If you're a houseplant lover like me, you're likely always looking for new indoor plant projects to take on. That's why I like to make my own potting mix for some of my plants, and I personally think pothos potting mix is one of the easiest to make.
With the best potting soil for indoor plants already available commercially, why bother making your own pothos potting mix? Well, making a DIY mix allows you to add in all the good things that contribute to an optimal growing environment for your pothos, ultimately elevating your pothos plant care.
Of course, there is no single method for making your own pothos potting mix because you can use a range of combinations of ingredients. However, there are some ingredients you should favor over others. Here, we've put together an easy pothos potting mix recipe for you to try - I promise it will make your trailing indoor plant happy.
Pothos potting mix recipe
Whether you just got your hands on one of the best pothos varieties or you're about to repot your pothos, our pothos potting mix recipe will work for you.
You will need:
- Composted pine bark
- Coco coir or peat moss
- Perlite
- Horticultural lime
First, use composted pine bark to make up the largest part of your pothos potting mix: 'Your mix should be about 60% composted pine bark,' says Alex Kantor, owner of Perfect Plants Nursery. Having this in your pothos potting mix provides a well-draining growing medium.
You can find pine bark chips on Amazon, or make your own by shredding pine branches using this wood chipper from Amazon.
'Then add an even mix of coco coir and perlite,' says Alex. 'These are common products most gardeners have on hand,' he adds.
If you don't happen to have these ingredients on hand, you can find both perlite on Amazon and coco coir on Amazon. Both ingredients further aid moisture levels and keep the mix loose for pothos roots - a requirement for epiphytic plants like pothos, orchids and monsteras (plants with aerial roots that grow on other plants in their natural habitat, like tree bark, rather than in soil).
It's also possible to use peat moss vs coco coir, however this is a less sustainable option. Alternatively, there are other peat moss alternatives to choose from.
The final ingredient to add: horticultural lime, to help make soil more acidic. Horticultural lime is available on Amazon, and you should add just a spoonful to slightly amend the pH level.
Alex has worked in the horticultural industry for over 20 years and grew up on the farm since his childhood years. Alex is an expert on landscape trees, shrubs, and indoor plants. He is passionate about growing and helping others learn the trade.
Why these are the best ingredients for pothos potting mix
There are lots of different ingredients you could use for a pothos potting mix, but the ones included in our recipe are some of the best for supporting pothos growth:
'Pothos plants need good drainage,' says Alex. Pine bark and perlite make the mixture looser, providing this drainage. 'You can even add a layer of horticultural charcoal (from Amazon) in the bottom of the pot before you fill it with your pothos potting mix,' Alex adds.
Without good drainage, pothos plants are prone to overwatering. This can turn a pothos yellow and cause issues like houseplant root rot.
That's what also makes coco coir a useful ingredient to include in your mix. Coco coir absorbs moisture and releases it slowly, maintaining a consistent moisture level for your pothos plant. While you are still familiarizing yourself with how much moisture the coco coir absorbs, it can be useful to use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to observe moisture levels in your pothos plant's soil.
As mentioned, the horticultural lime then helps make your pothos potting mix slightly acidic. 'Pothos like their pH slightly acidic around 6.5. If you found that your soil pH is too high, you can also lower it using horticultural sulfur (from Amazon),' Alex explains.
FAQs
Should I add fertilizer to my pothos potting mix?
While pothos plants receive plenty of essential plant nutrients from their potting mix ingredients, it can be helpful to fertilize your pothos to give it a boost. For pothos plants, choose plant food with a higher nitrogen ratio in the plant fertilizer numbers to support leafy growth. This pothos plant food from Amazon is a good choice. Take care to follow manufacturer instructions for the fertilizer you use and make sure to reduce fertilizing when your pothos isn't actively growing during the colder months. Failing to do so can lead to root rot and root burn.
Once your pothos is established in its new potting mix, try propagating your pothos from cuttings. It's a fast way to grow more of these classic indoor plants. In fact, you can even use a few pothos cuttings to speed up houseplant propagation for a wide range of other indoor plants.
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