What's Aroid Soil Mix Anyway?

It's not dirt.

I know it looks like dirt. It's dark, in a bag, and my SO has called it dirt approximately 347 times. But it's not dirt. In fact, if you stick your hand in it you'll notice pretty quickly that it doesn't feel like dirt. It's chunky. It drains like my energy in a room full of people. It doesn't compact when you squeeze it.

And all of that is on purpose.

Actual photo of...Not Dirt.

Why Chunky Matters

Not Dirt started after a particularly terrible fungus gnat infestation. So for me, the very first reason it matters is that it drains well and quickly, making it less susceptible to the ever-present, never-say-die gnats, who positively do not know when they've outworn their welcome. But on an equally practical note, Not Dirt serves another purpose.

Picture a tropical paradise. Lush greenery, birds chirping (or squawking if you, too, think modern dinosaurs are super creepy), bugs humming, it's hot, and maybe there's an ocean nearby. Now, in your mind's eye, look down. Do you see rich, black soil that is dense and moist?

Odds are good you do not. You see something more like a mix of sand and old leaf compost that has degraded to the point of being part of the soil. It's mixed with rocks - volcanic sometimes, limestone, beachrock, basalt...you get the idea. It would feel grainy if you took your shoes off.

Now look back at all the plants. The lush, gorgeous, way-bigger-than-I-could-ever-get-my-houseplants Monsteras and pothos and anthuriums and alocasias. They're growing - nay, thriving - in...Not Dirt.

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What's Actually In It?

Not Dirt is made up of coconut coir, coarse perlite, orchid bark, worm castings, horticultural charcoal and systemic granules. Here's why:

1. Coconut coir: This is the stuff on the outside of a coconut - the brown husk. It's dehydrated and compressed into bricks, and you chip off what you want with a screwdriver/chisel and a hammer (very satisfying). It works as the structure of the substrate - holds the plant up, basically, and retains enough moisture to keep the roots from being completely dry in 7 seconds or less but not enough to keep them sopping wet.

2. Coarse perlite: White styrofoam'y balls that act a lot like the rocks in our tropical paradise above. They separate the coir, leaving air pockets to ensure the roots can breathe.

3. Orchid bark: I think of this as the "tree bark" of the substrate mix. It mimics the natural organic matter that occurs in the tropics, which are the home of many trees that shed their bark as a method of pest removal. That allows the root system of the plant to have more air, giving them better circulation and retaining water while providing structural support.

4. Worm castings: So, I'll be straight with you here...this is just...poop. Worm poop, specifically. Every healthy outdoor space full of thriving plants has worms. And thus, worm poop. It's a natural fertilizer, and it also helps retain some moisture and add structural stability for the roots and the plant proper.

5. Horticultural charcoal: I think of this as the 'water filter' of the soil mix. The chunks help with airflow and root structure, same as some of the other things, but the important bit is this. It's absorbent and it helps filter out bacteria that can be harmful to your plant. Tropicals sit in high humidity their whole lives, which means bacterial buildup is basically inevitable. The charcoal handles that - quietly and in the background.

6. Systemic granules: There's nothing natural about this part. This is the "keep your kids and your pets out of it" section of the mix. Systemic granules treat for a variety of common houseplant pests - I use it religiously in the mix specifically so that none of the rescues that limp back to my house share thrips with all their new greenhouse friends.

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When Things Go Sideways

Not Dirt isn't magic. It's not going to save a plant that's been sitting in a soggy nursery pot for six months, and it won't fix your watering habits for you. It also won't keep you from ever having fungus gnats again, especially if you don't swap out every little speck of soil in your entire home. But it does give your plant the best possible fighting chance from the jump.

That said, if you're staring at a plant that's been giving you grief, here's a quick triage guide.

The Thirsty Liar

The stem is soft...but the soil is dry. Your substrate has gone hydrophobic - which is a big word that just means it's repelling water instead of absorbing it. You think you're watering the plant, but the roots never actually get any of it because it's just running straight through. The roots are thus thirsty; and the soil is lying to you about it.

The Yellow Speckle

There are tiny yellow dots, usually on the top of the leaf, with what looks sort of like ultra-fine spiderwebs underneath the leaf. That's spider mites. There's no need to panic - but also don't wait. Isolate the plant so they don't spread further and treat it (wash the whole plant thoroughly, then spray it down with neem oil, insecticide, or diluted rubbing alcohol...and then repeat the last step every five days for at least three weeks).

The North Georgia Winter Blues

You've got a new leaf emerging! Yay! But wait - it's stuck in the sheath and won't come out, or it came out looking all crinkly and weird. That's a humidity problem, and to be honest, if you're NOT having them right now, I'd be shocked. The humidity in Flowery Branch and Cumming has been all over the place this winter - ice storms to 70 degrees in the same week, false spring then lows in the 20s. Your plant isn't sick or broken; it's just responding to the same weather whiplash that you are. Give it a little more humidity and be patient.

Try it for yourself.

Not Dirt is what every plant in this greenhouse lives in - and it took me a WHILE to get them all swapped from various other substrates. If you've noticed the root pics in any of my listings - white, healthy, actually doing something - this is why.

Healthy white roots on a Philodendron Maximum baby - coming soon to inventory!

Shop Something Planted in Not Dirt