All potting mix or potting soil is not the same, poor or unsuitable potting mix can often be the cause of poor growth in plants.
Different plants require different potting mixes, one of the most important factors to consider is drainage or moisture retention.
Many Orchids, Cacti, Succulents and Clivia require a free draining potting mix to grow well. Orchid potting mix for many species is particularly coarse and open allowing water to pass through freely.
Compost is not a good potting mix, compost should be used to add to soil in the garden to improve soil structure, not as a substitute for potting mix.
Fertilizer and potting mix.
Potting mixes often come with fertilizer additives, often this includes a slow release fertilizer, however plants will still need additional fertilizer to grow well. Plants will eventually exhaust a potting mix, nutrients will be used up and the mix itself will eventually leach away through drainage holes and you will be left with a pot full of plant roots. We recomend that plants be repotted every 3 -4 years, it is also possible to 'top up' a container with potting mix.
So whats in potting mix:
Generally a mixture of composted bark, loam, sand, coconut coir, peat, vermiculate, pumice, water saving additives and fertilizer and other ingrediants depending on the manufacture and the potting mix itself.
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