If you’re considering growing herbs indoors, you’re probably wondering what the best soils are for this type of purpose. It is understandable, as the best soils for these types of environments will dramatically enhance the growth of your herbs. So, if you want to start growing herbs indoors, you should think about the below soils:
| Best Soils for Indoor Herbs | Amazon Customer Rating (at time of writing) |
| Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil | 4.5 (1,269 Reviews) |
| Espoma AP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix | 4.5 (4,692 Reviews) |
| FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil | 4.5 (1,217 Reviews) |
| Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix | 4.5 (6,689 Reviews) |
| Miracle-Gro Potting Mix | 4.5 (17,317 Reviews) |
| Burpee Natural & Organic Premium Potting Mix | 4.5 (6,668 Reviews) |
| Dirt.co Indoor herb soil | 4.5 (598 Reviews) |
| Organic Harvest Potting mix | 4.0 (579 Reviews) |
| Miracle-Gro Nature’s Care | 4.5 (1,101 Reviews) |
| Wonder soil Premium Organic potting Soil | 4.5 (594 Reviews) |
As you can see, there is an abundance of different soils from which you can choose. However, apart from their ratings on the popular marketplace Amazon, you probably want to know more about why these soils are the best for indoor herbs. To discover this information, I recommend you read the below. Here, we detail why these soils are the best and discuss some helpful-to-know guidance about them.
What Is the Best Potting Soil for Indoor Herbs?
It’s evident that there are a ton of potting soils on the market that claim they are the “best,” but you can’t trust all of them. I’ve seen plenty of potting soils that are infested with fungus and pests before you plant anything in them. As you can imagine, you want to avoid this at all costs, as having pests in your house certainly isn’t pleasant.
However, luckily for you, we’ve created this comprehensive list of the best potting soils for growing herbs indoors. The below are all highly recommended and have flawless reviews on all significant selling platforms. To find out more about these, read the below:
1.Black Gold 1302040 8-Quart All Organic Potting Soil
The first potting soil I wanted to mention for growing indoor herbs is Black Gold’s All Organic Potting Mix. If you want a soil mix made from entirely organic materials and packed with vital, rich nutrients, then Black Gold is your go-to choice.
I like this soil because it’s analyzed before it leaves the factory to ensure that each batch produces the most consistent results. You’re guaranteed to receive the same quality of soil with each order you place from them doing this. This is vital, as you’ll want consistency through your herb garden.
Apart from the above, it includes two excellent ingredients called perlite and pumice. Both of these work immensely to aid your plant’s development. They do this by opening up their pores to allow for maximum air space. As they are unrestricted to how much nutrients they can breathe in from the atmosphere, they can grow more efficiently.
To understand more about Black Gold’s All Organic Potting Soil, I suggest you read the below specifications:
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Compost, earthworm castings, Canadian sphagnum peat moss, composted or aged bark, horticultural grade perlite, cinders, controlled-release fertilizer, pumice, RESILIENCE® |
| pH levels | 6.3 – 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.05 – 0.0 – 0.0 |
| Key highlights | This mix is rich and loamy. Perlite and pumice are added to the mix to guarantee optimum pore and air space for steady development. |
2.Espoma AP8 8-Quart Organic Potting Mix
Next on the list is Espoma’s AP8 8-quart Organic Potting Mix, and this is highly versatile. With this mix, you’re able to use It in mostly all potting environments; these include indoors, outdoors, greenhouses, hanging pots, and much more.
Because of the versatility this potting mix has, it’s an excellent soil for your indoor herb garden. This soil is also well-known for its retention capabilities because the formula Myco-Tone was invented specifically for this purpose, and it works superbly.
