I was honestly thinking this video would be like 5 minutes long but then I ended up going way more in depth after receiving your questions on instagram lol. Thanks to everyone who submitted a question
I definitely appreciate you taking the time to point out things like rinsing only the coco coir and wearing a mask when working with perlite! :) Also, don’t worry about explaining too much! I’m here for it!
I think knowing when to water your plants gets so much easier the longer you have plants. I was such a big overwaterer bc I just watered everything on a schedule. Your plants will tell you when they need water!!! To any new plant parents just know it will get easier!
According to Wikipedia, "Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently." 😁😁😁 I've heard Summer Rayne call it "puffed volcanic rock."
Terracotta may absorb some moisture because it is made of clay. However, it does not affect pot drainage and there have been plenty of cases of root rot in terra cotta just like any other type of pot if the soil is not well-draining. What affects drainage is having the proper potting mix and a pot with holes in the bottom.
Mushrooms mean your soil is nutrient rich so it’s a good thing! 😄 I like to see them as a reminder my plants are in healthy soil. Btw, I have noticed it happens more often when I use worm castings.
I recently switched my hoyas into a mixture of succulent soil with sand and orchid bark. They barely rooted in the regular plant mix I used before and now I can see all the little roots and it makes me so happy. Airy mixtures are really something else!
One thing people can use as a substitute to bark, is sticks/wood that falls on the ground from trees. After desinfect the sticks with alchool or in the oven for 5 min at high temp, you can break into tiny pieces and add to the mix. I used the trimes from my parents Olive tree (I'm from Portugal) and use the branches and leaves. But I only did this when we were in a heavy lockdown, with everything closed. Here's a 🌿 for Fern 😊
🌿🌱🍃 For the person asking how to amend soil without leaving the house: you can add nutrients to your plants by roasting and then grounding banana peels, grounded egg shells and coffee grounds 🤗
🌱 I use a long shish kebab skewer to check if the soil is dry. Works very well in airy soil mix. If it is still a bit damp to the touch, it is not completely dry.
Great video content, Fern! Just as an FYI, in my area (OH) you can order 2 cubic foot bags of Vigoro perlite (#3 size, which I love) for $17 (with free delivery) It has no fertilizer or additional additives. It’s good stuff! Also, pet shops (PetSmart for example) sell bedding for reptile terrariums and it’s simply pine bark broken down into great sized pieces. I’ve found that it works much better than other barks that are designated specifically for house plants and it’s so much cheaper that way too! I hope this helps. 🤗
Peat moss also breaks down a lot faster than coco coir which is why you get hydrophobic soil in peat more. Never heard of rinsing coir though! Definitely going to try that next time. 🌿
🌿 OMG, you are always so great at explaining things and covering all of the points that someone might have a question about. Really appreciate your attention to the details.
🌿🌱🪴Thank you for the potting mix video, Some plants I purchase from the big box stores have perished due the quality of the soil. I tried to save them but it was too late after dumping out pure peat moss with no additives such as perlite,bark or fertilizer the roots were mush and smell was terrible. So this will help me and my plants. Have wonderful blessed day!
I like the three in one mix you showed also. I bought an orchid mix for my two orchids, a bonsai mix for my bonsais and regular potting soil for other house plants. It can get expensive and complicated. Good video.
When it comes to sand, only use coarse sand. Sand you find on a beach is too fine and can suffocate roots or block drainage holes. If you're in the US, the EarthEssentials Paver's Sand from Lowe's works very well. Just be sure to RINSE IT first! Along with fine sand, avoid polymeric sand as well. This sand binds together when wet and is used in construction. Using this for plants will 100% kill them once wet so be careful! Thankfully, most polymeric sand says it right on the front but always check before using a new sand. Perlite and sphagnum moss can be found on Amazon, though I highly recommend the Sun Bulb 50450 Better Gro Orchid Moss and xGarden 8 Quarts Horticultural Grade Premium Perlite - Coarse and Chunky. The moss is very soft and fluffy with very minimal twigs and roots. It's by far my favourite and a little goes a long way! I got the smallest size in November and I still have a little over half the bag. The perlite is grade 3 I believe, more coarse than what you'd find at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's made a nice difference and the bag has lasted me a long while as well! I very much prefer it over perlite from big box stores as they are very fine and there's a ton of dust sized pieces which are much easier to inhale or get into your eyes. Always be sure to be in a ventilated area when using perlite, even if moist, as it can cause medical problems. Remember, it's glass!
