15 Best Potting Soil for Herb
The best potting soil for herbs can help your herbs grow faster.
If you have limited growing space, container herbs sound like a great idea. You can either leave them on your patio or porch for maximum sun exposure or indoors on the windows.
I prefer pot herbs because they’re drought-resistant and easy to grow. Herbs you can plant in containers include oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil, mint, chives, dill, and cilantro.
However, your herbs can’t grow that well in your home if you opt for a poor quality potting soil. The bad potting soil won’t provide nourishment, thus preventing them from growing.
To avoid this scenario, let’s find the right potting soil for your herbs.
Is Potting Soil Good for Herbs?
Most herbs grow and thrive in regular gardening soil, as long as it has proper drainage. However, certain woody herbs, such as bay, lavender, and rosemary, prefer sharply drained, gritty soil.
Therefore, the soil you select depends on the type of herbs you want to grow. Herbs are extremely easy to develop with soil that drains well, a little sunshine, and a little compost or fertilizer.
You can grow your herbs in pots but it’s good to know that plants prefer to be in the ground where they can spread out. Utilizing potting soil without nutrients won’t provide good nourishment.
A tired soil that had compost added, hasn’t been worked, or been worked to turn up fresh soil, doesn’t welcome herbs, so avoid garden soil. It’s heavy and takes forever to dry out after a rain.
A potting mix is the best choice for container gardening. It’s fluffier and lighter. Add in watering with 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer to restock the nutrients your herbs will take from the soil.
What Are The Best Potting Soils for Herbs?
You can easily find potting soil on the market. However, not every potting soil makes a good home for your herbs. Miracle-Gro, Espoma, FoxFarm, and Black Gold have great potting mixes.
Their products ensure healthy herbs that thrive inside your home. You can’t go wrong with any of these reputable brands. Let’s review their products and find the best potting soil for herbs.
- Best Overall: Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix
“Feeds up to 6 months, contains coconut coir, no more gnats, your new herbs will love this potting mix.” - Best Budget: Espoma AP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix
“Healthier plants, a natural potting mix you can trust, it smells “earthy”, free of pets, budget-friendly.” - Best Ready to Use: Premium All-Purpose Potting Soil
“Perfect for indoor herbs, fluffy, made to improve plant performance, holds a lot of water, dries well.” - Best Concentrated Formula: Miracle-Gro Expand and Gro Concentrated Planting Mix
“Can be utilized in containers or in-ground, keeps up to 50% more water than potting soil, lightweight.” - Best for Herbs and Vegetables: FoxFarm Qt FX14053 Ocean Forest Soil Bag
“Organic, ideal for growing vegetables, cannabis, and other herbs, perfect for containerized plantings.” - Best for Herbs and Tomatoes: Miracle-Gro 75651300 Potting Mix
“A great investment, perfect for potted plants and tomatoes, grows plants twice as big, great results.” - Best for Herb Seeds: FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Organic Mix
“Not too heavy, it’s just right, great price, 100% natural and grows plants better than any other soil.” - Best All-Purpose: Black Gold 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil
“Made in the USA, rich and loamy potting mix that grows herbs fast from stems, great value for money.” - Best Plant Food: Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food Vegetables & Herbs
“Works well for container gardens, fresh veggies, tasty herbs, a must-have for gardeners, easy to use.” - Best Organic: Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix
“Clean, organic, and cheap dirt, feeds up to 3 months, perfect for raised bed and container gardening.”
Top 15 Best Potting Soil for Herbs Comparison Chart 2023
There’s a wide selection of potting soils for herbs. However, if you’re interested in learning which is the best potting soil for herbs that can help your herbs thrive, here are the very best ones.
Top 15 Best Potting Soil for Herbs Reviews 2023
Growing and maintaining a herb garden is fairly easy, even for newbies.
However, the right potting soil plays a key role in the ending results. You need the right potting mix that will nourish your herbs, thus help them grow. I highly-recommend the Espoma potting mix.
