13 Best Potting Soil For Herbs And How To Start Growing

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An herb garden is one of the most satisfying ways to get into gardening. But to grow good herbs, you need even better soil! Starting your fragrant herby plants off in the right way will reap benefits in the future, and getting the correct potting soil is the key to success for new herb gardeners.

Let’s find out more about the best potting soil for herbs. These potting soils handle everything from a kitchen windowsill planter to an organic raised bed!

Sound good?

13 Best Potting Soil for Herbs

We also want to analyze and examine these potting soils in further detail.

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Pot of Gold All Purpose Potting Soil | Dr. Earth

You know when you open a bag of compost, plunge your hands into the soil, and can feel the natural goodness flowing through it? This potting compost is one of those that will truly satisfy your green fingers!

Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose Potting Soil gives us everything we need for growing herbs. With no compromise on quality or environmental credentials.

This organic potting soil contains the perfect balance of nutrients for your growing herbs, providing at least six months of abundant growth. It is free from synthetic ingredients and packed full of beneficial microbes.

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04/27/2022 04:08 am GMT

Moisture Control Potting Mix | Miracle-Gro

One of the tricky parts about growing herbs, especially in smaller containers, is getting the water balance right. Delicate herbs are a bit like Goldilocks when it comes to water – they don’t like their roots too wet. Or too dry!

Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix takes the guesswork from watering your precious herbs. It also offers an impressive boost of nutrients that will give them the best possible chance of thriving.

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04/27/2022 04:33 am GMT

Compressed Coco Coir Fiber Grow | Minute Soil

Short of space for storing sacks of potting compost? These compressed discs of coconut coir take up minimal space, right up until you need to use them! All you need to do is add water. And they expand to 15 times their size, giving you the perfect potting soil for herbs.

The great thing about coconut coir? It is remarkably sustainable, turning a waste product into a fabulous growing medium. However, coconut coir does not contain any added nutrients, so you may need to fertilize your herbs more frequently or add worm castings to the soil.

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04/27/2022 03:10 am GMT

Premium Organic Potting Natural Soil Mix Food | Burpee

Here’s a non-GMO coconut coir fertilizer from Burpee! This organic potting soil mix is carefully blended to make it suitable for use in containers and raised beds. It contains added natural plant food and gives vigorous growth for at least three months. Coconut coir also provides significant water retention and allows for optimum root growth.

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04/27/2022 03:50 am GMT

OMRI Listed Bar Harbor Blend Organic Compost Potting Soil | Coast of Maine

This innovative potting soil is certified organic and is OMRI listed! So, it ticks all the boxes when it comes to ethical herb gardening without compromising on quality.

It’s perfect for herbs in hanging baskets, window boxes, houseplants, and outdoor containers. The potting soil itself is a light and sponge-like growing medium. It also has excellent water retention. It is markedly efficient for growing leafy herbs such as basil, cilantro, and parsley.

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04/27/2022 06:05 am GMT

Zen Blend Premium Organic Potting Soil | Good Earth Organics

I might have a case of compost delirium here, but the ingredients list on The Good Earth Organics Zen Blend Premium Potting Soil looks almost good enough to eat! Coconut coir, perlite, sphagnum peat moss, pumice, compost, worm castings, alfalfa meal. It sounds like a salad from one of my favorite restaurants!

OK, maybe I’ll pass on compost for my dinner tonight, but this carefully blended potting soil mix will give you great-tasting herbs with abundant growth. Perfect for taking your culinary efforts to the next level!

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04/26/2022 09:40 pm GMT

Soil Mixture for Indoor Herb Plant | Dirtco

One of my favorite potting soil mixtures available specifically for growing indoor herbs, this mix will keep your windowsill herb planters producing an abundance of fragrant growth for many months.

Made only with natural ingredients, your plants will be well-nourished with worm castings, while the added perlite gives optimum soil drainage.

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04/27/2022 03:13 am GMT

Black Gold All Organic Potting Soil | Sungro Horticulture

Nothing sums up an excellent growing medium like the words black gold! This rich, loamy organic potting soil is of great value without compromising nutrient quality. It has added perlite and pumice to aid drainage, so your woody herbs – rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano – will love it.

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04/27/2022 03:39 am GMT

Worm Castings Soil Builder | Brut Farms

Worm castings are one of our favorite ways to supplement herb gardens. Here’s why!

