Have you ever tried growing a beautiful plant in your home but failed miserably? If so, you shouldn’t think of yourself as a poor gardener. The most likely reason for your plants not flourishing is the use of poor-quality potting soil that causes plants to grow an unhealthy rooting system. Below are Organic Potting Soil Benefits you should know about.
What is Organic Potting Soil?
Potting soil is a medium in which you can grow plants, vegetables, and herbs in a container or pot or even a small garden. Today, the demand for potting soil is incredibly high throughout the year since people are increasingly growing their own herbs indoors.
Organic Vs. Non-Organic Potting Soil
Potting soil is of two main types:
– Organic
– Non-Organic
It is important to choose the right potting soil for your plants, herbs, or vegetables since it can determine how they end up overall. You need to get the potting soil right at the start of any gardening project since it will determine whether you have a bountiful harvest or not.
Organic potting soil is made from organic, natural matter such as compost, manure, worm castings, or bat guano. It doesn’t contain any pesticides or chemicals. However, the USDA doesn’t regulate the labeling of potting soil, which means that you can find a soil that’s labeled “organic” as long as it contains just natural, carbon-based ingredients.
Non-organic potting soil, on the other hand, is a mix of bark, peat moss, and perlite or vermiculite (a processed mineral designed to improve drainage and aeration). You will even come across companies that use Styrofoam to improve drainage and aeration. The peat moss holds nutrients and moisture while the bark gives the soil some weight.
Top 5 Benefits of Organic Potting Soil
Now that you know what organic soil is and the differences between organic and non-organic soil, here are the benefits to using it:
1. Keeping Chemicals Out of the Environment
Whenever you water the plants in your garden or it rains, some of the water pools and flows elsewhere and creates what’s referred to as runoff. There’s some concern about potentially chemically tainted runoff finding its way into groundwater and perhaps even into drinking water sources.
2. High Supply of Nutrients and Essential Microorganisms
Organic soil has an abundance of essential nutrients for plants, which include phosphorous, potassium, and nitrogen. The soil also promotes slow but steady growth of plants as opposed to rapid growth, which is fueled by chemical additives that have the effect of stripping the soil of its nutrients.
Organic soil also contains millions of helpful bacteria and other microorganisms that play an important role in the proper growth and development of plants.
3. Lower Likelihood of Disease
Plant diseases that primarily originate from nutrient deficiency are fat less likely in organic potting soil, due to its nutrient-rich composition. The increased activity of microorganisms in the soil also means that some of the microbes can work to fight off some disease strains.
4. Better Physical Soil Structure
Organic soil has a better physical structure than non-organic potting soil. The organic matter clumps thus forming soil aggregates and yields a more porous and better-aerated soil composition.
5. Improved Water Retention
Organic soil is also better able to absorb and retain water whether from irrigation or rain. The water percolates more effectively into this type of soil and at a much faster rate. Simply put, it means that more water gets to your plants and less is lost to runoff.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for the best potting soil for your garden or planting containers, you should definitely go for the organic variety. It not only contains a higher level of nutrients and minerals but also contains more organic matter.organic
Organic potting soil is also free from harmful chemicals and pesticides, which means that if you use it to grow vegetables, you can be sure that they will be safe to eat without worrying about any harsh chemicals.
Organic soil offers numerous benefits to gardeners and homeowners alike as clearly explained here. It also facilitates the growth of organic foods too. Its price might be slightly higher at the onset, but the money, time, and effort saved in the long run almost always outweighs the cost.