The fluffy and light texture of this potting soil provides easy drainage and encourages root development. However, it’s not the only best-selling potting mix in the market worth your time and money.
Let’s take a look at other products and find the best potting soil for herbs.
Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix
(Best Overall)
The Miracle-Gro is a best-selling potting mix due to its versatility and affordability.
With this potting mix, you can grow different indoor plants including your favorite herbs. It’s been mixed for a wide span of container plants. The best part? It’s created to be less prone to gnats.
The easy to water formula helps the ground easily re-wet while providing nutrients for up to 6 months. Miracle-Gro doesn’t contain bark and compost which are known to shelter fungus gnats.
It has coconut coir which keeps and releases water and helps the ground easily re-wet.
Key Features:
- For use in containers
- Super-versatile and affordable
- Provides nutrition for up to 6 months
- Easy to water formula that helps the ground easily re-wet
- Mixed for a wide array of container plants
- Doesn’t contain bark or compost
- Contains coconut coir
Pros
- No more gnats
- Your herbs will love this potting mix
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Strong mildew odor
- Holds too much moisture
- Some batches contain gnats
- Spore contaminated soil
- Poor quality control
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Miracle-Gro |
| OMRI listed: | No |
| Container size: | 6 qt |
| PH levels: | 5.5-6.2 |
| Type: | Indoor, ready to use |
Watch this video to know more:
Espoma AP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix
(Best Budget)
Espoma is a family-owned organic potting soil company that has been present on the market for over 90 years. They know how to make top-notch potting mixes that work well for almost any plant.
Their potting mix has organic materials. The myco-tone water-saving formula lowers drought stress and improves moisture retention. The Espoma AP8 is suitable for outdoor and indoor containers.
Key Features:
- Organic potting soil for any plant
- Works very well for indoor plants, especially herbs
- Decreases drought stress and improves moisture retention
- Potting soil for both indoor and outdoor containers
- Myco-tone water saving formula
Pros
- Affordable
- Healthier plants
- It’s dark, moist, and soft
- A natural potting mix you can trust
- Rich organic potting mix
- It smells “earthy”
- Free of pests
Cons
- Modly
- Risk of fungus gnats
- Burnt wood chips and dead twigs mixed in with the potting mix
- Not for seed sprouting
- Unreliable
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Espoma |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 8 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.5-7 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
You should see the video below:
Miracle-Gro Expand and Gro Concentrated Planting Mix
(Best Concentrated Formula)
The Miracle-Gro Expand and Gro is a concentrated planting mix. It’s the perfect alternative for garden soil or potting mix as it can be used in containers or in-ground.
The plant food and compressed coir expand up to 3 times when water is applied and feeds herbs for up to 6 months. Unlike regular garden soil, this has special expansion qualities.
The best part? It creates up to 90% more air and retains up to 50% more water than regular potting soil. Thus, giving your herbs’ roots all the space they need to develop and thrive.
To use the concentrated planting mix in containers, add some water to the soil until it’s fully expanded. Always follow the instructions for your planting project type.
Key Features:
- Feeds herbs for up to 6 months
- Can be utilized in containers or in-ground
- Expands up to 3 times when water is added and makes up to 90% more air space in native soil
- Keeps up to 50% more water than potting soil
- Grows up to 6 times bigger herbs
Pros
- Lightweight package
- Easy to mix with water and absorbs quickly
- The coir fibers make the roots happy on almost any plant
- A great alternative for potting mix or garden soil
Cons
- Mold issue
- Full of plastic bits and pieces
- Overpriced
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Miracle-Gro |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 9.8 qt |
| PH levels: | Not specified |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, concentrated formula |
FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Organic Mix
(Best Potting Soil for Herb Seeds)
The Ocean Forest by FoxFarm is the greatest potting mix for container gardening. It offers everything your herbs require in one bag.
Ocean Forest merges the best fertilizers found on land with the best sea ingredients. It’s a rich, organic potting soil ready to use straight from the bag.
