My Aroid mix for Monsteras, Philodendron, Anthuriums etc

[@sydneyplantguy]

Sorry, I had to re-upload the video due to audio issues. But I received some very informative comments on the previous upload and wanted to share them with you here: @Boojie Panda said: "You were asking about potting soil. A high end potting mix will have a lot of delicious goodies in it for plants. One that a lot of folks like to use as a base for their soil mixes is Fox Farm Ocean Forest. There's enough organic food in it to feed a plant for 4 to 6 months. The ingredients are composted forest humus, sphagnum peat moss, Pacific Northwest sea-going fish emulsion, crab meal, shrimp meal, earthworm castings, sandy loam, perlite, bat guano, granite dust, Norwegian kelp, and oyster shell (for pH adjustment). From my experience with this soil, they don't add as much peat moss as the cheaper potting soils do." @Coagulated Salts said: "from what i know, soil IS a mix of organic and inorganic materials, the organic materials usually provide essential elements to keep a plant fed like carbon, and phosphorous, the inorganic materials are usually minerals that are essential but play a smaller role like calcium, magnesium, etc…. soil usually has decomposing organic material which allows beneficial bacteria to break things down, the most essential bacteria are ones that break down the strong bonds of atmospheric nitrogen and turn it into ammonia or other usable nitrates. plants get also oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon from the atmosphere. also to add to your root rot/overwatering commentary: in the wild, plants grow in a shared media with other plants so the soil gets good aeration due to roots creating gaps. epiphytic and semi epiphytic plants also have roots that bind to their vertical substrate, and those plants are especially hardy because they can regrow from a single node that’s been attached to a tree and not even touch the ground in any which way. sources: my knowledge acquired from my biology classes"

[@gnarbeljo8980]

I hear what you're saying but you could still probably make a noce profit bagging and selling your mix to followers! 😉 All this explains why your huge plants have such tiny feet. Its aquaponics really, everything they need in nutients is added to their water rather than feed them partly with soil. You could literally put thrm all on a wateringsystem with a fish tank and it's still the same principal. Cool!

[@ghateljoon]

you are a genius!! I love your mix. this certainly resolves the gnats issues I've been having from the store-bought potting mix!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@dixiechick6652]

I always over watered my plants until I found a post a few years ago about container gardening by a gentleman named Al. So I started experimenting with a mostly inorganic substrate. I propagated a pothos in water for the test, and after about a year one thing I noticed is the roots in the peat mix did that circling through the whole pot and you have to pull the soil from the middle of the roots when your repotting . I did not see circling in the new mix, the roots went through the soil. That’s when it hit me that the roots move towards the outside of the pot searching for oxygen while in a mucky substrate.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Makes total sense !!!

[@charitydecuir5652]

this makes me wanna CRY 😭

[@Mastiffmom1574]

Great explanation! And makes so much sense... Actually made me feel kinda dumb once I thought about it! 😂 Of course I did the 50/50 mix of soil and perlite like most beginners and after losing 3 plants to root rot, I started researching soil mixes and making my own mix... Without soil! So much growth and all year too, which is amazing when your plant is putting out tons of new growth in the midst if a Midwest winter! Anyway, Love the explanation, thanks for sharing!

[@ppac300]

@@Mastiffmom1574 What’s your recipe?

[@loidadorfner]

What is your recipe please?

[@amigodiadema]

I really appreciate all your tips! The best way to know that something is working it's seeing the results and we can see that in your plants. Thank you for all knowledge shared.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Proof is in the pudding! thanks :)

[@renegadetherapist5664]

Recently found your channel and I love it!! I'm 67 and have had plants since I was 6 yrs old. But you never stop learning. I have a lot of aroids and I want BIG leaves like you have, you have shared so many wonderful tips to get there!!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks for your nice comment :) happy growing

[@Grrrnthumb]

