What Is The Best Organic Soil Mix For Your Garden?

The issue of having infertile soil in your garden can be a big obstacle on the road to growing the garden of your dreams. Soil that is unsuitable for growth is a more serious problem and is widespread in the gardening world. That is why having a good organic soil mix is of the utmost importance for your garden.

The usual problems when it comes to your gardening soil are a lack of drainage and aeration. Those problems are exactly why having the best organic soil mix is a game changer. If you were wondering what is exactly in those mixes, it’s fairly simple.

They consist of exclusively natural ingredients that allow the soil to be more suitable for growing conditions. Ground coconut hulls, peat, bark, vermiculite and sometimes even sand are the usual things found in an organic mix bag.

There are, of course, different varieties depending on the type of plant. For example, cacti and succulents have a preference for soils that are drained and dry. Thus, they need a lot of sand and bark added to their soil, in order to maintain dryness.

Palms and other tropical varieties love moisture, so you should provide them with an organic soil mix rich in peat and organic fertilizer. Mixing the organic mix with the soil is the absolute best solution, as it provides an excellent mix between dryness and moisture, allowing the healthy development of the plant.

If you were wondering, yes, soil mixes can be reused for many years, so purchases like this won’t be so frequent. That’s why a proper choice is of the utmost importance, and we’re here to help. Let’s get started, shall we?

Why Every Garden Or Pot Needs An Organic Soil Mix?

Speed of growth

Normal soil can’t be viewed as something homogenous because it creates numerous minerals and microbes that aid the plant to grow in a certain way. There are different types of soil which allow different species of plants to thrive in those conditions.

Clay, loam, and sand all have their distinct advantages but, somehow, there are situations where even a healthy dose of them is not enough.

Organic soil mixes provide you with the right conditions and ingredients to have your growing plan’s success to the most. By being modified with all natural ingredients, these organic soil mix allow any plant to grow accustomed to the new soil environment. It helps then to develop healthy characteristics, regardless if the plant is only for aesthetic or for nutritional purposes.

Many studies conducted in the last 10 years show a substantial rise in growth speed when a plant is placed in the ground that is enriched with an organic soil mix.

The addition of organic fertilizer

Made from decomposed plants, animal waste and many other ingredients that are essential to a plant’s growth, organic fertilizers are an often and crucial addition to many organic soil mixes.When you buy the fertilizers in a separate pack, you often have to go through the hassle of sorting out the layers. This is to ensure that all the plants can get an equal “slice” of the organic goodness that is in the fertilizer.

What’s awesome about those fertilizer-infused organic soil mixes is that you don’t have to do the sorting. Basically the entire quantity of the mix will have equal amounts of the fertilizer. That way, all the plants will improve at the same rate, giving you the wonderful garden that you’ve always dreamed of

A presence of valuable nutrients

With organic soil mixes, you could be looking at a big boost in terms of nutrients that can boost a plant’s growth and wellbeing. Nitrogen can come from the addition of organic fertilizers. It can accelerate the transport of all the substances through the roots of the plant.

Perhaps the most important of the bunch is sulfur, as it can do wonders with decreasing the pH value of the ground, allowing for more growth versatility.

Gardening while having a nutrient deficiency in the soil is an uphill battle nobody wants to fight. That’s why you need a proper foundation to base all your plans and seeds on. All the leading universities and research facilities have solved the conundrum of malnourished plants by experimenting with organic soil mix.

Everything located within them is completely natural and is found in nature at every corner. By giving them a try, you could get that boost in results that you’ve always wanted.

Compatibility with other kinds of soil

Although an organic soil mix can be used all by itself, it’s not recommended as it is prone to excessive dryness and a lack of miners. Whether you have clay or classic fertile soil, you should research the ideal combination of soils and nutrients for your future growth and decide what will suffice.

By combining the best possible organic soil mix with the ground already in your garden you will achieve a mixture. A mixture which is both potent and organic, ready to create wonders in terms of size and healthiness of plants.

Basically, reasons not to use this wonder of the gardening world are nonexistent, considering the general bargain price they go for. If you consider giving organic soil mixes a real chance, they will repay you by creating a lush paradise in your backyard.

The 5 Undisputed Best Organic Soil Mixes On The Market

#5 EspomaAP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix

It’s important to note that quality organic soil mixes made for potting are extremely difficult to find and that one should be very cautious when purchasing one. We had the same precaution before testing Espoma organic soil mix, but our fears and doubts turned to dust after the amazing results.

What sets it apart from other mixes is that it’s completely adaptable to all indoor and outdoor containers, regardless of the size or the depth of the pot. It performed equally good both when caring for already healthy plants and for plants on the brink of dying. Dry roots were becoming brown and full again, in the majority of our test samples.

Most experienced gardeners may be somewhat skeptical towards organic soil mixes because of a perceived lack of moisture retention. Espoma really blew those claims out of the water with their Myco-Tone water saving formula. You can clearly see the improvements in comparison to their previous products without this special addition.

All in all, the AP8 is an ideal choice for those looking to get their first steps with an organic soil mix, as it doesn’t require knowledge about advanced gardening or some kind of proficiency. It’s a no-nonsense bomb of natural ingredients that should change your outlook on plant health and growth.

