How to Make Your Own DIY Potting Soil

6 Materials
$30
20 Minutes
Easy

Potting mix is expensive! Quality potting soil is incredibly important for your container plants and raised beds. I honestly find it much easier than trying to deal with cold, heavy clay in the garden. Here’s how to make your own bulk potting soil icon

STEP 1 - Estimate how much potting mix you’ll need. For a single little container plant, you won't need too much. You can probably mix it up in your kitchen (see above). For outdoor raised bed gardens, you'll be mixing it by the wheelbarrow! Think about how much you'll need before you start.

STEP 2 - Combine the peat moss, perlite, and homemade compost in equal parts (by volume). I like to use peat moss that comes pH balanced with limestone. Read the instructions and specifications that come with your ingredients.

STEP 3 - Mix all ingredients except for the water together with the trowel. Look at your mix and adjust it if you think it needs more peat moss, et cetera. Slowly add water, mixing with the trowel. Stop when the soil becomes moist. Don’t add enough water that the soil becomes wet and muddy.

AFTER - Use your homemade potting soil in your container gardens and raised beds! icon

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Home for the Harvest | Mary Jane Duford
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Margaret Mcbride Margaret Mcbride on May 13, 2019

    I am going into a brand new house and because of health issues just having raised flower beds but need to know what type of soil I will be left with

  • Judy Judy on May 13, 2019

    You don't say the ratio for the ingredients. What is the ratio?

  • Hope Hope on Jan 03, 2022

    Hi...

    Dumb question here...I have plants (soil) that I'd forget to water regularly and, when I remember, the soil doesn't want to absorb any water and get fluffy again...it just seems to be compacting and getting hard and the water runs off of it instead of soaking in. (I know...the poor plants) I think the soil is just a bagged potting soil that I picked up at Tractor Supply...if that helps.


    What am I doing or not doing that I should or should not be doing..?


    (maybe I should do my plants a favor and switch to faux)


Comments
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2 of 9 comments
  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Jan 02, 2022

    Coconut Coir is better for the Planet than taking Peat Moss!

  • Sheron Sheron on Jan 03, 2022

    Very cute Idea / project .

    Coconut Coir is a great product. I remember using it a few years ago for gardening and there was a warning about not letting a dog get into this as it expands in the stomach or something like that and can get really sick. Google it to check it out for yourself in case this info has changed. We had a pooch that would eat anything so had to be very careful.

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