Base Soil Mix

• Coco coir: lightweight, moisture-retentive base material.
• Activated carbon: brings a small porous carbon fraction; it cannot correct disease problems, compaction or overwatering.
• Worm castings: provide slow-release organic nutrients in modest amounts.
• Organic nutrient charge: gives a baseline for ordinary houseplant use, but specialist plants still need specialist recipes.
• Use as a foundation: add structural components on top rather than treating Base Soil Mix as a finished solution for every plant group.

For aroids, add bark, perlite and husk chips. For common succulents, add pumice, sand and coarse mineral material. For epiphytic plants, add bark and husk chips so the root zone stays coarse and airy.

• As a foundation for custom mixes: combine Base Soil Mix with perlite, pumice or coarse grit for faster dry-down, or with orchid bark and husk chips for chunkier tropical blends.
• Choosing ratios: increase mineral amendments if pots stay wet too long; keep more Base Soil Mix if plants prefer slightly higher moisture.
• Preparation: before repotting, gently remove loose old soil without tearing functional roots.
• Root check: trim dead or rotten roots with clean tools. Rinse only if old soil is compacted, contaminated or difficult to remove safely.
• Pot setup: add enough mix or customised blend so the root ball sits at the right height, then backfill without compressing the substrate hard.
• First watering: water thoroughly after repotting to help the substrate settle, then monitor drying speed in your conditions.

Tune future blends by adding more mineral or organic components until the drying time suits the plant, pot and growing space.

Current supplier-published reference values for Base Soil Mix. They describe the supplier’s finished mix and may vary slightly between batches.

• pH: approximately 7.2
• EC: approximately 1.4; use the manufacturer’s testing method when comparing with another product
• NPK: approximately 176–6.8–199 mg/L
• Organic matter: approximately 97%
• Dry matter: approximately 3%
• Water retention capacity: approximately 77% (manufacturer reference value, not a promise of drying time)
• Structural stability: approximately 3–4 years under suitable conditions; monitor the actual mix for compaction
• Bioactive suitability: manufacturer lists this mix as bioactive
• Pets and children: contains fertiliser and activated carbon; keep out of reach and do not allow ingestion.

Foliage Factory use note: this is a nutrient-containing base ingredient. Add bark, perlite, pumice or other structural materials according to the plant, pot and watering conditions. Do not interpret a stated water-retention percentage as an individual watering schedule.