acidic pH and hence is very useful for acid-loving plants. But the problem is it’s a bit expensive and may not be suitable for alkaline pH-loving plants. Its best use is in seed starting mix. It’s usually mixed with compost and it holds moisture and nutrients for a longer time and helps seed germination. Peat pellets like these are available which are great for starting seeds!
- 100% Sphagnum Peat Moss for Gardening
- Ideal for indoor or outdoor use
- Excellent supplement for potting and gardening soils
9. Perlite
Perlite is another natural substance – an amorphous volcanic glass and sometimes called volcanic popcorn. When you look at perlite under a microscope, you would see that it’s quite porous and this property aids in making the soil well-draining and well-aerated. Perlite forms a great ingredient for making indoor potting mix and seed starting mix. But you cannot add perlite alone to garden soil or compact soil because it easily gets crushed to powder under pressure.
- 12 QT FULL: We give a very adequate amount of 12 qt of organic Perlite to fully satisfy your daily needs!
- LESS DUST: our perlite is 3-6 Medium Grade, which undergoes a washing process, resulting in less dust overall and a better feel, making it ideal for any home or garden!
8. Pumice
This is another natural substance. The main advantage of this substance is it overcomes the problem of perlite, which gets crushed into powder under pressure when mixed with garden soil. So pumice in this case is the best option. Garden pumice or horticultural pumice is available in various grades or sizes and a very useful ingredient in succulent potting mix.
- Soil Amendment
- Increases Drainage
- Improves Aeration
7. Vermiculite
This is another naturally obtained substance with a neutral pH. It holds a lot of moisture and makes a well-draining soil. It will not rot or degrade or mold and is non-toxic and sterile which makes it a good option in a seed starting mix. This is great for water-loving plants because it holds a lot of moisture. So be careful or better not use it in a succulent potting mix. There are different grades of vermiculite available for gardening. You can use a lower size grade for making your seed starting mix along with other ingredients like peat moss or cocopeat. If you are using this alone to mix with garden soil, you should mix like 1 part to 3 parts soil.
- Natural Organic Horticultural Vermiculite that improves moisture and nutrient retention.
- Vermiculite helps in spreading gas throughout, non-flammable, odorless, and will not decay or shrink.
6. Coco Peat
It’s the most widely used growing medium which is obtained and processed from coconut fibres. This is available as ready to mix powder or in compact bricks which can be easily reconstituted by mixing with water to expand into lots and lots of volume of cocopeat. It has a slightly acidic pH of around 6 which is very much favourable for most plants. Depending on the requirement or the plant you are growing, you can mix 1 part to 2 parts soil – that’s one third or 2 parts to 2 parts soil – that’s 50 percent, especially for making indoor potting mix or terrace gardening mix to make it a light weight potting mix. For seed germination, you can use cocopeat alone or add some 20 to 30 percent compost in it to support the seedlings until transplant.
- ECO-FRIENDLY & SUSTAINABLE – Coir is made of coarse fibers extracted from the husk on the outer shell of coconuts. It is a 100% natural by-product of harvesting coconut that used to be disposed until its benefits were discovered, thus making it both eco-friendly and sustainable.
5. Compost
Yes, adding compost like decomposed cow dung or horse dung or even leaf compost and special compost like vermicompost is not only indispensable for plant growth but this also makes your soil less compact and well-draining. But adding other ingredients like perlite, vermiculite, cocopeat or peat moss along with compost makes the soil more suitable for healthy growth of plants.
- Ideal for recharging soil and container growing. For brewing compost tea, we recommend using VermisTerra Premium worm castings.
- Macronutrients, micronutrients, trace minerals, natural plant hormones. Boosts growth of roots, leaves, flowers and fruit.
- Pure worm castings, less water weight; easier to mix, apply, and spread.
4. Sand
Adding construction or river sand is another option if you do not want to purchase perlite or vermiculite or peat moss. Remember not to use sea sand or beach sand for your plants. The major drawback with sand is it can make your soil drain out too quickly especially if you add more than 30 percent to soil. But this type of mix is very much favourable for succulents and cacti but not for other plants. Another problem is soil compaction over a period of time which can make it concrete-like and difficult for the plants. So, generally add no more than 10 percent or max 20 percent sand into potting mix for most plants.
- Natural Sand: Riverbed Sand is ideal for many types of aquatic turtles as it is their preferred substrate in the wild. Soft-shell turtles especially prefer the fine sand for digging and burrowing. No added dyes or chemicals.
- Ideal Grain Size: The riverbed sand is very fine and can be easily secreted when ingested, unlike gravel or pebbles which can cause indigestion.
3. Brick Powder
Some gardeners suggest adding brick granules or coarse red brick powder to make soil well-draining and well-aerated.
2. Gypsum Powder
Gypsum powder is another alternative to mix with compacted soils which effectively changes the structure and fertility of heavy clay soils.
- Calcium Sulfate: A naturally occurring mineral mined from the earth and used as a soil amendment to improve soil quality
- Soil Amendment: It can be used to improve the soil structure and help plants grow stronger and healthier
1. Shredded Bark, Twigs and Saw Dust
No doubt, these make your soil well-draining! But at the same time, they steal nitrogen from the soil in the process of their decomposition. So if you are adding these ingredients into potting mix or for mulching, make sure you mix in a lot of supplements to supply nitrogen to your plant and prevent its deficiency.
Simple Test to Check Whether Your Soil is Perfectly Well-Draining
When you add water to your container, I mean after thoroughly watering your plant, it should drain out from the drainage hole in about 1 to 2 minutes, neither quicker nor too late.
Happy Gardening!
Video Tutorial On Making Well Draining Soil
Please watch a detailed video showing you all stuff needed to make a well draining potting mix.
Last update on 2024-09-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1 comment
I have several plants that need well-draining soil. I have sandy soil in the landscape, can I add some to potting mix. I don’t have these products on hand, and not much money