Comparison: Best Soilless Plant Mix (Updated | Nov 11th)
Whether you’re growing herbs on a windowsill or managing a full indoor garden, the right mix can make all the difference. But with so many options out there—from coco coir to perlite blends—how do you know which one truly delivers?
Molly’s Aroid Mix – Premium Soilless Potting Mix for Houseplants – Fast Draining
Gnat-Resistant Aroid Mix
- Best for lightweight propagation mix: Planting Mix for Plant Propagation (4 Quarts)
- Best for gnat-resistant aroid mix: Molly’s Aroid Mix – Premium Soilless Potting Mix for Houseplants – Fast Draining
- Best for chunky cereal blend: Forbidden Cereal Soilless Houseplant Potting Mix – Chunky Soil for Aroid Tropical Plants & Flowers – 8 Ingredients
- Best for pet-friendly organic mix: Craft Aroid Potting Mix- Elite Organic Alocasia
- Best for fertilized perlite mix: Miracle-Gro Houseplant Potting Mix: Fertilized
- Best for microbe-boosted chunky: Imperial Roots Chunky Potting Mix for Indoor
- Best for rooting starter mix: Soil Sunrise Plant Propagation Potting Mix (4 Quarts) Ideal Starter Mix for Rooting Plant Cuttings
- Best for sustainable chunky blend: Sol Soils Chunky Houseplant Mix – Fast Draining Soil for Indoor Plants with Coco Coir Chips
- Best for premium coco-perlite: Royal Gold Coco & Perlite 70-30 Premium Soilless Growing Medium
- Best for handpicked moss-perlite: Kapecute 2QT Pothos Soil
Product Comparison: Best Soilless Plant Mix
Planting Mix for Plant Propagation (4 Quarts), Hand Blended Soilless Mix for Propagating Plants, House Plants, and More
- Lightweight Composition: The blend’s lightweight nature ensures ease of use and handling during the delicate stages of plant propagation.
Molly’s Aroid Mix – Premium Soilless Potting Mix for Houseplants – Fast Draining, Chunky & Easier to Water vs. Soil for Indoor Plants – with Bark, Coco Chips, Worm Castings, Mycorrhizae 10 Dry Quarts
- HELPS PREVENT YELLOWING LEAVES, BROWN SPOTS & OVER-WATERING: A chunky, well-aerated mix that drains quickly, won’t compact, and is nearly impossible to over-water.
- A CLEANER ALTERNATIVE TO SOIL-BASED MIXES: Unlike traditional potting soil, Molly’s Potting Mixes are soil-free and gnat-resistant, providing a cleaner, healthier way to grow indoor plants.
- ORGANIC, MINERAL, & pH-BALANCED: Molly’s Aroid Mix is perfectly balanced for container plants, ensuring strong root development, optimal nutrient absorption, and long-term plant health.
- ENHANCED WITH BENEFICIAL MYCORRHIZAE: Super-powered mycorrhizae strengthen the plant’s root systems and help with nutrient and water absorption and the promotion of natural defense systems.
- LONG-LASTING & EASY TO USE: Molly’s Aroid Mix lasts longer than traditional potting soils, reducing the need for frequent repotting. Made from responsibly sourced ingredients, it comes in a heat-sealed, resealable, recyclable bag to stay fresh between uses.
Forbidden Cereal Soilless Houseplant Potting Mix – Chunky Soil for Aroid Tropical Plants & Flowers – 8 Ingredients, No More Overwatering, Versatile Moisture Retention, Peat Free & Organic – 6.5QT Bag
- Compatible with your Favourite Plants: Our potting mix is optimized to grow and support all indoor & outdoor potted plants. Popular plants include Monstera, Pothos, Snake Plant, ZZ Plant, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Philodendron, Peace Lily, Alocasia, Anthurium, Dracaena, Hoya, Orchids, Spider Plant, Aloe Vera, Rubber Plants, Diffenbachia and more!
- Professional Grade Ingredients: Forbidden Cereal is made with 8 Organic Premium Grade amendments. We use hand sorted, heat treated Douglas Fir bark, also called Orchid Bark. Fine & Coarse Perlite, Triple Washed Coco Coir, Coconut Fiber and Coco Chips. Horticultural Charcoal also known as Biochar. Ultra rich Earth Worms Castings, Natural looking LECA Expanded Clay Balls and New Zealand Sphagnum Moss.
- Overwatering is Forbidden: We formulated our mix to be Earth’s Chunkiest Potting mix! Not only does it look like a delicious bowl of cereal, the super chunkiness serves an important purpose. It allows water to flow freely through your container garden and does not restrict root growth which increases the amount of air your roots have access to. Thus preventing root rot, yellow leaves, plant deficiencies and slow plant growth.