The mix produced by Espoma is entirely organic and is only crafted from the finest natural resources to ensure your products get the best nutrients. From this, you can be sure that your herbs receive a sufficient amount of food to grow.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Peat humus, peat moss, Espoma’s Myco-Tone, perlite, and worm castings |
| pH levels | 6.3 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.02 – 0.07 – 0.02 |
| Key highlights | With this mix, you’ll receive remarkable water retention due to their Myco-Tone formula. |
3.FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
Apart from having extraordinarily cool and hip packaging, FoxFarm produces some of the best potting soil on the market. The great thing about FoxFarm is that you’re able to pot it right after you’ve removed it from the bag, meaning it doesn’t need any additional fertilizers.
Within this potting blend, you’ll encounter some rather strange ingredients. Instead of your traditional ingredients, FoxFarm went slightly different from including fish meal, bat guano, and much more.
From this mix, people can receive superb benefits to their crops. Which, we all have to agree, that would be rather pleasant.
Included with FoxFarm’s soil is a well-rounded brand that a lot of gardeners from all skill levels enjoy using. Without a doubt, this should be a soil you’re considering for your indoor herb garden. However, if you’re still in doubt, you need to read the below. This will most definitely swing you towards wanting this type of potting mix.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Sphagnum peat moss, crab meal, composted forest humus, bat guano, fish meal, sandy loam, and earthworm castings |
| pH levels | 6.3 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.05 – 0.0 – 0.0 |
| Key highlights | Due to the ingredients, this is a superb soil to enhance growth. |
4.Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix
If you’re an avid gardener, you’ve probably heard of Miracle-Gro, and that’s because they’re well established within the industry. Because of this, their Expand ‘n Gro concentrated planting mix is the perfect blend of soil to provide your herbs.
Without a doubt, I’ll recommend Miracle-Gro’s products until the end of time. Each product they produce is crafted from the highest quality materials and with special care.
However, although Miracle-Gro soil is superb, it’s mainly used for larger pots or containers. Because of this, you should only opt-in for this type of soil if you’re considering growing herbs in large containers. Due to the soil having insane retaining capabilities, it’ll triple in size once watered.
So, if you want soil that retains mass amounts of moisture, then Miracle-Gro should be a soil mix you need to consider.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Perlite, peat moss, fertilizer, and compressed coir |
| pH levels | 6.3 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.16 – 0.21 – 0.11 |
| Key highlights | This soil can expand up to three times larger when water is absorbed, creating more air space. |
5.Miracle-Gro Potting Mix
Another Miracle-Gro soil I recommend is their standard potting mix. With this type of blend, you can’t go wrong. It holds all the essential nutrients needed to grow herbs and excellent drainage capabilities.
This mix is highly versatile and is used in many environments, including both indoors and outside. Something else that caught my attention was the sheer amount of longevity this mix contained. In either setting, inside or out, this potting mix can feed vegetation for around six months.
As you can see from the reviews at the start of this post, Miracle-Gro is well-known within the gardening industry. So much that it’s accumulated over 17,000 positive reviews, and I’m no genius, but that sounds pretty good to me.
If you want to choose a well-rounded potting mix, then Miracle-Gro is undoubtedly a good soil blend to opt-in for. Still not convinced? Check out the below product specifications.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Sphagnum peat moss, perlite, aged bark fines, plant food, and wetting agent |
| pH levels | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.21 – 0.07 – 0.14 |
| Key highlights | Superb draining to reduce over-hydrating becoming an issue |
6.Burpee Natural & Organic Premium Potting Mix
Another wonderful potting mix for your indoor herbs is Burpee’s Natural and Organic Premium Potting Mix. Something extraordinary about this mix is that it contains coconut coir. For those who don’t know, this ingredient is superb at retaining moisture, and for some reason, not many soil producers include this within their blends.
Included with this soil that contains excellent nutrients is the amount of usage you get out of this soil. In total, you should be able to pot this soil for around three months before having to re-pot your herbs. Don’t get me wrong, it does last a lot longer than that, but this is the recommended amount of time before the soil quality decreases.
From using this soil, many people have successfully grown seedling or herb starts with excellent results. To join them, why not invest in a healthier future for your herbs by choosing Burpee’s organic soil mix?