Every time I hear the new song being used I get so excited. Makes my day. Hope you’re doing well! And happy spring so excited to see your plants take off
This was so informative! I am currently only using basic potting mix + perlite and my plants seem to like it. However this video makes me wanna try out these different mediums! Thanks for sharing :)
I use Miracle Grow Cactus and succulent soil and then add charcoal perlite orchid mix and worm castings... sometimes I add a bit of regular Miracle Grow potting soil to the mix.. I’ve seen other planty people say it’s not a bad “soil” if you amend it.. and you’re not rich!!!
I do the same now. I was unhappy with the miracle gro indoor soil. It never dries out. So now I use the miracle gro cactus soil and add the orchid bark mixture and a bit of pumice with worm castings. Comparing my plants with just miracle gro indoor plant soil to the ones w the "mixed" one.. the mixed soil plants are much happier
@@amandaw3141 I haven’t tried pumice yet because perlite is so readily available... I got this one soil from am all organic all locally sourced plants place that has chunks of Red volcanic rock . I use that mainly outside. I made the mistake of using that with terracotta pots with plants that didn’t need to be so dry!! Trial and error!! All day long!!
@@amandaw3141 that’s where I found the charcoal. Home Depot has both worm castings and huuuge bags of perlite, which I put off buying until after I bought the small bag 3-4 times in about a month!! I will check out some pumice!! There is a worm castings place locally, in Tucson, but you have to buy such a large bag.. I would have used at least half by now!! I have a lot of plants.. inside and out!!!
Thanks for the informative video! 🌿 I have seen you experimenting with different propagation materials, so I decided to check out vermiculite, worked really well for epiphytic cacti. I really like it for seed starting as well because its so soft and doesn't damage new roots.
Apparently you need to buffer the cocochore too, I just use the new zeland fern fiber now… I think they function the same without all the hassle and leaching nutrients from your plants.
I sometimes wonder....do we overthink things like this? Don't get me wrong, I like orchid bark and perlite as much as the next plant person, but all the various amendments out there, I often wonder how much difference it actually makes. I've never had a problem with store bought soil, usually cactus mix, with a little perlite and/or bark added if I feel like it. Just food for thought!
I get all of my supplies from Amazon. Perlite #4, which is larger, pumice, orchid bark (small size), Horticultural Charcoal, and Mother Earth Coco+perlite.
I also mix soil myself and I also have some orangy perlite, but I only use rainwater. I think it maybe is discoloration from the soil and/or liquid fertilizer, but I’m not sure🙃
I find the ProMix Orchid mix to be very inconsistent. The last 2 bags I had bought of it had unreasonably huge pieces of bark and whole sticks. I ended up throwing it out and just stick to making my own. Regarding the coco coir, you can buy them pre-buffered so that you don't have to rinse it. I haven't tried the compressed bricks yet, I still have a huge bag of loose coco coir. An article I read on a comparison of coco coir and sphagnum from Utah State University mentions : "Since all coir products have extremely high K contents and low Calcium contents, it is critical to add a source of Ca to improve plant calcium uptake. Since the pH is already close to 6, liming materials cannot be used because they would increase the pH above optimum. Therefore, all coir-based media must be amended with gypsum, which also overcomes their low sulfur status." I know in hydro, a lot of people use Cal-Mag type fertilizers when using coco-based media. I've been using Gaia's Gypsum as well as their rock dust & greensand.
@@wildfern Haha.. Sorry? :P There is a lot of info on the internet about that one downside of coco coir. I am just glad it isn't hydrophobic like peat is! For the bark, I really recommend Orchiata. It is more expensive, but it lasts way longer so it saves you money in the long run. It takes longer to break down than other bark, and since it's matured and not composted, you can use it straight out of the bag without the worry of contaminants. It also re-wets easily, so it never requires flushing as it won't accumulate salts. In fact, the American Orchid Society designated it the AOS-approved product.
🍁 of course I made till the end 🥰 I really enjoy your videos! Anyway, worm casting serves as slow release fertilizer so it’s a valid addition to your mix!
Ahh I’ve seriously been considering making my own potting mix as of recently so this video couldn’t have come at a better time. Still watching but i cannot wait to learn all the things. Love and appreciate your content as always Fern 💚 you’re killing it at this YT thing ☺️
I'm so happy to see more of these kinds of videos coming out! Definitely needed a video from my favorite plant tuber! ✌🌱 thank you for the great content always! 🙏
🍃a very informative video. As usual, I made a coffee before setting down to watch it. I haven’t had to repot many of my plants yet, but am looking at soil mixes and am tempted to try Pon (or similar). A company here in the uk called Soil Ninja does their own semi-hydro mix in both coarse and fine versions. Also, their mix doesn’t have slow release fertiliser in it, so you are in control of how often you feed the plant. Soooooo much to think about for us newbies🤪. Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.