Doesn’t potting soil seem like an endless waste of money sometimes? We pot up all our herbs in the spring, reap the benefits all summer, then throw the used soil in the compost bin when the herbs die off in the winter.

By using worm castings to refresh your compost, you can reuse that potting soil time and time again! Just add one part worm castings to four parts soil, and you will have a nutrient-rich growing medium, year after year.

Brut worm castings are an organic fertilizer and soil enricher. The worm castings have loads of organic matter, bacteria, and healthy microbes. These worm castings come from worms raised on Brut farms in Minnesota, USA.

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04/26/2022 02:15 pm GMT

Seed Starting Potting Mix | Miracle Gro

As much as I love our abundant perennial herbs, some annuals are always welcome! And if you live in a warm climate, you will find that these – particularly basil and cilantro – will go to seed just a few weeks after you’ve started to harvest the leaves.

The secret here is to sow successional seeds every few weeks or so, and for the best results, you will need a starting potting mix.

Staggering your seed sowing mix means that as one batch of herbs flowers – the next one is around the corner, nearly ready to blossom. (Which will keep your bees happy!)

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04/27/2022 05:02 am GMT

Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix | FoxFarm

Well, here is something a bit different. But different isn’t always bad! You might be wondering how the ocean comes into it when we’re talking about potting soil. But this unusual blend contains ingredients from the sea and bat guano and earthworm castings.

This rare combination provides highly fertile and nutrient-rich potting compost. As eccentric gardeners – we love these unusual (but effective) ingredients!

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04/27/2022 05:35 am GMT

Compressed Organic Potting-Soil | Organic Plant Magic

Suitable for indoor and outdoor container gardening or raised beds, this compressed potting soil boasts an impressive ingredients list! It gets packed with coconut coir and worm castings.

It also has beneficial mycorrhizae, bacteria, and amino acids. The compressed soil expands to four times its size when water gets added.

The sponge-like quality also means it has excellent water retention properties. It also offers a nutritional boost for your plants over several months.

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04/27/2022 03:19 am GMT

Organic Potting Mix Soil | Useful Universe

Do you need to buy a larger quantity of potting soil that won’t break the bank? Then this is a good soil choice. The Useful Universe Organic Potting Mix is a suitable quality blend that is surprisingly affordable for an organic option.

Beware! Some of the reviewers have mentioned fruit flies in the soil! We’ve seen fruit flies, fungus gnats, and other pests inside soil bags. It happens! We advise opening it outdoors – or on an enclosed porch – to help weed out any pesky invaders before bringing them inside.

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04/26/2022 03:20 pm GMT

Read More – Here’s How to Harvest Parsley Without Killing the Plant!

Best Potting Soil for Herbs – Buying Guide

Choosing the best potting soil for herbs can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a new gardener!

So here is our ultimate guide to the best potting soil for herbs.

We hope these answers help you grow an epic and bountiful herb garden!

Herbs are perfect for new gardeners! They don’t take up much space, and most herbs tolerate soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7. But – by far, the most critical factor for herb soil or any herb growing medium is the water drainage! Most herbs detest wet soil and won’t grow to their full potential if the soil is soaked.

Read More – Best Tips for Harvesting Sage Without Killing the Plant!

What’s the Best Soil to Grow Herbs in Pots or Outdoors?

Herbs are like every plant out there – they like the perfect balance of moisture, warmth, sunlight, and nutrients. Unfortunately, this is not the same for all herbs! Luckily, we can group the commonly used herbs into two broad subgroups with similar likes and dislikes.

The first groups are herbs classed as woody Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender, and oregano. Most gardeners grow these as perennial herbs in pots or inside an herb bed.

Woody Mediterranean herbs are adapted to survive in hot climates, growing in the wild on poor soil with little water. This group will not thank you for a nutrient-rich, water-retaining compost and prefer well-draining sandy soil.

The second group consists of leafy green herbs, most often grown as annuals from seed each year. These include basil, cilantro, mint, chives, fennel, and parsley.

Leafy green herbs like a more luxurious lifestyle and thrive in a good quality compost. They do not like to dry out, so excellent water retention properties are essential.

What Kind of Potting Soil Do I Use for Herbs?

Let’s look at exactly how to keep our two groups of herbs happy and thriving. Shall we? Woody Mediterranean herbs do not like high nutrient levels and will not be happy if their roots are wet. So, we need a well-draining growing medium that provides a steady release of essential nutrients.