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Coconut coir and various other ingredients |
| pH levels | 6.3 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.12 – 0.12 – 0.12 |
| Key highlights | It contains coconut coir, which can help retain water, meaning you have to water less |
7.Dirt.co Indoor herb soil
Another soil that gets me extremely excited (yes, I know that’s sad) is Dirt.co’s Indoor herb soil. What makes Dirt.Co Different from the rest is that this is mainly for growing indoor herbs. Because this area is targeting herbs, the results of their soil mix have been outstanding.
All the ingredients used in this soil mix are entirely natural, and it includes some nutritional resources like peat, perlite, and worm castings. Therefore, we can identify that this blend is made from high-quality and organic resources making it a great solution.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | N/A. Specific mix targeted towards maximizing the growth of herbs |
| pH levels | 6.3 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | N/A |
| Key highlights | Designed for indoor herbs only, making it a laser targeted soil |
8.Organic Harvest Potting mix
Another blend of potting mix that is suitable for herbs is produced by Organic Harvest. As mentioned in the name, this mixture is completely organic and contains some natural resources, such as peat moss.
Because of its basic nature, many people enjoy using this mixture as it doesn’t contain a wide range of any peculiar ingredients.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Peat moss, composted green waste, perlite, and wood shavings |
| pH levels | 6.0 |
| Fertilizer analysis | N/A |
| Key highlights | A single mixture made from entirely organic and easily accessible ingredients |
9.Miracle-Gro Nature’s Care
If you haven’t noticed already, Miracle-Gro has kept cropping up on this list. The brand itself is well-known within the gardening industry, as they produce nothing but excellent goods.
With their Nature’s Careline, it’s packed with calcium to ensure efficient and robust growth for your herbs. The ingredients included within this mixture are aimed towards keeping plants full and happy. Another plus to this soil is that you won’t need to re-pot it until it’s been two months, so you get plenty of usage out of this.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Processed forest products, coir, perlite, peat moss, organic fertilizer, and yucca |
| pH levels | 6.2 to 6.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | 0.15 – 0.13 – 0.15 |
| Key highlights | Provide essential nutrients to aid root strength and enhances soil retainment. |
10.Wonder Soil Premium Organic Potting Soil
As suggested in the product name “Wonder,” this premium organic potting soil is a must for any indoor herbs. Wonder Soil is relatively new to the block, but it’s had a great release. This scientifically blended soil is made by using prestigious resources. Because of this, it offers some immense benefits to our herbs and aids them in growing successfully.
Product specifications
| Primary ingredient(s) | Compressed coco coir mix, worm castings, kelp, perlite, mycorrhizae, and more |
| pH levels | 5.8 |
| Fertilizer analysis | N/A |
| Key highlights | One of the only potting mixes that have compressed coco coir. |
As you can see from the above, there is an abundance of different potting soils you can opt-in for to help aid the growth of your indoor herbs. Although many of these don’t mention they’re for physical use inside and for herbs, from looking at their ingredients, pH levels, and fertilizer analysis, we can quickly understand what will work well and not.
However, without a doubt, choosing any of the suggested soils will work great for your indoor herbs, and you’ll undoubtedly be pleased with the results.
Is Miracle-Gro Potting Soil Safe for Herbs?
Something that many people get worried about is if Miracle-Gro potting soil is safe for herbs. Unfortunately, there aren’t many herb-specific soils within the gardening industry because ordinary potting soil can work superbly at aiding their growth.
So, yes, Miracle Gro’s potting soils are entirely safe for planting your herbs within them. Herbs don’t need an abundance of “perfect” living conditions. However, they require quality potting mixes that are rich in nutrients, enough oxygen, and good moisture at the root level. If you can supply all of these, you’ll have plenty of herbs to add to your delicious recipes.