I have learned alot from your videos. You take your time to really explain things. This one has been especially informative, as I am working on gathering soil ammendments now. Thanks for being you! 🌵🌿🪴🤘
I opened my soil mix container for the first time in a while yesterday and was greeted by a cloud of happy gnats as soon as the lid was off... Think it's time to get nematodes 🧨
🌿🌿🌿 I watched a video awhile back, this couple had a beautiful variegated monstera adasoni, mix was almost allll perlite, they said bark holds more moisture than you think & that plants just want to feel the water run past their roots 🤷🏻♀️ Love your videos !
I've been mixing my own soil same ingredients as you, but the watering of the plants gets so tricky for me. I opted for the clear orchid pots so that i could see the condensation on the side of the pot, if the condensation starts to go away I know it is time to water my plant.
🌿 I really enjoyed this video. Especially when you talk about peat moss and the negative effects it has on our planet. We are destroying ecosystems to have house plants. Wish more people knew this & tried to ditch it! Also I love more sustainable options too. Wonder what else besides coco coir is used. Will definitely have to research that too.. Loved the long video ♡ Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge 😊
So looking forward to your DIY pon video. I made some and I have had 0 success with it 😖 I was super excited about it but it's not working and I went back to LECA. Maybe I will see what I'm doing wrong from you! 🍃
🌿 im finding garden stores are delivering more these days. 💜 They really like the business, buying from a local store, and i love the customer service. 🧡They are aware the boom in gardening plants is the future sucess of the business they love! 💙Love from israel💛
Thank you for this video! 💚 I have no source, but I heard, that peat moss was part of an ecosystem which would be destroyed by the „harvest“. And this ecosystem was very important to binding CO2 out of the atmosphere. There for important to reduce the effects of climate change. Maybe these keywords help with your research. 😊
I have a fairly new variegated string of hearts. It's growing great. But its only 1 strand so I want to prop for fuller. But is there a thing of a plant being "too young" to chop and prop.??? I got 6 leaf sets on the strand and its about 6 inches long
💚❤️🌱❤️💚 great video fern! I make my own soil mix sometimes but I have not idea what I’m doing half the time 😂😂😂 Talking about using stuff from around the house - could you used aquarium gravel in place of pumice/perlite or is it too heavy?
The process in which coco coir is made is also very hard on the workers. Their lungs and such. Just something else to think about. You really can’t win when choosing coir or peat. They both have their issues.
🌿 there is your planty leaf. I thoroughly enjoyed this video very informative thank you thank you. I am doing it right bcz I put all those things plus a little vermiculite for the 1st time and it really is satisfying lol there is one question I bought some bark that had mold on it but I didn't notice until half away already potted some plants with it. I am worried now. Has this ever happened to you and will the charcoal take care of it? Or am I doomed? 😬
Hey Diane! I have never experienced this. I don't think you are doomed though, most of the time mould isn't harmful. Hopefully it just goes away lol. Good luck & thanks for watching.
Loved this video! So much helpful information! I’m almost 53 years old and I just got back into houseplants last year. I’ve ALWAYS had snake plants and cast iron plants (just found out the name of these this past year lol). These were handed down from my grandmother to my mom and now to me. I’d never heard of all this stuff in the soil. We just plopped plants in potting soil and we were done! I’m loving all of the new plants out there (especially the new snake plants!! I just got a whale fin one!!! Love!!) I’m loving your videos! I’m Gemini too on the cusp with Taurus so I kinda have Taurus tendencies too (saw your video where you talked about that). So I think we are kinda kindred spirits so merry meet my friend! My hubs grew up in Canada but we are in the US. We are in NC and have a little homestead. Ok I’ll quit rambling lol also im crazyherblady on IG. Can’t wait to get that snake trellis hopefully! Much love to you 💜✨✌🏻
@@shompreetyfairuz5159 the bad is since the water isn’t running through the soil lots of salts and minerals stay in the dirt. Over time that can be bad for your plants. I combat that by just top watering a couple times a month to flush the soil.