Look for potting compost that contains perlite or pumice, or add a handful of grit or sand to your conventional potting compost. Stay away from super-fertilized potting composts for this group of herbs.

Your leafy green herbs are the exact opposite – they like their roots to be damp at all times! And enjoy lots of nutrients! Well-watered herb roots with plenty of nutrients help them put on the abundant leafy green growth we aim to achieve.

A nutrient-rich general-purpose potting soil will work well here, but for best results, look for one that has good water retention properties. Potting soil that contains slow-release fertilizer will give your leafy green herbs all the nutrition they need for a fulfilling season of abundant growth.

What’s the Best Potting Mix for Outdoor Herbs?

Growing herbs in containers or pots outdoors is a great way to ensure a constant supply of fresh, fragrant herbs. However, using the correct potting soil is essential to give your plants the best chance of thriving.

When first planting your herbs? A halfway decent general-purpose potting mix will work just fine. Use this as it is for leafy green herbs, and add horticultural sand, grit, pumice, or perlite if planting woody Mediterranean herbs.

Over time, your herbs will use up all the available nutrition in the potting mix. However, this doesn’t mean you need to dig them up and change the soil!

Instead, add a top dressing of a nutrient-rich medium such as worm castings or homemade compost. You might find it beneficial to gently mix this in with the top layer of soil if it is very compacted.

What’s the Best Potting Mix for Indoor Herbs?

For indoor herbs, good drainage is essential, so select a potting mix with added perlite, vermiculite, or pumice. Don’t be tempted to skimp on this, as your indoor herbs will soon develop a compacted root system that may rot in permanently damp soil. No good!

It may sound contrary, but your indoor herbs also need a growing medium with good water retention properties. We tend to grow indoor herbs in small pots, and these can dry out quickly if watering is infrequent. Coconut coir is a tremendous growing medium for indoor herbs, as it is light and airy while also retaining water.

Best Soil for Herbs in Raised Beds?

A raised garden bed with plenty of herbs is one of the easiest ways to keep these culinary staples happy and thriving. Start your herbs off in a reliable general-purpose potting soil or homemade compost. They can then get planted into your raised beds, with an extra helping of compost below the root ball of each plant.

For herbs already established in a raised bed, an annual top dressing of nutrient-rich compost will help to keep them at their best. You don’t need to dig this in – the earthworms and other soil life will enjoy doing this work for you!

How to Make Potting Soil for Herbs?

If you’ve got an abundance of homemade compost, can you use this as potting soil for herbs? Yes – long as you bear a few vital points in mind! Firstly, young plants do not grow well in coffee grounds, as they act as a growth inhibitor. So, compost your coffee grounds separately and use them only near well-established plants.

Secondly, homemade compost may be too nutritious and rich for some herbs! For woody Mediterranean herbs? Mix two-thirds compost with one-third horticultural sand or grit to allow better drainage.

Whether you’re just starting with your gardening career or have years of experience, herbs are a great place to start. They taste great! And they also have many health benefits. And the pollinators in your garden will love them too. You can’t lose.

So, don’t hang around – get out there and plant some herbs! We promise that you won’t regret it! Growing herbs is one of the easiest ways for homesteaders to begin gardening!

Conclusion

Herbs are easy to grow in containers – either indoors or outdoors. Most herbs don’t mind somewhat cool temperatures – as low as 60 degrees Fahrenheit is fine. You can sow your seeds directly outside in your garden or in pots. Some herbs like rosemary and mint also propagate nearly perfectly from herb plant cuttings.

We know it’s overwhelming when you’re first getting started. Which herbs should you choose? And which containers? What about the growing medium!

These questions are daunting for new herb growers – so we hope our guide detailing the best potting soils for herbs helped you!

If you have further questions about growing herbs or the best soil for herbs, let us know.

We thank you so much for reading.

Have a great day!

Read More – Growing Sugar Snap Peas – Complete Step by Step Guide!

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13 Best Potting Soil for Herbs

Best Potting Soil for Herbs – Buying Guide

What’s the Best Soil to Grow Herbs in Pots or Outdoors?

What Kind of Potting Soil Do I Use for Herbs?

What’s the Best Potting Mix for Outdoor Herbs?

What’s the Best Potting Mix for Indoor Herbs?

Best Soil for Herbs in Raised Beds?

How to Make Potting Soil for Herbs?

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