How to Make Your Own Organic Potting Soil for Houseplants+Recipe

Find out how to make your own houseplant soil for houseplants. This custom mix will help you grow healthy, really happy houseplants. Many commercial mixes are just ground up bark, which is not even soil and is inhospitable for houseplants. If you can’t find good potting soil or just want to make your own organic mix, you can with this recipe.

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Video Transcript

Welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in The Great Indoors! If you’d like to support our show, please use our Amazon affiliate link below.

Today, I’m going to show you how to make your own potting soil for houseplants. It’s a lot like preparing food in your kitchen—you know exactly what’s in it. Homemade potting soil gives you control over the ingredients and ensures a high-quality, nutritive mix for your indoor plants.

As I always say, when you grow houseplants, you become their Father or Mother Nature. That means providing them with good soil is your responsibility. Most commercial potting soils are low quality—often just ground-up bark—which drains too quickly and lacks nutrients.

Let’s walk through how to make a better mix. I’ve included the full recipe and product links in the description below.

Main Ingredients and Quantities:

Coconut coir (4 cups): A sustainable alternative to peat moss that retains moisture. You can use peat moss instead if desired.
Pumice (2 cups) or Perlite (2.5 cups): For drainage. Pumice is denser; use more perlite if substituting.
Worm compost (1 cup): Full of micronutrients for healthy plant growth.
Compost (2 cups): 1 cup of kitchen-scrap compost (from a Lomi composter) and 1 cup of outdoor compost. Great for organic matter.
Alfalfa meal (1/3 cup): A natural growth hormone that stimulates faster, stronger plant development.
Dolomite lime (1 tablespoon): Balances pH, creating a neutral soil mix. Especially useful if you’re using peat moss.
Humic acid (1 tablespoon): Improves nutrient uptake; highly beneficial for root health.
Mycorrhizae (1 teaspoon): Microscopic fungi that enhance root systems and nutrient absorption.

Optional Add-In:

Rock phosphate (1 tablespoon): Add if your mix is for flowering or fruiting plants.

Once all the ingredients are added, mix everything thoroughly until well combined. The result is a rich, humus-like potting soil that retains moisture while offering good drainage.

This mix is suitable for most houseplants. You can adjust the recipe for your plant’s needs—add more pumice for extra drainage, or reduce it for a heavier mix. It’s not ideal for cacti or succulents, but I’ll share a separate recipe for those in a future video.

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FAQ's -Organic Potting Soil 101

Homemade Potting Soil for Houseplants: FAQ

Why should I make my own potting soil?

Homemade potting soil ensures quality control, better nutrients, and moisture retention compared to many commercial mixes that contain low-quality bark.

What is a sustainable alternative to peat moss?

Coconut coir is a great sustainable alternative to peat moss. It retains moisture and supports healthy root development.

Can I adjust the recipe based on my plant’s needs?

Yes, you can adjust drainage by modifying the amount of pumice or perlite and scale the recipe up or down based on the amount you need.

What ingredient helps balance the soil pH?

Dolomite lime is added to balance the pH and bring the soil closer to a neutral level, especially important if using acidic ingredients like peat moss.