Better Organic Alternatives To Miracle-Gro Potting Soil

While it might be tempting to go to your local garden center and pick up a bag of Miracle-Gro potting soil because the packaging looks bright and colorful and the price is fairly affordable, it's a good idea to think twice before taking it to the checkout. Even though Miracle-Gro has been around for many years and is a brand that's familiar to gardeners of all ages, it might not be the best choice for your treasured houseplants. For the sake of these, there are better organic alternatives that you should consider instead. 

Miracle-Gro potting mix does contain plenty of natural materials like processed forest products, peat, sphagnum moss, coco coir, and perlite, but it also contains synthetic fertilizers, like ammonium nitrate, and ammonium phosphate, which are polymer-coated for slow-release. If used extensively, these synthetic fertilizers will result in a build of salts in the soil which is going to harm your plants unless they're effectively flushed out. This is why TikTok warns to stay away from using Miracle-gro in your garden. So, if you're an earth-conscious gardener and you want to give your plants the most natural growing environment, you're better off using a good quality organic mix. Some excellent choices include FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting soil, Back to the Roots organic indoor potting mix, and Espoma organic potting soil mix. You can even DIY your own blend so you know exactly what is included. 

Organic potting soils only include naturally derived ingredients which will benefit the health of your plants. For example, FoxFarm Ocean Forest potting soil contains aged forest humus, sphagnum peat moss, sandy loam, perlite, granite dust, oyster shell, earthworm castings, bat guano, crab meal, shrimp meal, fish emulsion, and Norwegian kelp. The forest humus, sandy loam, perlite, and granite dust help with aeration and drainage, while the moss aids with moisture retention. The worm castings, bat guano, fish, and seaweed products will provide your growing plants with the nutrients they need, while the oyster shell creates the correct pH.

Another good product is the Back to Roots 100% organic indoor potting mix which contains coconut coir, yucca extract, perlite, horticultural sand, organic plant food, earthworm castings, and mycorrhizae. The plant food is derived from poultry litter, feather meal, crab meal, and sulfate of potash. Mycorrhizae are the result of the symbiotic relationship between plant roots and fungi and are found in around 90% of all plants growing in soil. They allow plant roots to increase the uptake of nutrients and water that's available. Espoma organic potting soil mix is another good product that contains natural ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, aged forest products, humus, composted rice hulls, perlite, limestone, earthworm castings, yucca extract, alfalfa, kelp, and feather meal. Plus, it also contains mycorrhizae for optimum root health. And, when it's time to repot your plants, you might be interested in some pro tips for reusing potting soil.

Although there are some good organic potting soils you can purchase, another option is to make your own mix which is not that difficult. If you have your own compost, you can mix this with a few other ingredients to make the perfect blend. You can also purchase compost to use as part of your mix. The other ingredients you'll need are coconut coir or sphagnum moss, and perlite or vermiculite. For many houseplants, adding equal parts of screened compost, coco coir, and vermiculite is ideal. You can get creative and try out different blends once you get the hang of making your own mix. In a three-part blend such as this, the compost helps with structure and supplies nutrients, the coir aids in moisture retention, and the vermiculite or perlite provides excellent drainage. While you could substitute the coco coir for peat moss, many manufacturers are now moving away from this because peat is a declining resource while the coir is readily available as a byproduct of the coconut industry. 

You'll find lots of different recipes for making your own mix depending on what you want to grow. For example, for seeds, you might just want to combine coco coir with vermiculite and builder's sand. While this mix is ideal for seed germination, once the seedlings sprout, you'll want to add some fertilizer because this will be lacking. Another option you might want to explore is an unexpected potting soil replacement that houseplant enthusiasts are loving.