Coconut coir is not the most sustainable option but it does have a smaller carbon foot print than peat moss. The problem woth peat moss is that as ots been harvested, wetland ecosystems are being destroyed and the C02 that the once love moss absorbed get released back into the atmosphere. Coconut coir on the other hand is a waste product that would end up either burnt and Emit CO2 to the air or end up in the landfill creating methane . But they instead ground it up into either chunks and fibers or to fine soil like substance. Now that sounds better but the thing is that most coconut coir comes from South East Asia meaning fossil fuels are being burnt either by plane or boat. I'd the coconut coir commercially available in the American continent would come from the American continent, the carbin foot front would be much smaller. What's really more sustainable is to use wood fiber that have been processed in order to take the sugars out of them. They do that so the wood fiber won't steal the nitrogen as it breaks down. I make my own houseplant soil mix which is believe is quite sustainable, the base of it is pine bark based potting soil that is actually made in my state and only sold there, so it's a local brand. The pottong soil itselfhas no peat moss or coconutcoir., its just ground up pine bark and sand. I the add coconut coir to make it fluffy because it can be quite dense and heavy. And for drainage and aeration I add perlite, I also sometimes add lava rocks to make it more airy if I'm using it for cactu
I buy a orchid mix and the orchid bars pieces sometimes are huge. I would love to find a brand that has pieces like the size of the ones you used in this video. Love your content as always! 🌿🌿
@@amandaw3141 I do my best to only use the large pieces in bigger pots. Also since I’ve started using a chunky mix I’ve learned the struggle of trying to use my moisture meter. 🤦🏻♀️
@@PlantyMama_ omg yes! I actually haven't put much thought on it just kept thinking wow these are drying out fast.. theh the light bulb went off watching this video!! 🤣
I was honestly thinking this video would be like 5 minutes long but then I ended up going way more in depth after receiving your questions on instagram lol. Thanks to everyone who submitted a question
I definitely appreciate you taking the time to point out things like rinsing only the coco coir and wearing a mask when working with perlite! :) Also, don’t worry about explaining too much! I’m here for it!
The best videos tell us newbies lots!! Ever see the video of someone watering a plastic plant?? Yikes who knows the mistakes we can make!!
Can i add orchid soil in my indoor plants soil? 🤔🤔
I think knowing when to water your plants gets so much easier the longer you have plants. I was such a big overwaterer bc I just watered everything on a schedule. Your plants will tell you when they need water!!! To any new plant parents just know it will get easier!
no jokes. yesterday i searched “wildfern potting soil mix” 😭 i needed this!! ❤️⭐️
So did I omg!
You manifested it 😁
I love when you post a longer video by the way 🌱
Perfect hahah I seem unable to make short ones 😅
btw pet stores sell large bags of bark for cheaper than most plant stores! it's in the reptile/terrarium section
According to Wikipedia, "Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently." 😁😁😁
I've heard Summer Rayne call it "puffed volcanic rock."
Terracotta may absorb some moisture because it is made of clay. However, it does not affect pot drainage and there have been plenty of cases of root rot in terra cotta just like any other type of pot if the soil is not well-draining. What affects drainage is having the proper potting mix and a pot with holes in the bottom.
Mushrooms mean your soil is nutrient rich so it’s a good thing! 😄 I like to see them as a reminder my plants are in healthy soil. Btw, I have noticed it happens more often when I use worm castings.
I recently switched my hoyas into a mixture of succulent soil with sand and orchid bark. They barely rooted in the regular plant mix I used before and now I can see all the little roots and it makes me so happy. Airy mixtures are really something else!
One thing people can use as a substitute to bark, is sticks/wood that falls on the ground from trees. After desinfect the sticks with alchool or in the oven for 5 min at high temp, you can break into tiny pieces and add to the mix. I used the trimes from my parents Olive tree (I'm from Portugal) and use the branches and leaves. But I only did this when we were in a heavy lockdown, with everything closed. Here's a 🌿 for Fern 😊
Except that some types of wood degrade more quickly in a potting mix and then you end up with a mushy mix instead of a chunky mix.
I have literally been writing a list this week of ingredients I need for making some good potting mix your timing is impeccable 💖 🌿
Amazing 👏
Gardening in Canada here on youtube ! She’s a soil scientist, awesome for all our soil questions!!!
🌿🌱🍃
For the person asking how to amend soil without leaving the house: you can add nutrients to your plants by roasting and then grounding banana peels, grounded egg shells and coffee grounds 🤗
But you have to be careful, knowing which ingredients to use, so you don't upset the pH. Coffee will make the soil more acidic, for example.
🌱 I use a long shish kebab skewer to check if the soil is dry. Works very well in airy soil mix. If it is still a bit damp to the touch, it is not completely dry.