Consider growing hydroponically
If you’re worried about soil ruining your herbs, why not consider growing hydroponically? For those who don’t know, this is the process of growing without any soil, and it just requires you to embed the herbs in water, coir, perlite, or clay pebbles, etc.
This way, when you add valuable nutrients to the water, they head directly to the roots of your herbs. Supplying your herbs with nutrients this way allows them to grow much faster and usually produce a lot more yield.
If hydroponically growing interests you, you may want to invest in a hydroponic herb garden. From doing this, you’re supplying your herbs with enough growing area, UV light, and a tremendous non-soil environment.
How to Choose the Best Potting Soil for Herbs?
After reading the above soils, it can quickly become confusing because there’s such a broad range. Included within this is that they’re all made differently. Meaning there are pros and cons to each of them depending on what you’re officially growing.
To make this process a little bit easier, I thought I would mention a “how-to” guide to selecting the best potting soil for your indoor herbs. From this, you’ll be able to compare each of the suggestions even further and feel more confident about spending your hard-earned cash on them.
Organic or non-organic
Within the potting soil industry, there are two main categories, which are organic and non-organic. Of course, as gardeners, we prefer organic methods as they dramatically lower our effects on the environment.
Organic potting mixes will generally have no chemicals or harmful pesticides added to them. Instead, they’ll have rich and completely natural resources within the blend to provide your herbs with additional nutrients.
Don’t get me wrong, non-organic potting mixes still have a place within the industry. This is because they generally work better to deter pests away from them. So, it’s down to your surroundings and preferences. But remember, there are always other organic methods to opt-in for that’ll massively reduce the possibilities of pests infesting your crops.
Ingredients
Something else you’ll want to consider is the actual ingredients found within the potting mix. For example, some potting soils may be aiming towards drainage capabilities. If this is the case, they’ll typically have some moss within the ingredients list. However, acid soil may add lime into the mix and so on.
The examples could go on for pages and pages long with all the different ingredients found within potting mixes. But, before buying a potting mix, make sure you familiarize yourself with the ingredients and the effects they have on your herbs. Just having a basic understanding of this can dramatically change the way your herbs develop.
Nutrients value & Moisture retention
Before diving into selecting soil, be sure you understand the nutrient’s value for your herbs and how well they’ll retain moisture. These are two significant features for successfully growing herbs, and without them, may result in poor growth.
From carefully thinking about the above, you’re able to opt-in for a much better potting soil for your herbs. By doing this, you’ll massively increase their overall performance, which may result in more crops. Which is something we gardeners strive for each day.
Why is Potting Soil Important?
Choosing suitable potting soil is absolutely essential for healthy growth for your herbs. By selecting the appropriate one, you’re able to increase the yield, strength, and overall development of your herbs.
This is because it’ll have more vital nutrients in the soil suited to the type of herbs you’re growing. Included with this, good potting soil for your herbs will also have impressive water retention capabilities. From this, it guarantees that your herbs are supplied with adequate living conditions.
Of course, different herbs prefer unique living conditions. Because of this, you’ll need to do your own research on what they are. But, don’t forget, herbs are generally known to be easy growers. However, by selecting the right potting soil, you’re able to increase your overall yield of produce massively. Which, to be honest, more herbs from providing the same amount of effort doesn’t sound so bad after all.
Therefore, if you want to optimize the performance of your herbs, I recommend conducting some research on their properties before finalizing your decision.
Conclusion
As you can see from the above, there are plenty of potting soils you’re able to choose between when it comes to growing herbs indoors. There’s no “best” soil because it really depends on your gardening traits and what you’re generally growing.
As mentioned above, before you hop into purchasing a potting soil for herbs, consider just doing a little research about its contents. By doing this, you’ll better understand whether that potting soil is suitable for your application.
Lastly, enjoy growing your herbs indoors. You’ll save yourself a ton of money by doing this while adding delicious flavors to your home-cooked dishes. Now, what are you waiting for? Start developing some research and get growing your indoor herb garden.