Great video! As a custom soil builder, I agree 100% that these super-aerated, non-organic soilless mixes are much safer to avoid overwatering... IF you are willing to water and monitor much more often. Your mix is safe, but ooooh so much work! Some of your rarer plants actually do need that, but Monstera for instance appreciate a much "richer" soil with ingredients like compost or worm castings added. They absolutely do not need such a free-draining mix or benefit more from it. Btw, sand has been proven in university studies not to improve drainage unless it makes up approx 60% of the total mix. If it's less, then it is just filling in around the larger particles and reducing drainage... so you could get better aeration for the same water retention by using something like Canadian peat, which is as sustainable as coco coir (or any other ingredient than sand really). Alternatively, if you really like sand you could switch to one the basalt sands for it's very high ratio of micro-nutrients.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Good to know :) thanks for sharing

[@mandynelson4073]

Is it bad for plants to get to the point of drooping before you water, and repeatedly having this occur?

[@Grrrnthumb]

@@mandynelson4073 it's not ideal long term, as that won't get you to nearly your best plant health & growth, but it does help limit overwatering if that's a problem for you. It's more of a keep-it-alive in crisis mode thing. It is tho a useful tool for some plants to help teach you when your plant wants water again. After you learn it's habit, then aim for just before it droops as your watering day

[@mandynelson4073]

@@Grrrnthumb with the suggested mix (or the added coco coir/ peat as you suggest), is fertilization essential with every watering to get the necessary nutrients, or is an added slow-release fertilizer in the soil mix okay for aroids? If so, which kind is best and if not, how often should fertilizer be added to water? (Sorry, I’m a scientist so I basically need a protocol 🙈)

[@Grrrnthumb]

​@@mandynelson4073 this type of mix above basically provides almost no nutrition, so you need to add it, which is fine since it gives you good control if you're willing to do the work. For delicate aroids in these type of free-draining mixes I like Dynagro Grow 7-9-5 for it's excellent balance of micronutrients and better type of nitrogen, or MSU's orchid fertilizer; at every watering. Slow-release works just "ok" here. Since it does not release evenly over the whole time period as the labeling suggests, it works better in regular soil mixes where it is just adding extra nutrition, not supporting all nutrition. Also, all the slow release fertilizers I know about have a poor mix of micronutrients, which can lead to struggling plants in this type of no-nutrient mix.

[@clarewhite3004]

I got my first plants in January and some of the store-bought potting mixes did well for me. Now that my plants are bigger and requiring slightly larger pots but now these pots don't dry out as fast, I'm exploring adding chunky elements to help with aeration. I got charcoal, orchid bark, and chunky perlite. I just moved and my plants are adjusting to the increased light (unfortunately a couple of them sunburned). In the next couple weeks, when they're settled in, I'll build the moss poles and repot everyone. But I actually plan to reuse the old potting mix from some of them. It's not old and broken down yet, and some of it drained well and had lots of nutrients, so I will absolutely include it in my mix. The fibrous mix that drains poorly will get tossed.

[@mxjoaoo]

You have one of the best looking plant collection in all youtube, i'm very grateful of you uploading all these videos!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@mxjoaoo]

@@sydneyplantguy i can't find pumice here in brazil, what would be your recommendation of an aroid mix without it?

[@michelejones4282]

@@mxjoaoo More perlite & I add poultry grit for drainage & aeration.

[@JayronMacielGomes]

@@mxjoaooArgila expandia quebrada ou granulada.

[@mushroommentor1141]

I recently went full out on my aroids with repotting and moss poles. I followed your moss pole tutorial and started calling it mo moss burrito assembly - as it took over my kitchen for a few days. Now I have some too give away at Christmas!

[@chantellechantelle2955]

So weird, I thought we needed dirt for plants, thanks so much for this.

[@beatrixfransiscatambunan242]

Dirt keep water too long.. that makes aroid roots easily go rotten..

[@DaenysT]

Some plants definitely like dirt, aroids don’t really.

[@censusgary]

Different media for different plants. The plant’s native environment should be your guide. Some plants don’t grow in soil at all, but on trees (epiphytes) on rocks (lithophytes), or floating in water (fully aquatic plants). Of plants that do grow in matter we might loosely call soil, some grow in clay, some grow in sand, some grow in gravel or pebbles, some grow in mostly humus (decomposed plants), and many grow in different combinations, in varying proportions, of these materials, with large, small, or medium-sized particles.