It boosts strong branching and a healthy growth habit. The premium worm castings encourage healthy root growth, leafy foliage, and disease resistance.
The best part? It’s ph-adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to ensure optimum fertilizer uptake and creates the perfect environment for seedlings to lovely and strong herbs.
Just fill the container with enough potting mix that the herb is stationed at the proper height. Then, add more mix (up to 1 inch below the top edge of the pot).
Never pack too tight and water when done. If you’re searching for a lightweight, well-aerated, and ready to use potting mix, look no further than Ocean Forest.
It has micro-nutrients and makes a great choice for both indoor and outdoor plants. You will receive this product with protective gloves.
Key Features:
- A great choice for containerized plantings
- Specially creates to grow seedlings and cuttings
- The perfect all-natural mix for container-grown plants
- Lightweight, well-aerated, and comes with gloves
- Suitable for both indoor and outdoor plants
Pros
- Not too heavy, it’s just right
- Great soil for houseplants and indoor vegetables
- 100% natural and grows plants better than any other soil
- It’s the perfect blend of everything your herbs need
- Great price for the amount
Cons
- Misleading ads
- Bugs and mites in the soil
- Poor packaging
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | FoxFarm |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 38.5 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.3-6.8 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
The video below should be able to help you:
Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix
(Best Organic Potting Soil for Herbs)
The Burpee is a premium organic potting mix for growing herbs and vegetables in containers and raised beds. The mix provides necessary nutrients immediately and feeds for up to 3 months.
It’s made with high water holding capacity to keep moisture between watering. I like Burpee because it’s natural and OMRI listed for organic use. This potting mix will make growing anything a breeze.
Enriched with Burpee plant food for delicious herbs and vegetables, this product makes a perfect choice for raised bed and container gardening. The best part? It’s super-versatile and budget-friendly.
Made with coconut coir, a renewable and sustainable resource that helps retain moisture, this growing mix is one of the best potting soil for herbs, delicious vegetables, and vibrant flowers.
Key Features:
- Contains coconut coir
- Great for raised bed and container gardening
- Organic potting mix enriched with Burbee plant food
- A natural mix that’s OMRI listed for organic use
- Feeds up to 3 months
Pros
- Great value for money
- Nice, clean, and cheap dirt
- Great for germinating large seeds
- No bugs or gnats infestation
- Your seedlings will love it
Cons
- More junk than soil
- Some batches contain gnats
- Poor quality control
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Burpee |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 8 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.5 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
Let’s have a look at the following video!
Black Gold 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil
(Best All-Purpose Potting Soil for Herbs)
If you’re searching for a natural all-purpose potting soil that meets all your needs, then Black Gold is the perfect fit for you. It’s made of quality tested organic ingredients.
The Black Gold organic potting soil has a proven track of performance and has been listed by the organic materials review institute for the production of organic fiber and food.
But here’s the kicker. You will get a premium quality product at a great price. The rich, loamy growing mix contains pumice and perlite and is one of the best for all gardening tasks.
Pumice and perlite ensure optimum pore and air space for stable growth. You can utilize the Black Gold in containers, hanging baskets, herb gardens, and vegetable plantings.
Key Features:
- All-purpose organic soil
- Made in the United States
- Pumice and perlite are added to ensure a sturdy growth
- Great for all gardening tasks
- Rich, loamy potting mix
Pros
- Grows herbs fast from steams
- No need to buy expensive seeds
- You can use the herbs from the kitchen
- One of the best soil on the market
- Excellent value for the money
Cons
- Moldy
- Excessively high price
- Small bag
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Black Gold |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 8 qt |
| PH levels: | Not specified |
| Type: | All-purpose, ready to use |
Watch this video to know more:
FoxFarm FX14053 Ocean Forest Potting Soil Blend Mix
Another potting soil by FoxFarm that’s worth your time and money is their Ocean Forest blend mix. It’s a pack of 2 bags filled with everything your future plants need.
