Hello: I am new to forms so I may have made a double post? I have found the best web site and source for premium soil conditioner. The product should work well for your container plants. It's safe for all indoor/outdoor plants, shrubs, vegetables and soil types. It's manure tea, you brew fresh and water your plants with. I can't say enough for what this natural product has done for my garden. You brew it like sun tea, then water your plants. I grow all natural so I am always searching for products that will help build strong natural root systems. Enjoy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Authentic Haven Brand Natural Brew

If you don't have access to a quality prepared potting soil, then you are pretty much forced to make your own :-) Without knowing the details, I am surprised the commercial mix you are now using is not working - while there is huge variability in the quality and consistancy of commercial mixes, most "premium" mixes available at better garden centers tend IME to be pretty good, all things considered, if relatively expensive given the cost of making one's own. They are just very convenient if you do not need large quantities.

While I am not discouraging you from making your own container potting soils and there are dozens of good recipes to be found on this forum (look for posts with Al's/tapla's recipes in particular), you can also go with commercial mixes that can be amended to suit your needs if not intially providing the texture and drainage you require. Since all of these mixes are based on some sort of organic component (peat, coir, ground bark, etc.) adding inorganics like high fired clay pellets (Turface), perlite or pumice will provide the open, freely draining texture you are looking for. This is what I do as I find it is more economical in terms of both terms of time and money to start with a commercial mix. I can't tell you the proportions I use as I do it by feel and sight and it varies depending on what type of plants are going to be potted. Personally, I avoid vermiculite because while it does initially provide porosity, it is also water absorbing and when it is fully saturated, it begins to collapse and all porosity is lost and drainage can become compromised. I only add sand to my succulent mix and I look for builder's sand when I do, typically available at contactor supply outfits or sand and gravel companies and very cheap.

I am surprised you find perlite expensive. Here, a 5qt bag runs only a couple of dollars and is more than adequate to amend a 20# bag of commercial potting soil. Pumice is about the same.

And do refrain from adding gravel to the bottom of the pot. It does NOT improve drainage and as you have noticed, only serves to raise the level of saturated soil to where it can affect root growth. Al can explain it much better than I but it has to do with soil interface issues and percolation of the water through the planting medium - you want a consistant texture throughout the container. Even pot shards to divert the soil from escaping the drainage holes can impact drainage. Better to use wire screening or even cheesecloth or a hunk of old pantyhose over the base of the pot to retain the potting soil.

Hi... greengardengrower,

I just thought that was very thoughtful for you to suggest this tea you are using for your plants. Are you using the tea mix for your houseplants in containers grown indoors?
You will see that after reading all the posts you notice here, that after a time, you might change your mind on whether this organic stuff really works in soilless media, and you might see that you just have a great green thumb instead!!:-) You would probably have just as beautiful plants without this stuff, because over time you will learn that this type of stuff may not serve any purpose in your pots that lack of beneficial bacteria and microbes in cotainer soils that are known not to survive in pots, compared to that which is naturally in ground soil....Just keep up with the posts on organics in containerized pots....There is a forum for this too... under containerized plants...:-)
Welcome aboard, you will learn SO much and will be addicted to this site along with all the other extremely helpful members. pay particular attention to Al's post under Tapla, he knows his stuff!!!

Mike, you are being very gracious to what is essentially a spammer, plugging his wares :-) I doubt this poster has any interest in particpating in this forum other than touting his product.

wow......you could be right!!! Crud......Those stupid spammers!!!!
I thought they only attack my computer..lol

ivarfromplano, I think you are over-thinking what soil should be used for your container plant. While there are indeed poor --in fact very poor, potting soil and mixes out there, most reputable soil providers bag a decent product that can be trusted to do what it can for the average plant.
Just don't use garden soil or any part thereof for container plants.

As far as placing something between the drainage holes and the soil, don't ever consider not doing it, that is what keeps the soil from absorbing too much moisture and setting up rot. Depending on just how much you water and just how much your plant needs to be watered, can determine to great extent whether such space is properly allowed.
You want the water to drain to the roots, and the excess to drain away. If you didn't have the space under the soil, then you can see where the soil would then be in contact with the drainage holes--eventually something will happen to cause the holes to be plugged.

Before even contemplating making your own soil, read what steps you have to take--including how to smell-up your kitchen whereby your family will refuse to ever eat in the room again.