Container Potting Mix

When planning the garden one of the easiest activities is growing combination containers today on Southern Gardening.

When growing in containers it’s important to use the correct “soil” which isn’t soil at all; in fact there’s no soil in the correct growing mix. For the best growth and flowering performance in containers a “soilless” peat-based mix should always be used. Bagged mixes are often called potting or container mixes and have no soil at all. They are found under a variety of trade names but are similar in their basic recipe. They are composed of organic components like peat moss, coir fiber, or bark. Both vermiculite and perlite are inorganic components. Potting mixes for containers need to be light and airy and drain well, this is where the vermiculite and/or perlite come in. These container mixes are readily available at your local garden center and come in a variety of bag sizes, from quarts all the way up to multi cubic foot bags. And there are mixes for specific plants like succulents and herbs. Many commercial container mixes have some added fertilizer which is beneficial in getting plants off to a good start, but not enough to sustain growth through the entire season. I always feed my container plants with controlled release fertilizer at planting and supplemental feeding with water soluble fertilizer through the growing season. Container gardening is a fun way to add color to your landscape and using the correct growing mix will go a long way to help you be successful. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Gary Bachman