[@iamthegirlwiththeredbow8]

We say over-watering for the reason that we keep our plants in pots where they are rooted, water is retained in its substrate that causes root rot, unlike them being in the forest, that though it may rain a lot, there are other elements and materials in the ground like soil, dead leaves, animal droppings and etc., plus the balance of right humidity, air and sunshine that help its natural growing process and survival.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Precicely :) i just think people misunderstand the term overwatering. It’s a substrate issue, not a how much and how often we water issue. But how much snd how often we water is obviously depending on the substrate so it goes hand in hand. All i’m trying to say is that people should be re-considering their substrate & their watering routine if their plants suffer from root rot, not just their watering routine.

[@moniquepeterson9542]

Love the organized tubs! 👍

[@scottfletcher1956]

One thing I would point out, and can’t stress enough, is salt content in the coco chunk. I wash mine (my process takes 1 full day). Make sure you rinse your bark well, you’ll see why once you do it. Do not believe what it says on the packaging.

[@offplanet740]

Should we wash both bark and coco chunks?

[@tylerc7336]

​@@offplanet740yes, but the main reason is just to wash the small particles away, the coco is washed multiple times before it gets you, and you don't use enough of it for the "salt" content to make a difference, if coco is a big portion of you soil say half or over than you may have to buffer it, some high end companies especially the ones that cater to cannabis sell coco that is already buffered, basically you flush it with a calcium and magnesium (calmag) solution, look that up if you're interested why

[@stride3051]

Ones that are sold at pet stores are commonly pre-washed as well

[@offplanet740]

@@stride3051 so I bought pine bark and coco chunks from the pet store. I've been washing the chunks but not the bark.... Is that okay?

[@TristessaRules]

Is there a way to wash it out if you already mixed it with other soil amenities?

[@variegated_stingray]

Awesome mix. I use the same, except quite a bit more of the coco peat because with this super chunky mix, I'd need to water my plants every two days.

[@ikennat9355]

The only thing you need for your soil mix are nutrients, aeration and well drainage, and moisture retention. I use vermicast(worm poop) for nutrients, pumice for aeration and drainage, and cocopeat for moisture retention. I just adjust their ratio based on the plant

[@stacylee8429]

@sydneyplantguy I just recently found you and I’ve watched a lot of plant KZbinrs… You’re probably my favorite as far as explaining how and why you do what you do. Thank you for the tips and info! Its been extremely helpful. *Note on the Adansonii video: the Bayer product you mention contains imidacloprid, which some states don’t allow in the US because it’s dangerous to pollinators. It must be used INDOORS only, if you could let people know :) Protect the pollinators!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :) my entire youtube channel is about growing plants indoors but fair point, i should really clarify it just in case :)

[@stacylee8429]

@@sydneyplantguy thank you! Not everyone does their research when someone they follow recommends something. I’m guilty of it also!

[@yolandachambers4607]

Do u have a recommendation for similar products

[@marcelleaf6920]

"Natural Glitter" - okay you got me with this :D

[@DuneGlam]

Your explanation of “overwatering” makes a lot of sense!

[@doloresperez1518]

Thanks for sharing your mix ariod soil

[@joannanovara815]

I live in a very dry climate(using greenhouse cabinets for my humidity loving plants). I use most of the ingredients you've used but add more coco coir/peat and a small amount of good quality soil that has worm castings. I would be watering my 150 plants every day if I didn't have a more water retentive mix! But yes, aeration is super key 😊

[@ellenmcintyre1247]

I live in Denver, Colorado and we're a semi arid desert(14" precipitation a year). My plants run on the dry side ALOT. In fact I will not grow an ivy or fern in my house because they'll just attract spider mites. Maybe if I had a bathroom with a window and I took a shower everyday I might have one, but there's certain plants I just cannot grow because of the lack of humidity. So I would also add in some composted bark(soil) preferably soil that has been baked in a low oven to get rid of any fungus gnat eggs. I would also probably put in a slow release fertilizer here like a 3 or 6 month kind, lightly, but I would still do it. I would also do some mix Jan's way, to see if it would work here... I've got some philodendrons that grow pretty fast with smaller leaves but maybe they're smaller leaves because they don't have anything to climb on I'm going to do a pictorial history and make some Moss poles and see how it goes. I'm pretty excited about it!

