Make the best premade super soil ever for your beautiful garden! The secret to a blooming plant begins with a good quality mixture of soil. You just have to use good soil to get a good outcome. Use bad quality soil and you’ll most likely end up with unyielding plants. So, let’s start by knowing how to create a super soil to end up growing super plants.
It’s easy to buy ready-made soil mixes, but unfortunately, they usually cost more than making your own. Hence, why spend your money on dirt made by others when you can make your own best premade super soil right at the comforts of your home!
Almost all plants bloom in fat fertile soil, and there is an easy way to make super soil for your plant containers using 3 basic ingredients: upper soil/topsoil, a mixture of decayed plants/compost, and moss that grows on wet (perlite) land/peat moss. The key to making a good super soil is to mix them all together at the right amounts.
What are the Ingredients Needed
The following are different recipes suggested by different successful gardeners and authors:
This first recipe is complex and is composed of base ingredients, nutrients and minerals, and extras.
Base materials
- 15% of Compost
- 15 % of Vermicompost
- 30% of Peat Moss
- 30% of Scoria
- 10% Biochar
Nutrients and Minerals
- ½ cup/cubic foot of Crustacean Mix
- ½ cup/cubic foot of Neem Seed
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Kelp
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Glacial Rock Dust
- 1 cup/ cubic foot of Gypsum Dust
- 1 cup Basalt Dust/ cubic foot
Extras
- Vermicompost
- Crop mix
The Second Recipe is an alternative recipe for beginners.
- 6 portions of soil- pulverize your own soil before adding it up for mixing.
- 4 portions of compost- compost contain all the needed nutrients to feed your plants during summertime. Pure compost helps keep your plants alive during hot days and you need not water them that much. So, if you don’t have it, start making a pile now!
- 1 portion of perlite/ peat moss- the unobstructed pores of perlite helps in both retaining water and draining water which also keeps the soil less heavy. This is just right for your plant containers! Plus, it has a pH of 7 which is considered as neutral; thus, it doesn’t disturb the pH level of the completed mixture. Though peat moss can be used instead of perlite, perlite is still the better choice.
This recipe can be made in any amount as long as the proportions are just right. But if your soil is not that fertile for some reason, you can make some changes to the proportions and make your super soil work for you.
- If your soil is rich in clay, add one portion of granulated sand and one more portion of compost.
- If your soil is too sandy, replace the portion of perlite with one portion of compost.
- Lastly, your plant containers should have an effective drainage to keep your plants breathing.
If you are just at the beginning of your gardening journey, I suggest you follow the second recipe mentioned above, as it requires only lesser ingredients to complete the first good quality super soil you want to achieve. But if you’re an experienced gardener and you want the best, I suggest you follow the second recipe mentioned, as it goes down into details of the volume of ingredients needed to make the best-premade super soil!
What are the Steps in Completing your Super Soil
1. Choose the Right Container and Mixer
A good container would be half the size of your plant’s drip line. Here are three choices of containers you can possibly use:
- Fabric pot- is the standard pot for any type of plant growth.
- Air pot- is designed with holes on its sides that allow roots to simply root out, which also at the same time allows you to prune the roots easily.
- Bed- is usually used for larger growth of plants. It is wider compared to pots, and you can plant more than one plant using each one.
Also, you need to prepare your mixer; its size should depend on how much ingredients you are going to use. Any will work as long as it holds your ingredients and isn’t hard to work with. With the right approach, this should all go well.
2. Know the Volume of Soil Needed
For your containers, convert your gallon measurements to cubic feet soil. Use the formula below to know how many cubic feet of the super soil is needed for your containers: No. of containers x gallons per container divided by 7.5 = cubic feet of soil
This equation makes up for the overall volume of super soil you will make from the base materials you’re going to use.
3. Add Base Materials
Base Materials
- 15% of Compost
- 15 % of Vermicompost- this ingredient is rich in nutrients, enhances porosity, and has lesser chances of carrying bacteria or viruses with it. Vermicompost/ Worm Castings are waste products produced by earthworms, or they are also known as worm poo. Make sure that the vermicompost that you have is of high quality if you plan to buy it from the market.
- 30% of Peat Moss
- 30% of Scoria- scoria is a complex-shaped igneous rock that improves porosity, penetrability, and aeration due to its huge surface area. Commonly, super soil recipes use perlite to improve porosity, but scoria is a better choice. Perlite doesn’t simulate the natural system of the soil, except for making more pores.
- 10% Biochar- this char is created from carefully heating organic matter until it becomes black earth. With this ingredient, your soil will improve its porosity and CEC. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) allows the soil to hold on to important nutrients, and it also serves as a protection against soil acidification.
Nutrients and Minerals
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Crustacean Mix- this mix is made up of grounded crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps. These creatures provide your soil with essential nutrients like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Neem Seed- this ingredient acts as an organic pesticide.
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Kelp- this grounded up seaweed wakes up plant hormones to improve resiliency and tolerance from diseases.
- ½ cup/ cubic foot of Glacial Rock Dust- this is rich in micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron.
- 1 cup/ cubic foot of Gypsum Dust- this dust contains a huge amount of sulfur and calcium, and also has a neutral pH.
- 1 cup Basalt Dust per cubic foot- this ingredient is also rich in micronutrients; it also has paramagnetic properties.
4. Mix All the Ingredients
Pour everything into your mixer and use a hand tool that helps you mix your super soil until it gains consistency. It doesn’t have to be perfect as the ingredients will settle by itself after you place your plant.
