The latter means the soil becomes dense, making it hard for a plant to absorb water.Ī general potting soil mix will suit a variety of houseplants, though something more prickly like a succulent might require a more specific mix catered to its needs. The ingredients in a potting soil are also meant to “improve drainage, encourage moisture retention, resist compaction,” Witz explains. “Peat and perlite are really made for aeration, so they’re found in pretty much every potting mix you’re going to find,” she says. So what does potting soil do? Potting soil should have the right ingredients to oxygenate and provide nutrients for plants, which is why estate gardener and horticulturist Brooke Medlin says potting mixes are typically composed of peat, a little bit of shredded pine bark, and superheated minerals like perlite or vermiculite to aerate the soil. Still, even with that very technical point, the two terms are usually used interchangeably or branded as “soil mix” (you’ll see both below). Although the two are “functionally pretty much the same,” potting soil - as its name suggests - sometimes has actual dirt in it, whereas a mix never does, according to blogger Erinn Witz of Seeds and Spades. It also isn’t always the same as a potting mix. Potting soil isn’t the same as fertilizer, which acts more like a vitamin to your plants. Which is why starting off with the right potting soil can make a real difference in whether it just survives or fully thrives. Even with all the tools at your disposal - from a trusty trowel to a generous mister - it still might be difficult to know exactly what your plants need. Green thumbs don’t always come easy - especially if you’re tending to a fickle fiddle-leaf or an overly sensitive orchid.
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