[@joannanovara815]

@@ellenmcintyre1247 I live just south of Denver in Castle Rock!

[@hs-qz9np]

This is sooooo satisfying... I am watching this over and over again.... 😮

[@offplanet740]

Sydney Plant Guy's Aroid Mix: - 1 part Pumice - 1 part Coco Chips - 1 part Perlite - 1 part Pine/ Orchid Bark - 3 handfuls (for large quantities) Coco Peat - 3 handfuls (for large quantities) Vermiculite - 3 handfuls (for large quantities) Propagation Sand - 3 handfuls (for large quantities) Horticultural Charcoal

[@alexanderpalsson8235]

Haha I also mix my own substrate, or "soil". ✨👌 Soil is basically the upper layer of earth in which plants grow. Another way to define soil is the mixture of organics, inorganics, loose deposits, fluids, gases, living biomass and minerals covering the ground. We talked about this in school and this is the reason why I now prefer to speak about "substrate" or even "potting medium" since sometimes it contains "soil" and sometimes not. 😝

[@tarajaneanee13]

Yay, I am so excited you are sharing this! Thank you, thank you 😊

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@madelinerivera3837]

Your plants are beautiful!!! Great soil mix! Thanks for sharing.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@robinneeley9176]

ok, I had to stop the video just to admire all the beautiful plants you have! I couldn't even focus on you because of them! They are beautiful!

[@EwenRoss]

Ah very similar to my mix, I do add worm castings as I just find it works amazing with the soil mix

[@AbdulRehman-pi3wo]

The comment i was Looking for Thanks mate I have killed around 30 exotic plants and my hobby is at the edge of death So can't afford experiments e.g addition of worm castings

[@nadsnads123]

I love love the visuals of each ingredient with ASMR sound effects 👏🏼 ❤

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@jacquieexpat]

I’m glad Brad is still the star ⭐️ I usually add a little shop bought compost to my mix but I’ll stop now you’ve informed me about the fungus gnats possibly coming from there. Thanks for the great tips, I really appreciate you taking the time and effort to make the vids, you’re my mentor! 👍

[@sydneyplantguy]

Give it a try and see if you notice a difference :)

[@MsRyan-tl7ib]

GREAT soil mix - I LOVE to learn about potting substrates!. I was DIYi-ng Al's Chunky Mix, but will switch to your mix! I have many of these ingredients but could only find sandbox sand - far too fine. Al suggests crushed Calcined Clay - which comes in a size a bit larger than the gritty sand. It's a main ingredient in bonsai mixes. A SUPER CHEAP!! alternative is a bag of Turface (*MVP only!) - other turface products have added ingredients. Turface soaks up some water, but drains quickly. Highly recommend!!! Cheap too! 50 lb bags were $20. Maybe more. Hands down the 2nd best ingredient i've bought since Pumice. Prices vary greatly, so call around until you find a reasonably priced bag.

[@zombi3907]

Biochar and vermicompost are good for kickstarting the bioactive processes in the soil, and I also use rice husks in addition to most of the ingredients you are going with. Cheers!

[@henrywang182]

Great video as usual. Your videos are usually the most informative to me, because you do get into the details 👍🏽 Always here to support a fellow Aussie mate 🕺🏻🤘🏽

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@tinglebelle7344]

Brad is sooo cute!!!!

[@irinaveperdi91]

Thank you very much for this useful video. The flowers are amazing!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you:)

[@MrFishBlood]

I made an airoid mix of orchid bark, perlite, coco husk, and spagnum moss. Equal parts bark, perlite, and husk. About one third to one half part moss. Has worked great for me, so I can echo your recommendations to keep it chunky and well draining but dont get hung up on exact recipes.

[@TDubb-jd6sc]

I agree about the root rot.. The plant is propagated in water & when I transfer it to soil I keep the soil saturated & the plant grows exponentially. You are excellent at horticultural. Thank you for all the tips..

