Aaron’s Aroid Mix
Mix It Up: Make Your Own Houseplant Soil!
Why Bother? Sure, you could grab a bag of all-purpose potting soil—but your plants might not love it as much as you do. Regular mixes tend to hold too much water and can get packed down over time, which can lead to pesky fungus gnats or root rot. No thanks!
A Better Fit for Your Plants: Making your own mix lets you mimic your plants’ natural habitats, so they get the cozy home they deserve. Once you understand what they like, you’ll have happier, healthier plants in no time.
Save Some Green While Growing Green: Buying ingredients in bulk and mixing your own can actually save money—and give you a higher-quality blend than many store-bought mixes.
Get Your Hands Dirty (Literally): Let’s be honest—it’s fun! Playing in the dirt is therapeutic, grounding, and might just awaken your inner kid (who, let’s face it, probably did eat a little dirt once upon a time).
Aaron’s Aroid Mix
Most of my plants are aroids—like philodendrons, monsteras, and pothos—so these soil mixes are tailored for them. Since these plants start life on the rainforest floor and climb trees (aka hemiepiphytic), they’re used to loose, airy, low-nutrient conditions. Instead of dense ‘true’ soil, use a light, chunky mix that mimics decomposing forest debris, adding just a bit of worm castings and liquid fertilizer for nutrients.
1/2/3/3 ratio (each number corresponds to number of scoops)
Actual amounts will vary depending on size of pot, but the ratio itself should be maintained.
1 part earthworm castings: Nutrient rich soil amendment, basically worm poo. Has a lot of beneficial stuff in it and helps simulate what the plant had on the rainforest floor.
2 parts high-quality potting soil: Steer clear of potting soils with fertilizer mixed in already. Good options are FoxFarm, Happy Frog, Ocean Forest or Coast of Maine’s Bar Harbor blend.
3 parts chunky perlite and/or pumice: Perlite and pumice both improve drainage and prevent compacted soil. Chunky perlite is great for big pots, while heavier pumice can help smaller pots stay balanced. Fine perlite works too, but it’s so lightweight it may eventually float to the surface
3 parts orchid bark/orchid potting mix: Makes the final mix much more coarse, improving drainage. Great results using 3 parts for Monstera, Philodendra, and Pothos but increasing to 4 parts for Anthuriums, staghorn ferns, and other more epiphytic houseplants.
Every gardener has their own secret recipe and each mix will be different! What works for me might need a little tweaking for you, depending on what supplies you’ve got on hand. The main goal? Make your mix feel more like home for your plants. After all, our living rooms aren’t exactly tropical jungles—but the closer we get, the happier (and lusher) our plants will be.