I like this blend because it’s a combo of premium earthworm castings, Pacific Northwest sea-going fish, bat guano, and crab meal. It’s affordable and ready to use right out of the bag.
This potting soil is ideal for containers. The sphagnum peat moss, sandy loam, and forest humus provide a light, aerated texture. Utilize Ocean Forest and watch your plants come alive.
FoxFarm Ocean Forest blend mix is ph-adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake. You will get 12 qt of blend mix that’s ideal for containerized plantings.
Key Features:
- 12 qt of premium blend mix
- A blend of different organic materials
- Encourages strong branching and a healthy growth habit
- Perfect for containerized plantings
- Light, aerated texture
Pros
- Retains moisture very well
- Everything you grow in it, flourishes including herbs
- The perfect medium for healthy roots without the fear of mold, insects, and mildew
- Excellent potting soil for growing herbs and veggies
- Your plants will be happy
Cons
- False ads
- Some buyers received only one bag
- Overpriced
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | FoxFarm |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 12 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.3-6.8 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
Premium All-Purpose Potting Soil
(Best Ready to use Potting Soil for Herbs)
The all-purpose potting soil by Proven is the ideal mix for all your gardening needs. It’s specially made to deliver lovely, vibrant flowers, veggies, and herbs.
It’s a premium potting mix suitable for a broad selection of potting situations and plants. The best part? It’s ready to use, so you don’t need to amend the mix.
I like this potting mix because it’s made to boost plant performance and delivers strong growth for more color. It also has great drainage and air porosity.
Key Features:
- Turns into 11 gallons of soil
- Use for all outdoor gardening needs
- A mix of wetting agent, controlled-release fertilizer, dolomite lime, processed softwood bark, and 50-60% Canadian sphagnum peat moss
- Professional-grade potting mix
- Ready to use from the bag
Pros
- Perfect for indoor herbs
- This stuff is very fine and fluffy
- Made to improve plant performance
- Holds a lot of water and drains fairly well
- Your flowers and herbs will be happy
- Cheap and good quality
Cons
- Bugs
- Hard to find at retail stores
- Moldy
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Proven Winners |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 44.8 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.5 |
| Type: | All-purpose, ready to use |
Let’s have a look at the following video!
Espoma AP2 Organic Potting Mix
The Espoma AP2 is a natural potting mix for all indoor and outdoor plants. If you’re looking for a rich mix of only the best natural ingredients, look no further than Espoma AP2 potting mix.
I highly recommend this potting mix for organic use because it doesn’t contain synthetic plant foods or chemicals. It’s enhanced with myco-tone water saving formula and easy to handle.
Key Features:
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor potted plants
- A rich blend of only the finest natural ingredients
- Doesn’t have chemicals or synthetic plant foods
Pros
- Great company
- Your plants will be happy
- Rich, dark, no dust, and no gnats
- There’s no mold, sticks, pebbles, or other junk in it
- It’s expensive but worth the cost
- It feels good in your hands
- A solid big box
Cons
- Takes forever to dry
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Espoma |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 59.8 qt |
| PH levels: | Not specified |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
Miracle-Gro 75651300 Potting Mix
(Best Potting Soil for Herbs and Tomatoes)
A high-quality potting mix is a key to lovely healthy container veggies, herbs, and flowers. The Miracle-Gro is one of the best potting mixes for container plants.
It’s suitable for all types of outdoor and indoor plants. The job of this potting mix is to give support and anchorage for the roots, as well as proper airflow, drainage, and nutrients.
This mix feeds up to 6 months. Begin every season outdoors off right with fresh soil. And for your indoor plants, to prevent soil compaction and replenish nutrients, everything should be repotted once per year with a fresh Miracle-Gro potting mix. It’s great for both herbs and tomatoes.
With this potting mix, you can grow plants twice as large as unfed plants. It offers key nutrients, a stable foundation, and the perfect environment for plant roots.
