Soil & Growing Media helps you pick the right medium for the plant and pot – the foundation of healthy roots. The wrong soil causes more container-plant deaths than any pest.
Soil & media guides
- Best Potting Soil – types, ingredients and matching mix to plant.
- Best Cactus & Succulent Soil – fast-draining mixes that prevent rot.
See also specialist media: orchid potting mix & bark and bonsai soil.
Coming next: coco coir, perlite & pumice, and seed-starting mix.
Related guides
Guides in this section
Not All Potting Mix Is the Same
The single biggest soil mistake is using an all-purpose potting mix for plants that need sharp drainage, or the reverse. Succulents and cacti need a gritty, fast-draining mix or they rot; most other houseplants do fine in a standard potting soil. If you’re growing cacti, succulents, or other drought-adapted plants, see Best Cactus & Succulent Soil instead.