PROS

• Ease of use
• Excellent delivery time
• Abundance of different ingredients for all factors of growth
• Performs equally well in cold conditions, too

CONS

• Not ideal for outdoor, big ground facilities
• Tropical plants tend to stagnate under it
• May attract bugs in some cases

#4. FoxFarm FX14000 1-½-Cubic Feet FoxFarm Ocean Forest Organic Soil

Although you may notice right away that the Fox Farm organic soil mix may be a little pricey in comparison to other models, it has an abundance of advantages that make it worth it. They advise the use of it for growing in containers, but we couldn’t help but test it in outdoor gardens and came away surprised by the excellent results.

Those results come because of a special blend of seaside soil with some ocean bed sand and loads of micronutrients. This will have your plants reaching the heavens. We also loved the fact that it’s designed to serve beginners, as it is ready to use right out of the bag, without any preparation.

Not many organic soil mixes are created with so much attention to detail. It contains earthworm casting and even bat guano, in order to maximize the growth potential of your plants. You might also like the fact that it works well with all other kinds of soil, so combinations are bound to be fun.

To conclude, this is a truly versatile organic soil mix, useful to both beginners and gardening masters. Fox Farm continues a fine line of products with this one, so we can’t wait what new ingredients and ideas they feature in their next series.

PROS

• Small portions are enough for big surfaces
• Rich in nutrients
• Easy to use
• Very light in texture

CONS

• Not available in Florida, Montana, Indiana and Wisconsin
• Doesn’t work as good as with the addition of perlite
• Expensive in comparison to other competitors
• Somewhat slow shipping

#3. Black Gold 1302040 16-Quart All Organic Potting Soil

Here we have one of the best organic soil mixes for the cultivation of edible food, and we can be ecstatic after testing it. We received both the mix and some vegetable samples created with the help of this mix and we were honestly surprised by the natural and extraordinary flavor our salad possessed.

The organic mix by itself produced excellent results. But it really took off when combined with a pinch of clay and some regular black soil that is common with every gardening project. Another thing that may be a winning advantage is the fact that Black Gold always goes the extra mile and tests their products extensively in order to get the approval of all the leading government agencies.

Some organic soil mixed doesn’t feature a list of contents on their bag, but yet again, Black Gold defies expectations and changes the game. Every single micronutrient and mineral are well-known and the contents are transparent and visible to all.

Earthworm casting, perlite, and pumice are the main players in the ingredient combination. It’s evident how they help the already potent mix, in order to reach the pinnacle of quality when it comes to quality of organic soil mixes.

PROS

• Versatility and appliance to everything
• Abundance of ingredients
• Government certified
• Accelerates growth by a lot

CONS

• Not good for cacti and succulents
• Doesn’t come in smaller sizes

#2. Espoma AP16 16-Quart Organic Potting Mix

We love the fact that Espoma decided to add the Myco-tone formula to every recent product and it’s paying dividends in a lot of ways. This 16-quart mix may seem similar to the previously rated 8-quart one, but there are a few differences that also allowed it to feature on this list.

What sets it apart from the smaller one is a slightly bigger nutrient content and that the shipping time is slightly faster, which can sometimes mean a lot when it comes to emergency gardening operations.

Also, you get more organic soil mix for a smaller price, so there are virtually no reasons why you shouldn’t consider this wonderful addition to your plants’ nutrition. Dolomitic limestone is a big factor when you want to maintain a high level of moisture.

The peat moss certainly helps in making this organic soil mix one of the absolute best on the entire market. The humus we encountered while testing it is certainly the best out of all mixes on this list and you should be able to see big improvements quite fast, after the first use.

PROS

• Ideal for fruit and vegetable cultivation
• Fast shipping
• Performs well, no matter what it’s mixed with
• Can even enhance cactus growth

CONS

• Not available in some retail stores
• Palms tend to stagnate when using it
• A small amount of organic fertilizer

#1. Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix, 4 Quarts

Most manufacturers disregard the fact that jungle cacti and desert cacti are two completely different species and therefore require different amounts of moisture regulators. We’ve got our hands on this version just as it got and it quickly proved it has the right ingredients in order to rise to the top of the organic soil mix game.

The reason because of which this is an ideal mix for multi-purpose growth is a balanced pH value. A balanced pH value is provided by them that may suit just about any kind of plant, even though the primary goal for use of this mix is cacti and even succulents.

We were also delighted that this product is aimed at beginners too. You get a handbook with growing and cultivation tips that may prove really valuable as you advance your gardening career more and more each day.

An organic mix like this produces a high percentage of healthy and reinvigorated plants, something that other brands on this list may not have. This is precisely the reason why Hoffman takes the number one spot in a tight race which could have featured just about any organic soil mix as the winner. You can mix it with clay or humus for maximum efficiency.

PROS

• Excellent moisture regulation
• Versatile and combinable with other soil
• Comes at a bargain price
• Revives sick and malnourished plants at a record rate

CONS

• Only comes in 4-quart packs
• Is a little bit more efficient with young plants

The Verdict – What is the best organic soil mix for you

Outdoor and indoor growth is the two main branches of plant cultivation. Here, as the candidates are few and in tight competition, you might want to opt for a choice that has the ultimate adaptability to any other form of soil or existing ground composition.

There is no doubt that the Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix is the absolute winner in this category. You should get your hands on this organic soil mix, as it should prove to be a game-changer in your gardening dreams. We’ve tested it and we’ve got to say, it was unable to fail at any of the trials, giving it a certified trophy as the best organic soil mix available.