Overheard a lady at the nursery say something about potting soil that made me mad

I was at the local nursery in Portland last Saturday, just grabbing some new soil for my ferns. This woman was telling her friend she only buys the cheapest dirt from the big box store because plants will grow in anything. I wanted to say something but I kept my mouth shut. I used to think that way too, until I lost three good houseplants to bad soil that held too much water and got all compacted. After that, I started mixing my own with perlite and bark, and the difference was night and day. Cheap potting soil just doesn't drain right for indoor plants, at least not the stuff I tried. Has anyone else had a plant die from using the bottom shelf bag of dirt?

2 comments

2 Comments

brookekelly2d ago

Last time I bought the cheap stuff from a big box store I swear there was more gravel and twigs than actual soil in the bag. My pothos looked at me like I'd personally betrayed it for a week. I'm pretty sure that lady's ferns are just holding on out of spite.

jesse_west2d ago

Funny enough I actually started mixing my own stuff about a year ago and it’s been a lifesaver. I grab a bag of coco coir (way lighter than peat and doesn’t clump up like clay), some perlite for drainage, and a scoop of worm castings for the nutrients. Mixed it in a big storage bin, maybe a 50/30/20 ratio depending on the plant, and my pothos went from sulking to putting out new leaves in like two weeks. That cheap bagged stuff is basically a gamble on whether you’re getting dirt or a construction site sample.