Key Features:
- For use in containers
- Grows plants twice as big
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor container plants
- More blooms for more color
- Feeds up to 6 months
Pros
- Spectacular results
- Great value for money
- Perfect for potted plants
- Just the right amount
- A great investment
Cons
- Overpriced
- Unpleasant smell
- Moldy soil
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Miracle-Gro |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 29.9 qt |
| PH levels: | 5.5-6.2 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
Watch this video to know more:
FoxFarm Qt FX14053 Ocean Forest Soil Bag
(Best Potting Soil for Herbs and Vegetables)
The FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil provides good things from the sea and Earth. It’s a top-notch potting soil and brings everything your containerized plants require in a single bag.
It’s a powerful blend of bat guano, premium earthworm casting, crab meal, and seagoing fish. The sandy loam, forest humus, and sphagnum peat moss give the soil a lightly, aerated texture.
I highly recommend this soil for containerized plantings. The best part? It’s ready to use right out of the bag and ph-adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake.
Key Features:
- Perfect for containerized plantings
- A mix of forest humus, crab meal, seal-going fish, and more
- Ph-adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake
- Encourages durable branching and a healthy growth habit
- The ultimate potting soil for herbs
Pros
- Great growing medium
- Quality, organic soil and varied, but well-drained soil
- Ideal for growing cannabis
Cons
- Stinky
- Poor packaging
- Very small
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | FoxFarm |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 12 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.3-6.8 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
You should see the video below:
Michigan Peat 1440 Baccto Lite Premium Potting Soil
The Michigan Peat 1440 Baccto Lite is a premium potting soil for both outdoor and indoor potted plants, starting seeds, bulbs, and rooted cuttings.
It’s ready to use right out of the box and includes a fertilizer package. I like this potting soil because it’s a lightweight mix of pre-moistened sphagnum peat and other quality materials.
This potting soil is available in a 4-quart bag and makes a great choice for all gardening applications. The best part? It’s budget-friendly and versatile.
Key Features:
- Available in 40-quart bag
- Ready to use right out of the bag
- A lightweight blend of pre-moistened sphagnum peat and other quality materials
- Ideal for different gardening tasks
- Includes fertilizer package
Pros
- Excellent quality potting blend
- Everything sprouts very quickly
- Goes a lot further than it appears
- Dark, rich, loamy, nutritious, and grows anything
- Amazing for pots or starting seeds
- Your plants will be super happy
- Expensive but worth the cost
Cons
- None
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Michigan Peat |
| OMRI listed: | Not specified |
| Container size: | 40 qt |
| PH levels: | Not specified |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
You should see the video below:
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food Vegetables & Herbs
(Best Plant Food)
Another potting mix by Miracle-Gro is their water-soluble plant food for herbs and vegetables. It delivers necessary nutrients for gardens easily and instantly.
If you plan to grow tasty herbs and fresh veggies, don’t forget about this plant food. It’s perfect for basil, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, squash, and other vegetables and herbs.
You can combine this plant food with Miracle-Gro potting soil for even more harvest. Just mix the stated amount with water, feed every 1-2 weeks, and watch your herbs thrive.
This plant food won’t burn when utilized as directed and feeds instantly to grow large and lovely results (vs unfed). You can apply this product with a watering can.
Key Features:
- Includes natural ingredients
- Guaranteed not to burn when utilized as directed
- Use this plant food for even more harvest (vs unfed)
- Feeds immediately to boost large and lovely results
- Super-versatile and affordable
Pros
- Fresh vegetables and tasty herbs
- A must-have for all home gardeners
- Helps peppers, tomatoes, mint, basil, and oregano grow
- Easy to use and little goes a long way
Cons
- Kills plants when not utilized as directed
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Miracle-Gro |
| OMRI listed: | No |
| Container size: | Not specified |
| PH levels: | Not specified |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, concentrated formula |
Watch this video to know more:
FoxFarm FX14054 Happy Frog Potting Soil Mix
The Happy Frog potting soil by FoxFarm is ph-adjusted to allow for maximum nutrient uptake and ready to use right out of the bag. It’s a powerful and unique mix for different plants.