- Separated Sphagnum Moss: We blend the mix for even distribution of all components except the moss, which we thoughtfully layer on top. This allows you to customize its use, whether as a moisture-retaining topper, moisture retention at the root level, a propagation aid, or something else entirely, delivering unmatched functionality and consistency that’s one-of-a-kind.
- No Dirt Bags Allowed: We replaced all Soils and Peat Moss with ingredients that are renewable. Peat and Soil retain substantial moisture, often worsening the common challenges gardeners face. Our unique formulation buffers water to a neutral Ph maximizing nutrient absorption from all fertilizers and plant food.
Craft Aroid Potting Mix- Elite Organic Alocasia, Philodendron, Monstera Soil Mix, Chunky, Well Draining Potting Soil for Indoor Plants, All Tropical Plants & Houseplants, Perlite & Peat Free 2QT
- NUTRIENT RICH & PLANT FOOD COMPATIBLE: Our tropical plant soil is full of living beneficial microbes. Enriched with essential nutrients, organic matter, and worm castings, this tropical potting soil works perfectly with Grow Queen Organic All-Purpose Plant Food for robust and healthy growth.
- READY TO USE AND PET FRIENDLY: Pre-mixed and moist, this monstera potting mix is ready to use straight out of the bag, offering convenience for both novice and experienced plant enthusiasts. Plus, this houseplant potting soil is safe for homes with pets, ensuring a non-toxic environment for your furry friends.
- CERTIFIED ORGANIC COCO COIR: Our coco coir is certified organic and sourced from a farm using sustainable farming strategies. It’s washed more times for salt than the competition, making it some of the cleanest, highest-grade coco coir on the market.
- PEAT- FREE AND PERLITE- FREE: Harvesting peat releases significant carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change, and depletes biodiverse habitats. Perlite production is energy-intensive, involving heating volcanic glass to high temperatures. Instead, we use eco-friendly pumice and lava rock—natural volcanic rocks requiring no additional processing—which enhance soil structure and drainage in this indoor potting soil for house plants.
- OPTIMAL DRAINAGE, ENHANCED AERATION, and ROOT HEALTH: This chunky aroid mix features large Douglas fir bark fines, lava rock, and pumice, which enhance aeration for instant drainage and consistent airflow. This makes it almost impossible to overwater, preventing root rot and ensuring your Monstera, Hoya, Pothos, ZZ plant, and Thai Constellation Monstera thrive.
- MADE WITH NEW ZEALAND TREE FERN FIBER: New Zealand Tree Fern Fiber is especially beneficial to Alocasias, Anthuriums, and all tropical plants, this house plant soil acts as a soil conditioner and neutralizes pH down to 6.0, mimicking the natural pH of native tropical plant soil.
- OPTIMAL WITH ALL PLANTS: Built for Tropicals but optimal for all popular houseplants including, Pothos, Hoyas, African Violets, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Snake Plants, String of Pearls, Palms, Begonias and Even Drought Friendly Plants like Succulents and Cactus.
Miracle-Gro Houseplant Potting Mix: Fertilized, Perlite Soil for Indoor Gardening, Designed to Be Less Prone to Gnats, 4 qt.
- Growing indoors is easy under the right conditions; Miracle-Gro Houseplant Potting Mix combines key elements plants need to thrive
- Recommended for growing beautiful indoor houseplant varieties like Pothos, Spider Plants, Monstera, Philodendron, English Ivy and more
- This indoor plant soil is less prone to gnats, thanks to the combination of perlite, sphagnum and peat moss that’s just right
- Certified by the Mulch & Soil Council as a quality product in compliance with industry standards
- A single 4-qt bag fills an 8-inch container; for even more spectacular results, start regular feedings with Miracle-Gro Plant Food 30 days after planting
Imperial Roots Chunky Potting Mix for Indoor, Aroids and Tropical Plants (soilless) Premium & Well Draining Blend for Houseplants Contains Coco Coir, Biochar, Pumice, Mychorrhizal Fungi, Worm Castings
- 🪴 NO MORE DEAD PLANTS FROM BAD SOIL – Your favorite houseplants deserve better than dense, waterlogged potting soil that suffocates their roots ❌ Nothing’s more heartbreaking than watching a healthy plant slowly wilt and die despite all your careful watering and care. Our chunky, aerated blend keeps roots healthy and thriving, resulting in more lush, green growth.
