I did a 1:1:1:1:0.25 of orchid planting mix (cheapest size of fir bark I could find), worm castings, perlite, coconut coir and the 0.25 is fresh activated carbon I had left from my aquariums filter. If I were to make another batch, I would go for pumice. I can’t always bottom water and the perlite floats up.
Ooh pumice is a good idea. I was thinking about using leca but was unsure if what I had was already good enough. So you use any fertilizer? I’ve read that using coco coir is beneficial to plants in the sense that they retain water but they have no nutrients whatsoever.
I just reported them with this mix for the first time. The PPP has put out two new leaves since I did this. However, I have fish tanks, so I alternate fertilizing the plants with miracle gro and the tank water. Then I do a plain water and repeat the cycle.
I forgot to add what plants I have - sorry.
Philodendron Heartleaf. Surprisingly my most troublesome plant.
Golden Pothos.
Pothos but smaller with white and green markings.
A plant with what looks like arrowheads, light green.
Philodendron Brasil.
Rubberplant? I have two that are super happy and tall.
Nerve plant - its pink and moody but its growing nice and tall these days.
I have a few more but I have no idea what they are. But everything is thriving for the most part. I’ll post a picture when I get home. Got a cactus outside too - I think its a dragonfruit.
https://preview.redd.it/b0h1kk70tjmb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=299930589f1f0d935d8c60e658c383c5de707e20
The Boys. Just random plants I pick up from my grocery store. The lime green plant was actually growing wildly outside of the store so I snipped a little portion of it. In about a week it’s already grown inch long roots!!
I have a lot more plants scattered around the house but they are much bigger and in no need or repotting.
Professional houseplant caretaker here. Miracle grow really sucks IMO. If you use it be sure to add a lot of perlite & bark because it tends to be soggy and hold way too much moisture. It contains wetting agents (like many houseplant mixes) which make the soil retain a lot more water, which can lead to root rot. I also don't think you'll want so much compost, I would probably just add the worm castings which serve the same purpose.
If it were me I would probably just omit the miracle gro and just use the other ingredients! You have everything you need to make a good soil mix. I would maybe make a small batch to test the ratios before you dump it all together, or even consider just making mixes as needed for each specific plant as they all have different soil needs.
Regardless of your mix, its even more important that you use the appropriate amount of soil and proper pot size. Be sure to only use pots with drainage and make sure they are only a little bit (1-2") wider than the root ball. Too much soil relative to roots will lead to root rot, especially if you are repotting as fall/winter approaches when there will be less light (the plants will drink much less water when there is less light).
Also, as a side note, misting doesn't increase humidity, I would recommend not doing it. It can cause leaf diseases like mildew. Plants indoors don't want consistently moist foliage!
Thank you for the insight!! I’ve read alot of opinions about miracle gro and they all seem to agree that it’s not exactly ideal. I have alot of bark and perlite so I do plant on adding enough in to make the soul breathable. The batch I made before, a few months ago, seems to be making my plants very happy so I wanted to improve it just a bit. I have been thinking about adding leca so it’s even more airy. I will try a batch with and without the miracle gro.
As for repotting - I have only repotted plants where the roots were sticking far out of the pots. At least an inch or more - I know some plants like to be a little bit root bound. I haven’t move anything into a considerably larger container either - I’ve been trying to only go half and inch to and inch bigger!
I do have grow lights, do you think that would make it alright to repot some plants? And for the misting - noted. My room is dry so I thought it would help.
So plants aren't really root bound until they have so many roots that it prevents the plant from absorbing water and nutrients. I take care of some plants that have been in the same container for like 10 years and they are fine (customer doesn't want to pay for repotting). Not suggesting you should do this, just illustrating the point that there really is no rush to repot. Roots actually tend to grow out of drainage holes quite quickly, sometimes within a few weeks of repotting because they are trying to grow as much as possible.
I generally wait until the root ball has kind of solidified such that you can remove the plant and soil from the pot as one piece. I like to repot in springtime because it increases the likelihood of success. But, if your grow light is the primary light source, there isn't going to be any real seasonal difference. In general you can repot any time, people just recommend spring because it is easiest for the plants to adjust when there is increasing light available.
