Potting soil recommendations?
Need to repot or change the soil in some of my plants (some are in super hydrophobic soil, even soaking hasn’t resolved the issue). Do you have any recommendations on a soil to use?
Do I need to change up the soil depending on the plant?
Also - should I put rocks at bottom of pot before putting soil in? I’ve had some shops pot my plants before and do that, but it seems to limit ability to bottom water if needed.
Note: all my pots have drainage holes
Do I need to change up the soil depending on the plant?
Also - should I put rocks at bottom of pot before putting soil in? I’ve had some shops pot my plants before and do that, but it seems to limit ability to bottom water if needed.
Note: all my pots have drainage holes
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@SophieN Hi 👋 Sophie! Are you wanting to stick with hydroponic soil?
Here is a list of plants that do well in hydroponic:
Houseplants that do well with hydroponics:
Philodendron
Money tree
Peace lily
Spider plant
English ivy
Geranium
Lucky bamboo
Coleus
Wandering Jew
Chinese evergreen
Potho
Petunia
Daisy
Marigold
Baby’s Breath
Zinnia
Snapdragon
Promix is probably the most forgiving hydroponic growing medium. Promix is made of professional grade Peat Moss, Perlite, Vermiculite, & Mycorrizal (Beneficial Bacteria). Promix looks like Potting Soil & is often mistaken for Soil but it is not. It is very forgiving if you forget to water.
Potting Soil is the only organic medium. Potting Soil holds the nutrients so you only give the plants food from every couple days to once a week. The rest of the time you would give the plants pH adjusted water. A hydroponic growing medium can be all natural like Coco or Promix but it is still hydroponic because it does not store nutrients. Potting Soil holds the nutrients so you do not use as much fertilizer. With soil the nutrients are not given with every watering so the yields will not be as high as with a hydroponic medium, BUT the flavor and aroma should be much better.
Can You Transplant Hydroponic Plants To Soil?
Yes, you can safely transplant hydroponic plants over to soil.
Doing so requires care both during and after the transition to ensure the plant survives.
Many gardeners prefer a hydroponic system to start seeds so they can get a jump on their spring garden. Avoiding the mess of soil or growing mediums is why other growers prefer to start plants hydroponically.
Another reason to transfer plants to the soil is that some growers have large plants overtaking their hydroponic system. Moving plants outdoors or into a large pot allows them to continue growing.
Other growers may move plants over to soil pots so they can sell them.
It’s best to take care when transitioning water-grown plants to the soil because of the dangers of transplanting shock.
You can’t transition plants directly from an indoor, water-based growing method to dirt, especially in a garden plot, as both the roots and plants need time to adjust.
Just as you need to harden off seedlings before transplanting them outside, you also need to slowly give your hydroponic plants time to adjust to the new growing conditions.
Dangers Of Moving Plants From Water To Soil
Transplanting shock is the main danger of moving plants from water to soil.
Plants grown in water have a root system that is much more delicate than those grown in soil.
With water such an excellent transporter of nutrients, a plant creates thinner and shorter roots as this is all they need to survive.
Plants grown in soil need to have thicker roots that grow long in search of nutrients and are much tougher against adverse climate and moisture conditions.
Here is a recommended soil that I found that will be perfect for your plants:
Pro-Mix Premium Organic Vegetable & Herb Mix (2 cu. ft.) Promix Soil, 1901 Ounce https://a.co/d/0NrtTcs
WONDER SOIL Organic Potting Soil | Ready to Plant Coco Coir Fully Loaded with Nutrients | 3 LBS Bag Expands to 12 Quarts of Indoor Outdoor Soil for Gardens & Plants | Incl Worm Castings, Perlite https://a.co/d/dNSfJkT
Here is a list of plants that do well in hydroponic:
Houseplants that do well with hydroponics:
Philodendron
Money tree
Peace lily
Spider plant
English ivy
Geranium
Lucky bamboo
Coleus
Wandering Jew
Chinese evergreen
Potho
Petunia
Daisy
Marigold
Baby’s Breath
Zinnia
Snapdragon
Promix is probably the most forgiving hydroponic growing medium. Promix is made of professional grade Peat Moss, Perlite, Vermiculite, & Mycorrizal (Beneficial Bacteria). Promix looks like Potting Soil & is often mistaken for Soil but it is not. It is very forgiving if you forget to water.