[@idodrobison8845]

The best I've ever seen! Off to Amazon I go! Thank you ❤

[@Alex-kq3ud]

I personally have all my plants in semi- hydroponic but I still learn a lot through your videos🌱🌱

[@sydneyplantguy]

Many ways of growing plants successfully :) glad you still found some value in it

[@liliamacatiag1244]

Learned a lot from your Instagram and now in KZbin amazing.

[@BradPippin]

Thank you for this! I've been using what I thought was good potting mix from a local organic nursery but I have gnats all the time! I will look into getting the these ingredients and making my own aroid mix.

[@mushroommentor1141]

You are my new favorite plant fella! Soil = it is just a substrate, so yet - you are totally making your own soil! Thank you for this = I am ripping apart my ENTIRE plant collection to give more aerated substrate. I have philodendrons and been collecting for over 20 years and some of my new plants HATE the soil I am making - too rich, too much humic debris and heavy organic material. I just always stuck my plants in pots and away we go! but I am learning so much from walking tropical forest floors and watching videos because after 20 + years - some of these plants should be HUGE! but are not...... I am also going to start experimenting with these moss poles. I have bought a few - but they are solid, like moss glued to this wires. You have re inspired me to to fun projects with my plants! Thanks! I liked, subscribed and hit the bell to get the whistles - please go see my videos on fungi! ;-)

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@joridhutter154]

Regarding watering: I am living in the Netherlands, and it rains a lot over here. I noticed that even my echeverias, which are outside most of the year, don't mind the constant moisture. I think one of the reasons for that might be that the water doesn't sit, but constantly flows and, thus, isn't optimal growth environment for mould and similar. Interested in additional thoughts on this.

[@endoroboto]

I think you're right about the over-watering myth, roots just not able to breathe and are essentially drowning. Better aeration from the potting mix like you're preaching here is definitely the way to go.

[@kodaifishing]

So good, I really appreciate all your tips.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@chelsiepagone4696]

Thank you very much this is very informative and helpful! I bought some soil-less mix from a shop recently and repotted a couple of my plants into it and have noticed the same thing about the pests those plants don't get the gnats anymore! So now I definitely want to make my own in a big batch and transfer them all as well as add some moss poles. Your videos have been very helpful!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@dawnhofsted5846]

Love this mix. I also added a bit of worm castings.

[@goldentwillight]

I like your mix and I’m impressed that you are working without making miss 😂.

[@MrNosajwhitey]

Luving your way of doing these plants

[@mindtheprivacy]

Amazing thank you. I walmart mix and it had gnats and i didn't realize and now i have to repot all my plants. I will start doing my own mix now. I didn't know it was possible.

[@andrepires4396]

Great mix! My only recommendation would be to add worm castings to it as a natural fertilizer boost.

[@Inverts4Introverts]

As far as over watering goes, i agree with the lack of oxygen to the roots. Having a crested geckos bioactive tank set up, i am spraying it daily, making it almost impossible to let the soil dry. But having insects, barks, charcols, and other airy amendments allows the water to run through and keeps everything healthy and growing great. It's hard for bacteria to grow when exposed to plenty of good air flow and fresh oxygen. Even when a gecko is pooping all over everything

[@plantguyorhan]

Definitely happy to see you on KZbin now Jan! Great content as always and totally good point to bring up what actually happens in a rainforest, most people don’t even think about how they’re growing in their natural environment :) I would also just suggest Lechuza Pon to people who are maybe a little lazy and/or can’t find what they want individually. It’s basically got everything one would need and it’s also heavy, so perfect for getting a stable moss pole!

[@dixiechick6652]

The pothos mix and orchid dark imperial mix on repotme.com is a good mix for most house plants also when you need a bit more moisture retention.

