You’re more than ever convinced the world is on a slippery slope to become a hotter place and your survivability depends on growing your own food. You have some seeds or veggies ready to plant, but to plant it in? The bewildering array of stuff at the garden center is confusing, and you never ask for directions anyway. How to choose the best potting soil for your needs will depend on its components, what you plan to grow in it and understanding what’s important (or not) about being labelled ‘organic.’
What’s in the potting mix will tell you a lot about its quality. In addition to peat moss, pine bark and vermiculite or perlite, there may be additives such as compost or fertilizers, and also sand and soil which add weight and volume but little to the plant value of the mix. As a rule, the denser and heavier it is, the poorer the quality as a potting mix.
Knowing what you’re growing will help determine which mix to buy. Starting seeds, growing African violets, replanting succulents…each has different soil, nutrient, water and pH requirements. Look for a potting mix that supports the different plants you are growing.
‘Organic’ tends to be a highly values-laden word, but at its basis the difference between organic and non is pretty simple. Organic potting mixes have no chemical additives and rely on the decomposition of natural materials to make nutrients available to the plants over a long period of time. Non-organic mixes have chemically derived fertilizers and other additives that tend to boost plant productivity more in the short term. Use of non-organic mixes may require additional supplements over time to replace the original additives as they are used up.