I appreciate your awareness and interest in educating us about more sustainable products 💚 🍃
Thank you
Great video content, Fern! Just as an FYI, in my area (OH) you can order 2 cubic foot bags of Vigoro perlite (#3 size, which I love) for $17 (with free delivery) It has no fertilizer or additional additives. It’s good stuff! Also, pet shops (PetSmart for example) sell bedding for reptile terrariums and it’s simply pine bark broken down into great sized pieces. I’ve found that it works much better than other barks that are designated specifically for house plants and it’s so much cheaper that way too! I hope this helps. 🤗
Pumice is also works as a gnat barrier
Peat moss also breaks down a lot faster than coco coir which is why you get hydrophobic soil in peat more. Never heard of rinsing coir though! Definitely going to try that next time. 🌿
Ohhhhhhh omg makes sense. And yeah I just learned that you're supposed to recently and I was like oops definitely had not been doing that😆
🌿 OMG, you are always so great at explaining things and covering all of the points that someone might have a question about. Really appreciate your attention to the details.
🌿🌱🪴Thank you for the potting mix video, Some plants I purchase from the big box stores have perished due the quality of the soil. I tried to save them but it was too late after dumping out pure peat moss with no additives such as perlite,bark or fertilizer the roots were mush and smell was terrible. So this will help me and my plants. Have wonderful blessed day!
I like the three in one mix you showed also. I bought an orchid mix for my two orchids, a bonsai mix for my bonsais and regular potting soil for other house plants. It can get expensive and complicated. Good video.
When it comes to sand, only use coarse sand. Sand you find on a beach is too fine and can suffocate roots or block drainage holes. If you're in the US, the EarthEssentials Paver's Sand from Lowe's works very well. Just be sure to RINSE IT first!
Along with fine sand, avoid polymeric sand as well. This sand binds together when wet and is used in construction. Using this for plants will 100% kill them once wet so be careful! Thankfully, most polymeric sand says it right on the front but always check before using a new sand.
Perlite and sphagnum moss can be found on Amazon, though I highly recommend the Sun Bulb 50450 Better Gro Orchid Moss and xGarden 8 Quarts Horticultural Grade Premium Perlite - Coarse and Chunky. The moss is very soft and fluffy with very minimal twigs and roots. It's by far my favourite and a little goes a long way! I got the smallest size in November and I still have a little over half the bag. The perlite is grade 3 I believe, more coarse than what you'd find at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's made a nice difference and the bag has lasted me a long while as well! I very much prefer it over perlite from big box stores as they are very fine and there's a ton of dust sized pieces which are much easier to inhale or get into your eyes. Always be sure to be in a ventilated area when using perlite, even if moist, as it can cause medical problems. Remember, it's glass!
Thanks for this informative comment :)
Every time I hear the new song being used I get so excited. Makes my day. Hope you’re doing well! And happy spring so excited to see your plants take off
Thank you so much! Happy spring to you too 💐
🌱 that wasn't a super long vid, if it's comprehensive it means more. You do you.
I appreciate that!
This was so informative! I am currently only using basic potting mix + perlite and my plants seem to like it. However this video makes me wanna try out these different mediums! Thanks for sharing :)
I use Miracle Grow Cactus and succulent soil and then add charcoal perlite orchid mix and worm castings... sometimes I add a bit of regular Miracle Grow potting soil to the mix.. I’ve seen other planty people say it’s not a bad “soil” if you amend it.. and you’re not rich!!!
I do the same now. I was unhappy with the miracle gro indoor soil. It never dries out. So now I use the miracle gro cactus soil and add the orchid bark mixture and a bit of pumice with worm castings. Comparing my plants with just miracle gro indoor plant soil to the ones w the "mixed" one.. the mixed soil plants are much happier
@@amandaw3141 I haven’t tried pumice yet because perlite is so readily available... I got this one soil from am all organic all locally sourced plants place that has chunks of Red volcanic rock . I use that mainly outside. I made the mistake of using that with terracotta pots with plants that didn’t need to be so dry!! Trial and error!! All day long!!
@@liskalangdon6576 I ordered the pumice on amazon.. it isn't cheap so I use it a bit less than the perlite
@@amandaw3141 that’s where I found the charcoal. Home Depot has both worm castings and huuuge bags of perlite, which I put off buying until after I bought the small bag 3-4 times in about a month!! I will check out some pumice!! There is a worm castings place locally, in Tucson, but you have to buy such a large bag.. I would have used at least half by now!! I have a lot of plants.. inside and out!!!
Thanks for the informative video! 🌿 I have seen you experimenting with different propagation materials, so I decided to check out vermiculite, worked really well for epiphytic cacti. I really like it for seed starting as well because its so soft and doesn't damage new roots.
Apparently you need to buffer the cocochore too, I just use the new zeland fern fiber now… I think they function the same without all the hassle and leaching nutrients from your plants.