If you’re looking for a potting mix that’s alive with soil microbes and mycorrhizal fungi that expands root development allowing plants to feed more aggressively, look no further than Happy Frog.
Some of the key benefits of this potting mix include enhanced flower and fruit production, a strong plant structure, and vigorous vegetative growth. Thus, it’s a great choice for container gardens.
With this potting mix, your lovely herbs will grow faster and stronger than ever. It’s lightweight and well-aerated. The best part? It’s great for indoor and outdoor raised beds or containers.
Key Features:
- Ph-adjusted, easy to utilize, and provides a lot of benefits
- Nutrient-rich soil that’s highly-recommended for container gardens
- A unique and alive potting mix with soil microbes and mycorrhizal fungi
- Fluffy and well-aerated with perlite and peat for optimal root growth
- The perfect all-purpose product for outdoor/indoor plants
Pros
- Happy, healthy, and thriving plants
- Great soil for potted plants and herbs
- Provides quality nutrients to any kind of plant
- The ideal potting mix to start seeds in
- Your plants will love this potting mix
Cons
- Bugs
- Kills plants when not used as directed
- Overpriced
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | FoxFarm |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 12 qt |
| PH levels: | 6.3-6.8 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
You should see the video below:
Black Gold All Organic Potting Soil
Last but not least, I have another organic potting soil by Black Gold that’s worth your time.
If you’re looking for a natural potting soil that meets all your gardening needs, look no further than Black Gold. This organic potting soil is OMRI listed and has a proven track record of performance.
It’s easy to use and contains quality tested organic ingredients. The Black Gold all organic potting soil is a great choice for all container-grown herbs, veggies, and flowers. It’s a rich, loamy potting mix.
Lifted with perlite, earthworm castings, an organic fertilizer, perlite, and pumice, this natural potting mix ensures excellent results if used properly. It’s the ultimate all-purpose organic potting soil.
Key Features:
- 16-quart bag
- Ideal for all container-grown plants
- Enriched with organic fertilizer, perlite, pumice, and earthworm castings
- Great for all gardening applications
- OMRI listed
Pros
- This dirt is magic
- The quality is terrific
- Impressive results
Cons
- An infestation of fungus gnat eggs
Product Specifications:
| Brand: | Black Gold |
| OMRI listed: | Yes |
| Container size: | 16 qt |
| PH levels: | 8.5 |
| Type: | Indoor, outdoor, ready to use |
The video below should be able to help you:
Buying Guide: What’s the Best Potting Soil for Herbs?
If you’re interested in growing tasty herbs at home, keep in mind that potting soil plays a key role in the process. Therefore, it’s super important to choose the right potting soil.
One of the biggest mistakes that many individuals make is using garden soil. The main problem with this is that garden soil is very heavy and dense and doesn’t contain all the nutrients needed for healthy herb growth. When applied in a pot, garden soil prevents water drainage from the soil.
Thus, preventing the roots from gaining access to nutrients and oxygen. This can lead to drowning your herbs. It also contains different bugs, weed seeds, pathogens, and fungal spores.
These things can affect the growth of your future herbs. That’s where potting mix steps in. It’s suggested to start with a specially mixed soil. Most potting mixes don’t contain real soil at all.
Instead, they contain a combination of ingredients that deliver a great medium. The best potting soil for herbs in containers will allow the new roots to develop to their complete potential.
It will also enable the roots to fasten and support the herbs to keep them upright as they grow. The best part? It will also give the soil access to water, oxygen, and necessary nutrients.
Watch this video to know more:
What Type of Soil is Suitable for Herbs?
The right potting mix for herbs should be fluffy and light that enables uninterrupted growth of the roots in the places between the soil particles and trouble-free passage of oxygen and water.