[@ccaatthheerriinnee]

Is there a good source of pon? I’ve only found small bags of expensive pon

[@plantguyorhan]

@@ccaatthheerriinnee I got mine from Lechuza itself but that was easy for me since I’m in Europe

[@sms150]

You got an excellent thought process. Kudos from India. Here i end my search for soil mix for alo's.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@joshuatyler597]

Omg… I love you! Thanks so much for this, very helpful… and those plants!!!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@kimmykimmy_]

Came here from your instagram! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and excuse me while I do a deep dive and watch everything!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@StormyAfterDark]

Thank you so much for this video. Your mix is the best I've seen. I have all these ingredients for my monsteras, and one of the additional ingredients I have are worm castings. I hope that will be ok. Take care!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@keez7309]

I just love how you keep it simple. Good vid great advice now I will go make my own mix up

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@crystalgridart3610]

Your channel is outstanding! It's so unique, some of the information is mind blowing. I'd like to try to repot some of my plants that struggle with fungus gnats. I'm eager to get rid of them and have tried all sorts of store bought and homemade concoctions with some results, but no permanent solution. Would you recommend rinsing off the roots and cleaning off the old soil before repotting? Also, do you recommend using worm castings in the mix for fertilizer? Thanks!

[@LISINSIDE]

Thank you. So much. Please write the recipe in percentages to make the proportions more clear please

[@Tinkey912]

I LOOOVE your content!!❤️🥰 I also follow you on your IG and I am over the moon happy you've started YT chanel 🙏🙏 your collection is amazing! Greetings from Slovenia 😁

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@Lbofldwldemcld]

thank you. I won quite a few of my plants today with your mix. I did not put the coco because in my place impossible to find. I added however compost and osmocote. I have already seen when I water that it runs very quickly. I tend to over water so I think this mix is ​​for me.

[@ildikojones7073]

Another great clip. Thank you! I will definitely try your mix and stop using potting soil. Can’t wait to see the difference. Thank you! PS You must be a (fellow) Virgo. You’re so organized! I love it! 😊

[@sydneyplantguy]

Hehe I am indeed :) thank you

[@ildikojones7073]

@@sydneyplantguy I’m 9/16. Happy birthday 🎂!

[@karentippett5326]

Great video, thanks! Appreciate your knowledge.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@LucasEY]

Hahah the "what ACTUALLY is soil" question has always confused me too. I recently started converting all my aroids to soilless medium, very similar to yours. I feel like the main benefit of soil is that it feeds your plants nutrients and minerals, but personally I would prefer to have the benefits of going soilless (less root rot, less gnats, less messy when watering) and just feed the plants with consistent fertilization.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Agree 100%!!!

[@suzn9979]

Coco peat or coco husk actually contains lots of nutrients for the plants..so without much fertilizer, plants still thrive well in long term..

[@organixgirl]

I thought the same but my plants in leca and moss on top actually look better then soil w indoor plants.

[@snokful]

@@suzn9979 Coco peat, chips etc often come with a lot of sodium, rinsing will only get off so much, buffering it with calcium and magnesium will exchange the sodium ions (flush them away). Some coco peat etc comes pre-buffered; the alternative is to add extra calcium and magnesium to fertiliser. Doesn’t matter as much if coco is not the main ingredient. Just don’t want too many salts in the mix, including fertilisers, as that is actually counterproductive to growth.

[@LeilaHearn]

Love a mix like this! Soil Ninja in the UK is the only ready mixed I’ve found like it, everything else is yukky houseplant soil!

[@hotdubtime]

Hi! Thanks for lifehacks. Could you please tell me what I should add in the mix if it gets kind of wet for a long period of time. I don't overwater it, it just gets dry very slowly...

[@sydneyplantguy]

Add chunkier components with less water retention like perlite or bark :)

[@hotdubtime]

@@sydneyplantguy thanks a lot!

[@naelledb1]

The content is very interesting as always! Thank you for taking your time to share your knowledge with us 🙌🏻🪴

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@harryom4021]

Very good informative dear thank you

[@andreamwolf]

Ceramist here - I'm relatively new to plants, but a cross-over is perlite. Please, if you handle it often at all, use a N95 or better mask. The dust particles are ultra tiny, and surgical masks can't filter finely enough.