🌿 I have needed this so much! I love pretty plant videos but ~how~ is what I need. Knowledge is power!
When you like the video before watching because you know all of Fern's vídeos be bommmmmb!! ♥️
I sometimes wonder....do we overthink things like this? Don't get me wrong, I like orchid bark and perlite as much as the next plant person, but all the various amendments out there, I often wonder how much difference it actually makes. I've never had a problem with store bought soil, usually cactus mix, with a little perlite and/or bark added if I feel like it. Just food for thought!
I get all of my supplies from Amazon. Perlite #4, which is larger, pumice, orchid bark (small size), Horticultural Charcoal, and Mother Earth Coco+perlite.
I also mix soil myself and I also have some orangy perlite, but I only use rainwater. I think it maybe is discoloration from the soil and/or liquid fertilizer, but I’m not sure🙃
I find the ProMix Orchid mix to be very inconsistent. The last 2 bags I had bought of it had unreasonably huge pieces of bark and whole sticks. I ended up throwing it out and just stick to making my own.
Regarding the coco coir, you can buy them pre-buffered so that you don't have to rinse it. I haven't tried the compressed bricks yet, I still have a huge bag of loose coco coir.
An article I read on a comparison of coco coir and sphagnum from Utah State University mentions : "Since all coir products have extremely high K contents and low Calcium contents, it is critical to add a source of Ca to improve plant calcium uptake. Since the pH is already close to 6, liming materials cannot be used because they would increase the pH above optimum. Therefore, all coir-based media must be amended with gypsum, which also overcomes their low sulfur status."
I know in hydro, a lot of people use Cal-Mag type fertilizers when using coco-based media. I've been using Gaia's Gypsum as well as their rock dust & greensand.
Oh my gosh. Another thing to add to my list lol 😆 Thanks for sharing!
@@wildfern Haha.. Sorry? :P There is a lot of info on the internet about that one downside of coco coir. I am just glad it isn't hydrophobic like peat is!
For the bark, I really recommend Orchiata. It is more expensive, but it lasts way longer so it saves you money in the long run. It takes longer to break down than other bark, and since it's matured and not composted, you can use it straight out of the bag without the worry of contaminants. It also re-wets easily, so it never requires flushing as it won't accumulate salts. In fact, the American Orchid Society designated it the AOS-approved product.
🍁 of course I made till the end 🥰 I really enjoy your videos! Anyway, worm casting serves as slow release fertilizer so it’s a valid addition to your mix!
It literally is choosing between the lesser Evil😅 peat moss vs coco coir. Yes we need this tutorial😍😍😍
Ahh I’ve seriously been considering making my own potting mix as of recently so this video couldn’t have come at a better time. Still watching but i cannot wait to learn all the things.
Love and appreciate your content as always Fern 💚 you’re killing it at this YT thing ☺️
So glad it came just when you needed it! Thanks for your kind words ❤️
I'm so happy to see more of these kinds of videos coming out! Definitely needed a video from my favorite plant tuber! ✌🌱 thank you for the great content always! 🙏
Awesome!! Thanks so much for watching ☺️
So much great info thank you! Also your skin is GLOWING girl💖🌿🌿
Mushrooms are a good sign of a happy "mini ecosystem" and rice hulls are good alternative to perlite.
🍃a very informative video. As usual, I made a coffee before setting down to watch it. I haven’t had to repot many of my plants yet, but am looking at soil mixes and am tempted to try Pon (or similar). A company here in the uk called Soil Ninja does their own semi-hydro mix in both coarse and fine versions. Also, their mix doesn’t have slow release fertiliser in it, so you are in control of how often you feed the plant. Soooooo much to think about for us newbies🤪. Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into these videos.
🍃 this was exactly the information I needed. It wasn't too much at all it was perfect! THANK YOU
you're so welcome - thanks for watching!!
Gosh your videos always calm me:)) Thank you Fern!! Also that intro was so satisfying!😍 The quality!
Awe thank you so much Dani 🥰
I have learned alot from your videos. You take your time to really explain things. This one has been especially informative, as I am working on gathering soil ammendments now. Thanks for being you! 🌵🌿🪴🤘
I'm so glad it was helpful! Thank you for the feedback.
Thank you! I felt you did an excellent job explaining the information. I did watch the video til the end.
Thank you so much!
regarding the yellowing perlite, ive found it’s the fungus that grows as a result of the fungus gnats
I opened my soil mix container for the first time in a while yesterday and was greeted by a cloud of happy gnats as soon as the lid was off... Think it's time to get nematodes 🧨
🍃 I loooooooove mixing orchid bark into the bags of other potting mix I get. At a discount from my garden center job luckily 🙈
definitely going to try this mix 💖🌿 thank you for the great info!!
