best mix soil for in door plant

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Any one here growing plant in door ? Im plan having some ( Sansevieria plan for bed room ), I wonder what soil I can use for it, something that already mix, ready to use and work. ( I dont like mix my own though ^^ )Thanks
 
Homemade compost works best there really isn't a good substitute. On a side note, as a child I helped my grandmother with her garden. She grew a little bit of everything. From pecan trees, to blueberry's to cabbage and flowers.

I don't really have any plants except for some lucky bamboo but that grows perfectly fine in water.

I would use a dry/desert/cactus mix. Mold it common in a lot of house plants that stay wet. No real sun so no chance to dry out some of the soil every now and then.
 
http://www.ehow.com/how_5185281_care-sansevieria-plant.html

Pretty tough plant. I used to have these in a terrarium with some Madagascar geckos.
All I had on them for lighting was some fluorescent aquarium lights basically. They grow easily with simple houseplant soil of almost any brand. They do fine in poor soils. I'd be a little bit cautious using homemade soils as they can contain viruses or pests that can sometime kill houseplants.
Be sure to NOT put them in large, oversize pots. Make sure drainage is adequate.
The link tells you all you need to know....pretty much.
 
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Originally Posted By: sleddriver
I'm not sure what Sansevieria is. Any garden/big-box store, even WM, carries potting soil.


it snake plant or it also caller Mother In Laws Tongue .
 
Are the expensive name brand potting soils better than the cheap ones? I repotted a palm and an ivy awhile back. The soil seemed to turn really hard after awhile. The time has come to repot them again.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Are the expensive name brand potting soils better than the cheap ones? I repotted a palm and an ivy awhile back. The soil seemed to turn really hard after awhile. The time has come to repot them again.

Well, yes. I would say that the houseplant potting soil mixes made by the better known name brands tend to have a higher quality soil mix.
The main cause of houseplant potting soils becoming hard is from allowing the soil to become extremely dry between waterings. This is bad because what it can do is cause the soil to become so dry that it makes it almost impossible to rehydrate. The condition is called "hydrophobic". It's best to not allow that to occur. Sometimes though minerals in your water can cause hard soils.
When I have used potting soils I often add an extra amount of perlite and peat to the soil. It seems to hep the soil hold moisture as well as allow for aeration for the roots. I'll use a decorative gravel mulch or bark on the top to assist in holding in moisture as well as preventing surface root damage when watering.
 
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The biggest problem with potting soil is when the peat decomposes and become hydrophobic. Most of the bags you buy will contain peat, but it's not ideal for long term plant health. If you use something like Miracle grow, add lots of perlite to help drainage.
Ideally for plants like sansaveria, you want a mix that is completely inorganic. I make my own, but this is a pretty good mix. Make some phone calls and you might be able to get it locally.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoffman-10708-Bonsai-Soil-Quarts/dp/B00147Z8S2
 
Originally Posted By: whip

The biggest problem with potting soil is when the peat decomposes and become hydrophobic. Most of the bags you buy will contain peat, but it's not ideal for long term plant health. If you use something like Miracle grow, add lots of perlite to help drainage.
Ideally for plants like sansaveria, you want a mix that is completely inorganic. I make my own, but this is a pretty good mix. Make some phone calls and you might be able to get it locally.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoffman-10708-Bonsai-Soil-Quarts/dp/B00147Z8S2


excellent point about the peat. Even in the short-term, it just loves to not be re-wet. You pour water onto it and just bounces off!

since this is an oil forum, I thought I'd add that I've (along with many other people) successfully used Napa 8822 (Floor Dry / Oil absorbant) and various other calcined clay products, as either a stand-alone 'potting mix' or as one part in a multi-part mix. The clay products work exceptionally well in containers with wicks. Just be sure to rinse the clay of the dust, first, before you transplant into it.
 
Originally Posted By: babbittd
Originally Posted By: whip

The biggest problem with potting soil is when the peat decomposes and become hydrophobic. Most of the bags you buy will contain peat, but it's not ideal for long term plant health. If you use something like Miracle grow, add lots of perlite to help drainage.
Ideally for plants like sansaveria, you want a mix that is completely inorganic. I make my own, but this is a pretty good mix. Make some phone calls and you might be able to get it locally.

http://www.amazon.com/Hoffman-10708-Bonsai-Soil-Quarts/dp/B00147Z8S2


excellent point about the peat. Even in the short-term, it just loves to not be re-wet. You pour water onto it and just bounces off!

since this is an oil forum, I thought I'd add that I've (along with many other people) successfully used Napa 8822 (Floor Dry / Oil absorbant) and various other calcined clay products, as either a stand-alone 'potting mix' or as one part in a multi-part mix. The clay products work exceptionally well in containers with wicks. Just be sure to rinse the clay of the dust, first, before you transplant into it.

The NAPA floor dry is one of the components of my mix. I've had great success since I started making my own potting medium.

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Huh...I've never had that problem with peat unless I've let it get completely bone-dry.

Keeping peat moist will help prevent it from becoming hydrophobic. The problem is plants like the Sans and other succulents would die if kept constantly moist.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Huh...I've never had that problem with peat unless I've let it get completely bone-dry.


Not bone dry all the way through, but dry on the surface. Even a small amount of water will at first pool on the surface. It's not a problem, but it is unique from what I've seen.
 
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