5. Test your Soils pH and Biology
To make sure that it’s the best super soil, you should test its pH by using the right equipment. Or to make things easier, you can send it to a lab for evaluation by professionals.
6. Place your Plants in your Completed Super Soil
Now it’s time to place your plant in the super soil. Thoroughly do this step to avoid unwanted troubles.
7. Add on the Extras
- Add 1 cup per 4 square feet of Vermicompost. Place the castings in on the topsoil surface but don’t allow any worm to touch the stem or leaves of the plant!
- Lastly, add mulch. Mulch decreases the evaporation of water in your soil. These include rice straw, barley, wheat, etc.
8. Mission Accomplished!
Now that you have followed the right steps to achieve your super soil, you’re now ready to fill up your empty garden with beautiful and fast-growing plants!
FAQ’s
Do cover crops help make the soil you start out with better?
Yes, this is first thing I recommend is to plant cover crops.
This will add nutrients and increase the diversity of life in your soil, which will result in a richer soil. What is a Cover Crop? Cover crops are plants that are planted between rows of vegetables or flowers to help keep weeds down, fertilize the soil and reduce erosion. There are many different types of cover crops, but the most common are grasses, legumes and clovers.
The idea behind a cover crop is to maintain the health of the soil for the next season, but not necessarily to grow a harvestable crop. Some cover crops can be harvested for their leaves and stems (like clover), but most are planted with the intention of being left in the ground. Why do we need cover crops? Why not just plant something like tomatoes in a row or two and let it go? Well, there are a few reasons.
What’s a great way to make super premed super soil?
’m a big believer in making your own soil. I love the feeling of working with soil and watching it grow. However, I also love to have a ready made soil mix that I can just add to my garden. I’ve had a good friend who is a farmer for over 20 years and he always makes his own soil mix.
It’s an easy way to get started and you can customize it to your soil type. He calls it his “magic dirt” and I think it’s the best soil mix I’ve ever had. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this magic dirt and am so excited to share it with you!
How to Make Your Own Magic Dirt First off, make sure you have all of your supplies ready. You’ll need:
1. A bucket of potting soil or compost. This is what you’ll use to mix your magic dirt.
2. 1/4 cup of bone meal. Bone meal is great for improving soil structure, improving nutrient levels and providing calcium.
3. 2 cups of sand. Sand helps loosen soil and can be used as a filler in your mix if you don’t want to add too much potting soil.
4. 1/4 cup of leaf mold. Leaf mold is soil that has decomposed leaves and other organic matter in it. It is great for building soil structure and adding nutrients.
5. 1/2 cup of peat moss.
6. Peat moss adds moisture retention, improves drainage and has other wonderful properties.
7. 1/2 cup of compost. Compost is a great way to improve the fertility of your soil and add nutrients.
8. A shovel. I suggest a wide blade shovel because it will help you scoop out the mix.
9. Optional: A trowel or garden fork. You’ll be able to dig your garden beds with this.
If you’re feeling lazy, you can just buy all of these materials at your local nursery or garden center. However, if you’re really looking to save money, you can buy a bag of potting soil and then add your own ingredients!
Mixing Your Magic Dirt Mix
Now that you have all of your ingredients, it’s time to mix your magic dirt. You’ll need to scoop up about 2 cups of soil from the bucket into a mixing bowl. Add your bone meal to the soil in the mixing bowl. I like to mix mine in with my fingers and then use my spoon to spread it around evenly. Then, add your sand. I use my hands and scoop it into the bowl. Next, add your leaf mold and compost. Mix these in with your hands as well.
Finally, add your peat moss. You can mix this by hand as well. However, I find that using a spoon is more efficient. Scoop the peat moss into the mixing bowl and mix it in. Once the mix is completely mixed together, scoop it into your garden beds. You may want to wet the top of your beds before you add your magic dirt. This will help the dirt stick better. It also helps keep weeds from growing. After you’ve added your magic dirt to your beds, you’ll want to water the dirt well. Make sure that you water the dirt after you have watered your plants. The moisture in the soil will help the soil retain nutrients. Once the soil has had some time to settle, you can begin planting!
Can you add nutrients to super soil?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It depends. There are many ways to make a good soil. But if we are talking about super soil, then there is only one way, and that's to use compost or manure. Both will provide the necessary nutrients and microbes needed to produce healthy plants.
Tips in Making the Process Effective
- Grow your Plants in Raised Beds. This type of container makes a good draining system, prevents soil from getting compact, reduces the growth of weeds, and protects your plants from pests.
- Plant Different Kinds of Crops. Planting different kinds of plants for different seasons helps in controlling known root diseases, improves soil fertility, and is a good defense system for weeds and pests. This technique needs planning; it is advisable to group your plants into four: beans, vegetables, fruits, and green leaves.
Did you enjoy the tutorial? Well, I hope you did! The detailed step by step instructions I mentioned above are essential for you to make the best super soil you’ve always wanted to achieve. You just need due diligence to follow the instructions I provided, and in the end, all the efforts will be worth it.
Please state your thoughts in the comments section below. Also, please like and share this article with family or friends who might be interested in pulling off the whole project.
Josephine is an enthusiastic gardener who loves to spend her spare time tending to her garden. She is passionate about growing her own food, and aspires to one day have her own vegetable garden. Josephine is also an animal lover and often takes in stray cats and dogs. She enjoys spending time with her pets in the garden, and is often seen playing with them or watering her plants. Josephine is an avid reader and enjoys learning about new gardening techniques and plants. She is always looking for ways to improve her garden and make it more beautiful. She is a great friend, always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. Josephine‘s passion for gardening and love of animals make her a wonderful addition to any garden.