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I watched a video awhile back, this couple had a beautiful variegated monstera adasoni, mix was almost allll perlite, they said bark holds more moisture than you think & that plants just want to feel the water run past their roots 🤷🏻♀️
Love your videos !
Thank you 🙏 it was informative. I also put vermiculite in my potting mix.
I like the longer videos too, this was fun to see how you make yours
Omg! Pleasantly surprised that both my questions were answered!! Thank you!!
You're so welcome!
🌱🌱 gonna take a bit of time today to do a little mixture for my plants that need a refresh for spring ☺️
What size bags do you buy when you buy in bulk? It seems like orchid bark comes in mostly 4 quart bags which doesn’t seem like much.
This was super helpful! Had no idea about wearing a mask when using perlite and also .... Very curious about your moss reviews!!! 🌿🌿🌱
I've been mixing my own soil same ingredients as you, but the watering of the plants gets so tricky for me. I opted for the clear orchid pots so that i could see the condensation on the side of the pot, if the condensation starts to go away I know it is time to water my plant.
Yes the clear pots helps a lot with that!
The mushrooms are inoffensive, I’ve got one on a pot because it was too moist!
Btw love longer videos 💕🪴
I live in Arizona.. so I rarely see mushrooms 🍄.. but if I do.. it can’t be good!! It’s pretty dry here!!
@@liskalangdon6576 I live on a island so it’s pretty humid here haha 😆
@@isabelpacheco2568 it’s about 10:30 am and about 80 degrees already and 12 percent humidity!
🌿 I really enjoyed this video. Especially when you talk about peat moss and the negative effects it has on our planet. We are destroying ecosystems to have house plants. Wish more people knew this & tried to ditch it! Also I love more sustainable options too. Wonder what else besides coco coir is used. Will definitely have to research that too.. Loved the long video ♡ Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge 😊
Loved this video! You're great at explaining all planty topics, i love your content ❤
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Thanks so much!
🌱 great tips thank you Fern, from Queensland Australia
🍃 I’ve always wondered about vermiculite. A couple bags have been given to me and theres not a ton of info on UA-cam about it that I’ve seen. Thank u!
So looking forward to your DIY pon video. I made some and I have had 0 success with it 😖 I was super excited about it but it's not working and I went back to LECA. Maybe I will see what I'm doing wrong from you!
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Zero success! Oh no, that makes me nervous lol. I guess I will find out soon lol.
I made it to the end 🍃 I was wondering if aquarium charcoal can be used
So helpful!! Thank you for being so thorough!! ☺️☺️
Perlite is silicon (glass) heated to high temp!
as a plant newbie this is very helpful! love your vids fern! :)
Thank you 💕☺️💕
🌿 im finding garden stores are delivering more these days. 💜 They really like the business, buying from a local store, and i love the customer service. 🧡They are aware the boom in gardening plants is the future sucess of the business they love! 💙Love from israel💛
🍃 Thanks for the video Fern 💗🪴🏴
Watched till the end, great information.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this video! 💚
I have no source, but I heard, that peat moss was part of an ecosystem which would be destroyed by the „harvest“. And this ecosystem was very important to binding CO2 out of the atmosphere. There for important to reduce the effects of climate change.
Maybe these keywords help with your research. 😊
🌱 made it till the end and really appreciate this video. Thank you.
I have a fairly new variegated string of hearts. It's growing great. But its only 1 strand so I want to prop for fuller. But is there a thing of a plant being "too young" to chop and prop.??? I got 6 leaf sets on the strand and its about 6 inches long
💚❤️🌱❤️💚 great video fern! I make my own soil mix sometimes but I have not idea what I’m doing half the time 😂😂😂
Talking about using stuff from around the house - could you used aquarium gravel in place of pumice/perlite or is it too heavy?
🍃 Thanks for doing this video, I’ve been looking forward to it!
You are so welcome!
🌵 Here's a cactus instead. Thanks for the informative video, I really loved the info, and it helped out a lot.
The process in which coco coir is made is also very hard on the workers. Their lungs and such. Just something else to think about. You really can’t win when choosing coir or peat. They both have their issues.
🌿 there is your planty leaf. I thoroughly enjoyed this video very informative thank you thank you. I am doing it right bcz I put all those things plus a little vermiculite for the 1st time and it really is satisfying lol there is one question I bought some bark that had mold on it but I didn't notice until half away already potted some plants with it. I am worried now. Has this ever happened to you and will the charcoal take care of it? Or am I doomed? 😬
Hey Diane! I have never experienced this. I don't think you are doomed though, most of the time mould isn't harmful. Hopefully it just goes away lol. Good luck & thanks for watching.
