4 reasons you should stop buying potting soil and make your own instead
Potting soil is a special blend of the right materials, organic and inorganic, with the right consistency to hold plants in smaller containers. It would be too “fancy” (and frankly unnecessary) to be used in raised beds. We recommend a potting soil be used in any container smaller than 8 square feet (think, a 2’x2’ or a 2’x3’ container or smaller). Potting soil should be replaced (or refreshed to be reused!) at least once a year. It’s lighter than garden soil or native soil so it will not compact as easily in the smaller container with rigid walls. And we think you should consider making your own and here’s why….
No. 1: It's cheaper.
Pound for pound, potting soil is crazy expensive compared to other types of materials! I guess the idea is that you are normally not buying a lot of it since you are only filling smaller containers. But still! Who wants to spend $20 a bag when other materials you can use to make the potting soil yourself are $3-8 a bag!
No. 2: You can use better quality ingredients.
It’s hard to know what’s in potting soil sometimes and when you make your own you can know exactly what’s in it. This is especially true if you are composting at home and have finished compost to add to your mix. Your fresh compost is likely more alive and healthy than any type you may purchase from the garden center in a plastic bag.
No. 3: It's fun and easy (especially with kids!)
Mixing dirt is always fun and the recipes are always very simple - or should be! If you are finding yourself with ingredients that you cannot pronounce, you are making it waaayyy too difficult. Keep it simple and you cannot go wrong.
No. 4: There's a lot less thinking involved.
I’ve been gardening for almost a decade and I still get blurry-eyed in a big box garden center looking at the varieties of soil. There are loads and loads of potting soils “especially formulated” for this plant or that type of flower. It’s all an overwhelming mess and headache. If you know how to make your own, your search is simple and fast and you do not have to squint to read labels, try to figure out which is organic and which isn’t or what ingredient does what.