[@EthanGervin]

I have spent the majority of my day seeking the perfect soil mixture for my albo monstera. My plant was doing great and when I placed the moss pole with it everything went bad. I didn't realize that the moss pole was holding so much moisture. This led to some serious root rot. I have since propagated what I could save. My plan is to use some of the items that you listed to make a good mixture. I will be subscribing to your channel.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Happy growing :) yes Monsteras really love a well aerated mix :)

[@RelentlesslyBecoming]

Love LOVE love your videos! You are now the only houseplant KZbinr I follow. The proof is in the plants at yours are incredible! I definitely believe that the energy in which are plants are surrounded with is super important! With that said I am learning more and more about truly providing exactly what the plant needs to full out bust loose!! 😂😮🤸‍♀️🪴 This also means I've done a TON of research... using charcoal without first "charging" means it will initially "pull" nutrients from the soil. Not something we want. AND any kind of coconut product is not the wonderful addition you've stated here. It's also not a fabulous product for sustainability. Google it. 😉 With those points made, I DO love your channel and seeing your incredible plants have inspired me to grander heights, and plants 😂

[@teresab1584]

Do plants do well transitioning from soil to this aroid mix or would it be better to start using this mix on newly propagated cuttings?

[@shenanigan505]

Great explanation thanks so much for this! I bought my very first monstera a few months ago and repotted her into cheap crappy generic bunnings potting mix (and nothing else lol). And found her overrun w gnats, I can see the little buggers running all over the soil and they make my skin crawl. I can't wait to repot her into a soilless mixture and free her from her damp prison.

[@OkayOkcomics]

appreciated your hot-take on root rot and "overwatering"! good thoughts

[@rdgdrgdfgdfg]

Beautiful, my is already on a moss pole! I am a seller and I am giving you information to everyone asking me about moss pole and aroid mix, I think you explain very clear and I love how successful you are 💚💚💚

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you:)

[@SSaaNNddYY77]

I just bought a very similar mix on ETSY and I'm impressed! I plan on putting some Pink Princess propagations in it and see how it goes. Great info on your video!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@mendistrickler5317]

Huge, gorgeous monsteras!

[@jbrodhage]

Me and my boyfriend are big Fans! We already share you content with some of our friends and they were really impressed!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@freddytedja1898]

Super useful! Thank u, Jan.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@tims8220]

Thank you for the very informative video

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thank you :)

[@Yoliplanting]

Yaay found it. Thank you for making this.

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

like i said before on the topic of soil in the previous upload of this video: soil is both organic material (usually decomposed) and inorganic material. organic material provides carbon, phosphorous, nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen (hydrogen and oxygen in the form of water H2O) inorganic matter helps supplement the soil with important but minor elements such as magnesium (which is vital for photosynthesis), iron, calcium, and other important minerals. the organic material in soil is usually decomposed and very good at retaining moisture, you aren’t necessarily making soil, rather you’re mixing around some (very suitable) substrates to grow your plants in. :) hope this made sense.

[@sydneyplantguy]

made perfect sense :) thank you! I also re-posted your previous comment because it was too good to be wasted :) thanks again

[@coagulatedsalts4711]

@@sydneyplantguy no problem!! :)

[@pal98111]

Super informative. Thank you.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@yuz3988]

Super helpful thanks!

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@soulreaper359]

Your „soil“ is a growing „substrate“ in that circumstance 😇 greets from Germany

[@NewbiPai]

audio is perfect

[@JasonsGreenSleeves]

Very educational video on aroid growing mix 🌿! Thank you Sydney🌿🙂!

[@AndyGerrie]

really interesting to see how you mix it up

[@sydneyplantguy]

Cheers :)

[@cutepongki]

Our potting mix are much a like although all my aroids are outdoor. With the same reason, light-airy mix for the heavy-water plant parents lol.

[@jillianleblanc9370]

Thank you for sharing and have a blessed day

[@redgegonzales3829]

It's hard to absorb thoughts when the one who's talking is this damn good-looking. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😍

[@christyanuj8841]

Big fan..like to watch your videos and learning a lot ..