🌿 Love your videos! Keep 'em coming!!
I thought fungus gnats wouldn’t lay eggs in a coco based mix or mix without soil, but I must have got that wrong? 🌿
🍃 I use "regular" bark and I wonder if orchid bark might be better.. Or is it just smaller?
Great information and I made it to the end!!! 🌱
🌱 yes!!!! I found this super helpful!!!
Loved this video! So much helpful information! I’m almost 53 years old and I just got back into houseplants last year. I’ve ALWAYS had snake plants and cast iron plants (just found out the name of these this past year lol). These were handed down from my grandmother to my mom and now to me. I’d never heard of all this stuff in the soil. We just plopped plants in potting soil and we were done! I’m loving all of the new plants out there (especially the new snake plants!! I just got a whale fin one!!! Love!!) I’m loving your videos! I’m Gemini too on the cusp with Taurus so I kinda have Taurus tendencies too (saw your video where you talked about that). So I think we are kinda kindred spirits so merry meet my friend! My hubs grew up in Canada but we are in the US. We are in NC and have a little homestead. Ok I’ll quit rambling lol also im crazyherblady on IG. Can’t wait to get that snake trellis hopefully! Much love to you 💜✨✌🏻
Update: i paused this video halfway through to go get some perlite 😂😂 also made it to the end sooo... 🍃🍂
Hahaha
What's your thoughts on bottom watering plants?! I want to try it but I've heard good and bad! Thanks ♡
What's the bad?
@@shompreetyfairuz5159 the bad is since the water isn’t running through the soil lots of salts and minerals stay in the dirt. Over time that can be bad for your plants. I combat that by just top watering a couple times a month to flush the soil.
Yeah we really do have to do this sustainability work as a plant community! It is tormenting me!! Also the plant poaching 😿😿😿😿
Exactly!!
Hey Fern! Would it be possible to completely replace perlite with pumice?
Ps I love longer videos 🥰
Yep it should be fine :)
🍃 Such a great informative video! Thank you 😊
Thanks so much Mikaylah ☺️
🍃 loved this!
Coconut coir is not the most sustainable option but it does have a smaller carbon foot print than peat moss. The problem woth peat moss is that as ots been harvested, wetland ecosystems are being destroyed and the C02 that the once love moss absorbed get released back into the atmosphere. Coconut coir on the other hand is a waste product that would end up either burnt and Emit CO2 to the air or end up in the landfill creating methane . But they instead ground it up into either chunks and fibers or to fine soil like substance. Now that sounds better but the thing is that most coconut coir comes from South East Asia meaning fossil fuels are being burnt either by plane or boat. I'd the coconut coir commercially available in the American continent would come from the American continent, the carbin foot front would be much smaller.
What's really more sustainable is to use wood fiber that have been processed in order to take the sugars out of them. They do that so the wood fiber won't steal the nitrogen as it breaks down. I make my own houseplant soil mix which is believe is quite sustainable, the base of it is pine bark based potting soil that is actually made in my state and only sold there, so it's a local brand. The pottong soil itselfhas no peat moss or coconutcoir., its just ground up pine bark and sand. I the add coconut coir to make it fluffy because it can be quite dense and heavy. And for drainage and aeration I add perlite, I also sometimes add lava rocks to make it more airy if I'm using it for cactu
made it to the end! on my lap top so no emoji, lol
Very informative!
Thanks for watching Shane :)
🌿🍃🍁 amazing video! So helpful, thank you xx
🪴🌿❤️ love all your videos!
Very informative video thanks for sharing
Such great info! 🌿
🍀🌱🍃 you look gorgeous in this video!!
Love a good chonky mix 🌿
This was super helpful!!! 🌿💚
🌿and you explain just great
I buy a orchid mix and the orchid bars pieces sometimes are huge. I would love to find a brand that has pieces like the size of the ones you used in this video. Love your content as always! 🌿🌿
Yes so true, they can be huge lol!
I agree! I've tried cutting the large ones and that doesn't ever work lmao!
@@amandaw3141 I do my best to only use the large pieces in bigger pots. Also since I’ve started using a chunky mix I’ve learned the struggle of trying to use my moisture meter. 🤦🏻♀️
@@PlantyMama_ omg yes! I actually haven't put much thought on it just kept thinking wow these are drying out fast.. theh the light bulb went off watching this video!! 🤣
@@amandaw3141 😂😂😂