Potting Soil is the only organic medium. Potting Soil holds the nutrients so you only give the plants food from every couple days to once a week. The rest of the time you would give the plants pH adjusted water. A hydroponic growing medium can be all natural like Coco or Promix but it is still hydroponic because it does not store nutrients. Potting Soil holds the nutrients so you do not use as much fertilizer. With soil the nutrients are not given with every watering so the yields will not be as high as with a hydroponic medium, BUT the flavor and aroma should be much better.
Can You Transplant Hydroponic Plants To Soil?
Yes, you can safely transplant hydroponic plants over to soil.
Doing so requires care both during and after the transition to ensure the plant survives.
Many gardeners prefer a hydroponic system to start seeds so they can get a jump on their spring garden. Avoiding the mess of soil or growing mediums is why other growers prefer to start plants hydroponically.
Another reason to transfer plants to the soil is that some growers have large plants overtaking their hydroponic system. Moving plants outdoors or into a large pot allows them to continue growing.
Other growers may move plants over to soil pots so they can sell them.
It’s best to take care when transitioning water-grown plants to the soil because of the dangers of transplanting shock.
You can’t transition plants directly from an indoor, water-based growing method to dirt, especially in a garden plot, as both the roots and plants need time to adjust.
Just as you need to harden off seedlings before transplanting them outside, you also need to slowly give your hydroponic plants time to adjust to the new growing conditions.
Dangers Of Moving Plants From Water To Soil
Transplanting shock is the main danger of moving plants from water to soil.
Plants grown in water have a root system that is much more delicate than those grown in soil.
With water such an excellent transporter of nutrients, a plant creates thinner and shorter roots as this is all they need to survive.
Plants grown in soil need to have thicker roots that grow long in search of nutrients and are much tougher against adverse climate and moisture conditions.
Here is a recommended soil that I found that will be perfect for your plants:
Pro-Mix Premium Organic Vegetable & Herb Mix (2 cu. ft.) Promix Soil, 1901 Ounce https://a.co/d/0NrtTcs
WONDER SOIL Organic Potting Soil | Ready to Plant Coco Coir Fully Loaded with Nutrients | 3 LBS Bag Expands to 12 Quarts of Indoor Outdoor Soil for Gardens & Plants | Incl Worm Castings, Perlite https://a.co/d/dNSfJkT
I prefer to use either Happy Frog or Foxfarm potting soil for most of my plants.
As far as changing soil depending on the plant, it depends on your types of plants.
If you have predominantly succulents/cacti, I would recommend a more faster draining soil with higher amounts of sand and perlite. I usually use the Hoffman cactus and succulent mix for those.
As far as changing soil depending on the plant, it depends on your types of plants.
If you have predominantly succulents/cacti, I would recommend a more faster draining soil with higher amounts of sand and perlite. I usually use the Hoffman cactus and succulent mix for those.
I'm glad you're on Greg, Sophie- your plants looks so good.
I don't ever use rocks on the bottom. I think they can cause more problems than not... but that's just me.
I get a large bag of Baccto (just a regular potting mix that my local farm store sells) and I add whatever my plants might appreciate to the mix.
The main things I add to my soil are:
orchid bark
peat moss
perlite (to help with drainage)
worm castings (for fertilizer)
sand
I have some rocks that I use occasionally on plants that need to have soil that drains REALLY well. I also use rocks on the top sometimes to keep plants from falling over.
I don't ever use rocks on the bottom. I think they can cause more problems than not... but that's just me.
I get a large bag of Baccto (just a regular potting mix that my local farm store sells) and I add whatever my plants might appreciate to the mix.
The main things I add to my soil are:
orchid bark
peat moss
perlite (to help with drainage)
worm castings (for fertilizer)
sand
I have some rocks that I use occasionally on plants that need to have soil that drains REALLY well. I also use rocks on the top sometimes to keep plants from falling over.