[@sydneyplantguy]

Thanks :)

[@hotdubtime]

Hi! Could you please tell me the fraction of your pumice. 10-12 mm? Thanks

[@Grahamcracker6366]

Thank you for sharing! I think I need more perlite!

[@smartassdroner739]

Found your page today and can't get enough. Just placed a $150 amazon order on the things I'm lacking. Very interesting. Thanks for the info.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Happy growing :)

[@roory84]

Great video ​ @sydneyplantguy! Do you buffer coco peat and coco chips before adding those to the mix or is washing it enough?

[@hedson2536]

Pomes comes from mexico as I do. We use it to rubb the dishes and clean surfaces. Some people use it as sandpaper for the feet. 😉

[@charliblake8551]

This has been the way I’ve made my mixes only I also add worm casting and go heavier on the coco peat. I think I’m gonna try to skip the worm castings and go WAY lighter on some of my anthurium and alocasia which I’ve been struggling with a bit. A really felt like I was doing everything so perfectly but a small handful of my massive collection kept having a leaf or two go really yellow extremely quickly after each watering. This is even with being EXTRA careful not to over water those particular ones as I knew they were more likely to yellow if I wasn’t careful. I don’t think I realized quite how much water the coco peat has been retaining. Either that or I’m SO aware of being an over waterer by nature that I’m watering those particular plants too little and then when they DO get watered the roots have shrunken and closed up so they then can’t handle when they ARE getting watered. I’m an avid plant collector and an by no means a novice so I go above and beyond when it comes to the environment, substrate, fertilizer, pest/disease treatmentetc etc. I even make sure to rinse (and in the case of coco chips and peat even soak them a bit) all of the individual substrate components and leave them out to completely dry for DAYS before individually packing them into their totes. So I’ve put in a TON of time to research and set up for these guys. Time to test the theory of ditching worm casting and avoiding a heavy hand on the coco peat w these angry anthurium and alocasia!🤞🏼😬🤞🏼

[@ShirleyHardyAu]

I have used a lot of coconut peat coir and larger chunks of charcoal (brisket for barbecues) as the soil for my plant as that is all I had at the time. Mine is in a 10 litre (2.64 gallons) bucket. When I water mine I take it to the shower and thoroughly flush out the soil and wet the plant down. I then tilt the bucket on an angle to properly drain for 6 hours or even overnight. Then I put it back in place in my lounge room. To open the soil for air to get in, without changing the soil, simply use a wooden skewer and poke it in the soil as far as it will go, all throughout the soil. Air can now get into the soil as you've loosened it up after watering the plant. I prefer to add organic matter as fertilizer only on the top of the soil when needed. Currently I am experimenting with coffee grounds on the plant and a bit of pine bark.

[@plantygirl1737]

That soil looks like it makes your plants so happy 😊❤ I love your videos, and i made sure to subscribe! 🌱✨️🪴 Also, random question: Do you make all your moss poles? Thanks!❤❤❤

[@TumblingTabi]

I do mine very simular but add worm castings.

[@marisolcorona9728]

I was buying this and it came in very small bags, now thanks to you my plants will be much happier , I prefer your mix than any other I’ve seen so far, I don’t think I will ever look back 😍 thank you for showing us how to do this very important part of our houseplants! 👩🏻‍🌾♥️🪴.

[@sydneyplantguy]

Happy growing :)

[@marisolcorona9728]

@@sydneyplantguy thank you ! Even tho I’m in California, I’ve learned a great deal from you 🤗 hugs to you in Sydney

[@emilysexotics8013]

Lol even after taking an entire semester long class about Soil in college, it’s still hard to understand what it actually is/how to properly recreate it artificially 😅. My main take away was that it’s a mix of organic and rocks/minerals. & they’re mostly in levels, with the most organic material existing within the top 6inches-1ft, then consisting mostly of different sizes/types of rock underneath, followed by bedrock (which can consist of many different minerals within each layer of rock). It’s so complex - it’s such a mystery that we can even get plants to live in the false soils we create lol.

[@sandy_carpetsthesecond5013]

I mean, most plants only really grow their roots within the first 3ft of soil as it's not aerated enough under that for roots to survive.