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The Soil You'll Want To Use For A Flourishing Herb Garden
By TRICIA GOSS
If you’re interested in growing herbs at home, you’re going to want to put together a potting mix that has rich organic matter and nutrients, stays moist, and sports good drainage.
To get an ideal potting mix, combine good-quality compost, peat moss or coconut coir, and a mineral additive such as perlite or vermiculite in appropriate proportions.
A typical ratio might be one part compost, one part peat moss or coir, and a quarter to a half part perlite or vermiculite. All of these should work well to meet your herbs’ needs.
Compost is rich in nutrients and organic matter, peat moss and coconut coir improve water retention and aeration, and perlite or vermiculite will improve drainage and aeration.
Be mindful of your pH, which should be within the range of 6.0 to 7.5. You can adjust it using natural additives such as lime or sulfur if necessary.
This standard formula is a great starting point, but you’ll want to make changes depending on the needs of specific herbs, such as a drier mix, so there’s no universal combination.