The most important part of growing great plants in containers.

The number one thought you must have is to use the best potting mix for the plants you wish to grow. It is easy enough to choose a planter and the plants, then you must find the best medium. Ordinary garden soil does not work particularly well in containers.

I have used garden soil before and I find it tends to dry out quickly and packs down tight and therefore reduces aeration. This soil also has weed seeds and different disease organisms. You want to give your plants the best possible chance to produce to their full potential.

Garden soil can be used as a container media but it needs to be mixed with other ingredients. An acceptable soil based mix can be made by using one part garden soil, one part peat moss and one part perlite.

I have found a post from the university of Illinois that discusses in detail the best medium to use in your planters. They have done research on this topic and have come up with some good recommendations.

Watch the video below and see what is a suitable medium for your containers.

Image source;

Soils for containers are always modified in some way to ensure proper drainage and aeration. Container soils are often referred to as soilless or artificial media, because they contain no soil at all.

They are often composed of various things such as peat, vermiculite, bark, coir fiber (ground coconut hulls) in a variety of recipes depending on the manufacture and the type of plant material being grown. They can be found under a variety of trade names and in sizes ranging from a few quarts to bales that are many cubic feet in size. Sometimes the choice of media will be directed by what type of plants you are growing.

Succulents, herbs, and perennials tend to prefer soils that are well drained and not retaining a lot of moisture over a long period of time. For them you might choose media that are courser in texture containing more bark, perlite or sand. For tropicals and foliage plants, you might choose a media with more peat and less course material as these plants tend to prefer moisture growing conditions.

I hope you find that this might help you to grow better plants and enjoy your garden. Watching healthy plants grow is very satisfying and also being able to benefit from eating nutrient rich food. Please visit the site Successful Container Gardens to get all the details on the best potting mix to use in your containers