- 💦 PERFECT DRAINAGE FOR HEALTHY ROOTS – Cheap soil holds too much water and can rot your plant’s roots before you even realize there’s a problem. Nothing’s more frustrating than losing your prized monstera to preventable overwatering. That’s why we structured our mix to be fast draining but not overly drying. Your plants stay happy, and you stay worry-free.
- 😌 READY TO USE, NO MESS, NO MIXING – DIY soil recipes are messy and time-consuming, leaving you surrounded by half full bags and dusty countertops. Nothing’s more off-putting than your kitchen feeling like a potting shed. Our blend comes perfectly balanced and ready to go — just open the bag and repot. Save time, save clean-up, and feel like a pro in minutes.
- 🔋 POWERED BY BENEFICIAL MICROBES – Give your plant an unparalleled microbiome experience. Our mix is fortified with natural nutrients like worm castings🪱, rich compost, and mycorrhizae, offering a natural boost that supports vigorous plant growth. We’ve formulated this tropical potting mix for alocasia, anthurium, monstera, pothos, snake plant and more!
- 🌏 ECO-FRIENDLY & PEAT FREE BY DESIGN – More and more brands hide cheap fillers like peat or don’t explain what’s in their mix. Nothing’s worse than feeling tricked into buying soil that’s bad for the environment. We list every ingredient because we believe you deserve to know. Peat-free, sustainable, and responsibly sourced, so you can grow a beautiful green space and do right by the planet too.
Soil Sunrise Plant Propagation Potting Mix (4 Quarts) Ideal Starter Mix for Rooting Plant Cuttings
- Rooting Starter: This all-natural mixture provides a great balance of nutrition and moisture for starting your plant cuttings
- Uses: For plant propagation using cuttings or for repotting or planting most house plants and tropical plants
- Benefits: Drainage, aeration, water and nutrient retention, and pH balance
- Ingredients: peat moss, perlite, worm castings, and lime for pH balance.
- Size: 4 quarts (1 gallon / 3.8 liters)
Sol Soils Chunky Houseplant Mix – Fast Draining Soil for Indoor Plants with Coco Coir Chips, Perlite, & Pumice, 2 Quart
- SUSTAINABLE BLEND WITH ORGANIC MATERIALS: Contains a unique mix of organic coconut coir, coconut husk chips, and recycled forest products; this gnat free indoor potting soil for house plants offers moisture retention and aeration for healthy roots
- IMPROVED DRAINAGE: Designed with perlite, pumice, pine bark, & LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) for optimal drainage & aeration, this indoor potting mix for house plants prevents root rot & supports vigorous growth and nutrient retention
- PERFECT FOR TROPICAL & AROID PLANTS: Great for aroids like Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium, as well as succulents, Christmas Cactus, and other jungle plants; this chunky soil mix for indoor plants promotes robust root health
- PEAT MOSS FREE: Our tropical potting mix is not peat based because peat bogs are ecologically fragile and it’s not a sustainable option for plants on any level which is why we use coco chips for plants and the planet to thrive in a functional way
- SUSTAINABILITY: Through our partnerships with global non-profits, we donate a portion of every bag of our indoor houseplant soil potting mix sold to plant a tree in the world’s most deforested areas
Royal Gold Coco & Perlite 70-30 Premium Soilless Growing Medium, 1.76 Cubic Foot – Ready to Use, High Porosity Container Mix for Indoor and Greenhouse Applications
- Rinsed, buffered, processed, and packaged, this Coco-Perlite mix is ready right out of the bag for immediate use, eliminating the need for preparation.
- High porosity soilless container mix for indoor and greenhouse gardening. Use for propagation, hydroponics, sensitive plants, house plants, succulents, and more!
- Consistent quality Coco and Perlite for dependable performance, we ensure the finest available Coco Fiber, so your garden is prepped with quality ingredients.
- Our products are processed and packaged in the U.S.A., each batch is analyzed, giving far greater quality control and consistency to each bag of product.
- Ingredients include 70% Coco fibers and 30% Perlite. This soilless mix will allow you complete control over the total nutrient application of your plants.
Kapecute 2QT Pothos Soil, Ideal Soilless Potting Soil Mix for All Indoor Plants That Require Constant Humidity and Fast Drainage
- Material: Kapecute pothos soil mix consists of crushed sphagnum moss and perlite individually packaged in separate packages, all 100% all natural with no additives. Sphagnum moss debris have excellent water holding capacity and holds the required moisture in the soil, perlite can improves drainage and aeration in potting mixes, promote strong root development.
- Size: You will receive a 5.9″ x 5.9″ x 0.7″ mini-package with compressed sphagnum moss chips and individually wrapped perlite. The package weighs approximately 3.5 ounces.
