DIY Potting Mix Recipes for Every Need

Why Mix Your Own?

Commercial mixes vary; homemade blends let you control drainage, moisture retention, and nutrition. Add water‑absorbing polymer crystals to reduce watering frequency. Remember: containers need more frequent watering than garden beds—daily in hot weather.

Three Proven Recipes

All‑Purpose Potting Mix

• 8 quarts potting soil with vermiculite or perlite
• 1 quart coarse sand
• 4 quarts sphagnum peat moss, compost, and/or rotted manure

Lightweight, Enriched Mix

• 8 quarts potting soil
• 1 quart perlite
• 1 quart vermiculite
• 8 quarts sphagnum peat moss
• 1 cup greensand
• 1 cup gypsum

Soilless Seed‑Starting Mix

• 8 quarts sphagnum peat moss
• 1 quart perlite
• 1 quart vermiculite

Mix thoroughly. Sterilize if using garden soil (bake at 200°F until center reaches 150‑180°F for 30 min).