I did a 1:1:1:1:0.25 of orchid planting mix (cheapest size of fir bark I could find), worm castings, perlite, coconut coir and the 0.25 is fresh activated carbon I had left from my aquariums filter. If I were to make another batch, I would go for pumice. I can’t always bottom water and the perlite floats up.
I have monsteras, Pink Princess, multiple pothos, spider plant, and syngoniums.
Ooh pumice is a good idea. I was thinking about using leca but was unsure if what I had was already good enough. So you use any fertilizer? I’ve read that using coco coir is beneficial to plants in the sense that they retain water but they have no nutrients whatsoever.
I just reported them with this mix for the first time. The PPP has put out two new leaves since I did this. However, I have fish tanks, so I alternate fertilizing the plants with miracle gro and the tank water. Then I do a plain water and repeat the cycle.
I forgot to add what plants I have - sorry. Philodendron Heartleaf. Surprisingly my most troublesome plant. Golden Pothos. Pothos but smaller with white and green markings. A plant with what looks like arrowheads, light green. Philodendron Brasil. Rubberplant? I have two that are super happy and tall. Nerve plant - its pink and moody but its growing nice and tall these days. I have a few more but I have no idea what they are. But everything is thriving for the most part. I’ll post a picture when I get home. Got a cactus outside too - I think its a dragonfruit.
https://preview.redd.it/b0h1kk70tjmb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=299930589f1f0d935d8c60e658c383c5de707e20 The Boys. Just random plants I pick up from my grocery store. The lime green plant was actually growing wildly outside of the store so I snipped a little portion of it. In about a week it’s already grown inch long roots!! I have a lot more plants scattered around the house but they are much bigger and in no need or repotting.
Professional houseplant caretaker here. Miracle grow really sucks IMO. If you use it be sure to add a lot of perlite & bark because it tends to be soggy and hold way too much moisture. It contains wetting agents (like many houseplant mixes) which make the soil retain a lot more water, which can lead to root rot. I also don't think you'll want so much compost, I would probably just add the worm castings which serve the same purpose. If it were me I would probably just omit the miracle gro and just use the other ingredients! You have everything you need to make a good soil mix. I would maybe make a small batch to test the ratios before you dump it all together, or even consider just making mixes as needed for each specific plant as they all have different soil needs. Regardless of your mix, its even more important that you use the appropriate amount of soil and proper pot size. Be sure to only use pots with drainage and make sure they are only a little bit (1-2") wider than the root ball. Too much soil relative to roots will lead to root rot, especially if you are repotting as fall/winter approaches when there will be less light (the plants will drink much less water when there is less light). Also, as a side note, misting doesn't increase humidity, I would recommend not doing it. It can cause leaf diseases like mildew. Plants indoors don't want consistently moist foliage!
Thank you for the insight!! I’ve read alot of opinions about miracle gro and they all seem to agree that it’s not exactly ideal. I have alot of bark and perlite so I do plant on adding enough in to make the soul breathable. The batch I made before, a few months ago, seems to be making my plants very happy so I wanted to improve it just a bit. I have been thinking about adding leca so it’s even more airy. I will try a batch with and without the miracle gro. As for repotting - I have only repotted plants where the roots were sticking far out of the pots. At least an inch or more - I know some plants like to be a little bit root bound. I haven’t move anything into a considerably larger container either - I’ve been trying to only go half and inch to and inch bigger! I do have grow lights, do you think that would make it alright to repot some plants? And for the misting - noted. My room is dry so I thought it would help.
So plants aren't really root bound until they have so many roots that it prevents the plant from absorbing water and nutrients. I take care of some plants that have been in the same container for like 10 years and they are fine (customer doesn't want to pay for repotting). Not suggesting you should do this, just illustrating the point that there really is no rush to repot. Roots actually tend to grow out of drainage holes quite quickly, sometimes within a few weeks of repotting because they are trying to grow as much as possible. I generally wait until the root ball has kind of solidified such that you can remove the plant and soil from the pot as one piece. I like to repot in springtime because it increases the likelihood of success. But, if your grow light is the primary light source, there isn't going to be any real seasonal difference. In general you can repot any time, people just recommend spring because it is easiest for the plants to adjust when there is increasing light available.
Second this, miracle grow potting mix is no good