When shopping for potting soil for herbs, look for a lightweight product with a fluffy texture, especially if you’re growing in containers and pots. Opt for something with coco coir and peat moss.
They’re good ingredients for soil building. Also, look for something with added vermiculite, bark, perlite, and organic fertilizer for good aeration and drainage. Many potting soils for herbs contain soil microbes, kelp meal, crab meal, fish meal, bat guano, and earthworm castings that improve uptake.
Picking the best potting soil for herbs can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for. However, if you pay attention to the ingredients and other factors that I just listed, you will be fine.
Last Piece of Advice
Adding soil amendments plays a big role in container gardening. Most potting mixes will make a good home for most herbs but not all of them have the same features.
For example, if you want the soil to drain quicker and to be drier, add some perlite to boost the growing conditions. Also, apply vermiculite to promote better drainage. It’s more suitable for types of herbs that prefer water-retentive ground as it retains more water than perlite.
Another great ingredient to add to your potting mix to boost the drainage is coarse grain builder’s sand. Did you know that most plants will develop well in slightly acidic soil?
And most potting mixes for herbs meet this need. However, if you want to make your potting soil more acidic, add some gypsum (calcium sulfate), compost, or ground sulfur.
Can You Use Potting Soil for Herbs?
Potting soil and potting mix are two different things. They’re often utilized to describe any medium via which different plants develop inside a pot or container.
Potting soil represents any growth media that has dirt, either completely or partially. It’s utilized to grow plants in containers or pots. A potting mix is something entirely different.
It’s any soil-less combination of materials that were specifically made to ensure better results inside pots and containers. However, both terms are utilized interchangeably all the time.
Therefore, it’s always a good idea to check the label on the bags and ensure that you’re buying the right soil. Use a potting mix that meets the needs of the herbs you want to grow.
When picking the best potting soil for herbs, pay close attention to features like good drainage, plenty of nutrients, a fluffy texture, and good water-holding capacity.
What Soil is Best for Herbs in Pots?
A potting mix is the best potting soil for herbs in pots and containers. Most people think that garden soil will do the trick but they’re wrong.
Although garden soil is rich in nutrients, it’s just too heavy for herbs and takes forever to dry after a rain. You can easily make a potting mix for herbs at home.
Look for a potting soil recipe for herbs and make a DIY potting soil for herbs. It’s usually 2 parts of sterile soil, 1 part perlite, and 1 part compost.
You should see the video below:
What Herbs Should NOT be Planted Together?
Growing herbs in pots and containers can be a good experience as long as you don’t mix herbs that like a lot of water with those that like well-drained soil.
Herbs that like plenty of water include coriander, chervil, chives, mint, and Vietnamese coriander. Those that like well-drained soil include bay, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
Keep these herbs separated in different containers or pots and you will be fine. Also, check this amazing guide on how to grow herbs in containers and pots.
How to Make Potting Soil for Herbs?
Besides water and light, one of the basic ingredients for growing plants in containers is high-quality soil. You can either find a potting soil recipe for herbs and make a potting mix or buy one.
It depends on your preference and the type of plants you want to grow. A good potting mix has coconut coir or peat moss, compost, and sterile potting soil, and other ingredients as needed.
Watch this video to know more:
FAQs
My Top Pick
Growing herb in containers or pots is fairly easy!
Many passionate gardeners enjoy having a variety of fresh delicious herbs such as lavender, lemongrass, sage, basil, marjoram, rosemary, cilantro, and lavender.
However, you need the best potting soil for herbs to grow healthy and happy herbs. My top choice is the Espoma potting mix because it’s made of natural ingredients.
With a fluffy and light texture, this organic potting mix is ideal for container gardening. The Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix is also suitable for growing blooming herbs.
It’s a best-selling potting mix that feeds up to 6 months and contains coconut coir. What’s your top pick? Please, share your thoughts and questions in the comments.