- Handpicked: The sphagnum moss debris and perlite in the mixture are carefully selected by hand, the sphagnum moss debris is dry, clean and free from mud or other unnatural impurities, the perlite is manually selected to remove dust and small particles.
- How to use: Take out the right amount of sphagnum moss crumbles and soak them in water, squeeze out the excess water after the sphagnum moss crumbles are fully soaked, and then take out the right amount of perlite packaged individually and mix it, then you can get a good pothos potting soil.
- Notice: Purely hand packed, the weight and size of each package will slightly vary, perlite may produce a small amount of powder if it is squeezed during transportation, sphagnum moss debris have very few sticks (natural product, unavoidable).
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Buying Guide
FAQs
What should I look for when choosing a soilless mix for plant propagation versus mature houseplants?
For propagation you want a lightweight, fine‑textured blend that holds moisture without becoming soggy, such as a peat‑perlite mix with added worm castings. Mature plants benefit from chunkier mixes that provide excellent aeration and drainage, like those rich in bark, coco coir, and pumice. Check the product description for pH balance and any added beneficial microbes, which help both cuttings and established roots thrive.
How do Molly’s Aroid Mix and Forbidden Cereal mix compare in terms of drainage and nutrient content?
Molly’s Aroid Mix emphasizes rapid drainage and includes organic, mineral, and pH‑balanced ingredients plus mycorrhizae for nutrient uptake. Forbidden Cereal takes a chunkier approach with a blend of orchid bark, perlite, coco coir, biochar, and earthworm castings, creating a highly aerated medium that also resists over‑watering. Both prevent root rot, but the Forbidden Cereal mix offers a broader range of organic amendments for long‑term nutrient release.
Is a peat‑free, eco‑friendly mix better for my plants and the environment?
Peat‑free mixes replace water‑retentive peat with renewable materials like coco coir, pumice, and lava rock, reducing carbon emissions associated with peat harvesting. These ingredients still provide excellent moisture retention and aeration, as seen in Craft Aroid Potting Mix and Sol Soils Chunky Houseplant Mix. Choosing a peat‑free product supports sustainable gardening while delivering comparable or superior plant performance.
Why do some mixes list mycorrhizae or beneficial microbes, and do they make a difference?
Mycorrhizae form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots, extending the root network to improve water and nutrient absorption, especially phosphorus. Beneficial microbes break down organic matter, releasing nutrients in a plant‑available form and helping suppress pathogens. Mixes like Molly’s Aroid Mix, Craft Aroid Potting Mix, and Imperial Roots Chunky Potting Mix include these living components, which can lead to healthier, faster‑growing plants.
Which mix offers the best drainage for aroids such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Alocasia?
A mix that combines coarse bark, pumice, and lightweight aggregates provides the fastest drainage while maintaining enough moisture for aroids. Craft Aroid Potting Mix and Imperial Roots Chunky Potting Mix both use lava rock, pumice, and bark to create large air pockets, making them ideal for preventing root rot. The Royal Gold Coco‑Perlite blend also drains well but is more suited to hydroponic or sensitive seedling setups.
Are there any soilless mixes that are safe for pets and children?
Pet‑friendly mixes avoid toxic additives and use natural, non‑chemical ingredients. Craft Aroid Potting Mix explicitly states it is pet‑safe, and the Soil Sunrise Plant Propagation Potting Mix contains only peat, perlite, worm castings, and lime, all of which are non‑hazardous. Always double‑check the label for any added fertilizers or pesticides if you have especially sensitive pets.
Do premium‑priced mixes provide better value compared to budget options?
Higher‑priced mixes often include premium ingredients, such as organic coco coir, mycorrhizae, and carefully sourced bark, which can improve plant health and reduce the need for frequent repotting. For example, Molly’s Aroid Mix and Forbidden Cereal mix justify their cost with longer lasting structure and added microbial benefits. However, budget blends like Miracle‑Gro Houseplant Potting Mix still perform adequately for less demanding plants, so the best value depends on your specific plant needs and how much you value sustainability and longevity.
Can I use a Coco‑Perlite blend like Royal Gold for hydroponic or indoor gardening, and how does it compare to other mixes?
Royal Gold’s 70% coco fiber and 30% perlite mix offers a sterile, inert base that lets you control nutrient delivery precisely, making it ideal for hydroponic or sensitive indoor setups. Unlike organic blends that contain added nutrients and microbes, this mix provides a clean slate, which is beneficial when you want to monitor exact fertilizer regimes. If you prefer a ready‑to‑use mix with built‑in nutrients and microbial life, options like Molly’s Aroid Mix or Imperial Roots may be more convenient.