How to Grow Container Plants

Mix Your Own Potting Soil

Container gardening calls for a bit of alchemy in imitating nature in a pot. That’s why potting mix is essential to any success, providing three key materials: for drainage, water retention, and nutrition.

You would do fine by purchasing a quality organic mix from a garden center, but making your own potting soil will give your potted plants a leg up. The all-purpose mix is a good place to start, or try the custom formulas to make your container garden flourish.

For Woody Plants And Perennials

Longevity is the goal when you’re making a mix for long-term plants in pots. This blend uses compost and composted bark to release nutrients slowly over the course of several seasons, allowing plants to thrive over time.

• 1 part coarse sand
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part ground coir (coconut husks)
• 1 part composted bark
• 1 part compost

All-Purpose Potting Mix

This basic blend suits most flowers, vegetables, and small shrubs—and is a starting point for customization.

• 1 part garden soil (store-bought or from a well-amended bed)
• 1 part compost (for nutrients)
• 1 part perlite (for drainage)
• 1 part ground coir (for water retention)

For Tropicals

Continually moist and always fertile soil is best for tropical plants, so bark and compost are the primary ingredients in this recipe. They hold moisture and release nutrients as they biodegrade, creating the perfect environment for jungle species.

First, mix:

• 2 parts composted bark
• 1 part compost
• 1/50 part charcoal

Then combine:

• 3 parts compost-bark-charcoal mixture
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part calcined clay
• 1 part shredded coir

For Annuals

The extra fertility this recipe offers keeps flowers blooming all season long. It’s ideal for annuals, which are heavy feeders.

• 2 parts coarse sand or poultry grit
• 2 parts composted bark
• 2 parts compost
• ½ part organic fertilizer (or mix in ¼ part bone meal and ¼ part kelp meal)

For Succulents

The mantra is “drainage, drainage, drainage” when you’re growing succulents. These desert and dry-climate natives never want to be soggy, so a healthy amount of ingredients that help water flow through is a must.

• 4 parts All-Purpose Potting Mix
• 3 parts perlite
• 2 parts coarse sand
• 1 part vermiculite