Shop Garden Soils & Plant Containers at Hydrobuilder
Whether you want to grow in traditional garden soil or a coco mix, we have the best selection of grow media online here at Hydrobuilder, and offer affordable totes and pallets for commercial growers. We also have the pots and containers you need, ranging from standard plastic pots to the increasingly popular fabric containers and everything in between. In this category, you'll also find perlite and other garden soil amendments to perfect the drainage, aeration, and nutrition of your media!
The success of any soil grow depends heavily depends on healthy root growth and development. Choosing the correct garden pot and growing media is a crucial early step towards a successful and rewarding harvest. There a number of different pots or containers and soils you can grow in, and each one has its place.
What are the best garden pots to grow your plants in?
There are many different kinds of pots and containers, and they are not all created equal. While garden pots are very simple, some pots will outperform others in certain situations.
Some of the most common garden pots and containers you will see are:
Generally, plastic pots are all you really need, but more advanced containers like fabric pots or air-pots have exploded in popularity. If you are looking for the best all-around garden pot, you need Gorilla Pots. These are premium fabric pots designed to create the strongest, healthiest root system possible. They naturally air prune roots because of the porous nature of these pots.
If you want to learn more about which garden pots are best for you, check out our full guide on selecting a garden pot.
What are the best growing mediums for potted plants?
There are several things you need to consider when choosing the appropriate medium for your level of experience, type of plant and application. Aeration and water retention are two of the most important qualities to factor in when selecting a grow media. The physical characteristics of the media the roots are growing in can make all the difference in the health and yields of your crop.
Garden soil and potting soil
One of the most popular grow media for indoor growing and outdoor growing alike is obviously potting soil. Soil is good for beginners because it acts as a good buffer for the roots from overfeeding and overwatering, and it compacts nicely.
When growing organically, a potting soil like Fox Farm Ocean Forest or SoHum Living Soil is probably your best bet. These types of soils have plenty of nutrients to start your plants off, and some can even feed through harvest. This allows you to forego liquid nutrients, instead option for dry organic amendments.However, sometimes soil can have it's problems. Growing with soil can make it tough to use your own liquid nutrients, and deficiencies and toxicities are harder to control. Because of this, some growers opt for an inert media, such as coco.
Coco Coir
Coco is a natural, renewable growing medium used in traditional gardening as well as hydroponics. The reason so many growers love using coco is because it doesn't provide any nutritional value to the plant or alter pH whatsoever.
This means you as the grower are in complete control of what your plant gets fed, and it's easier to prevent deficiencies and toxicities. You can use really strong nutrients and grow huge, potent plants.
Learn more about growing in coco in our blog, and find some recommendations on the best coco mixes we carry at Hydrobuilder!
Improving your soils drainage and aeration with perlite
Many growers look for ways to increase the quality of their soil, which will lead to stronger and healthier plants. One such way is by adding perlite or vermiculite into your soil or soilless mix.
Perlite comes in many mixes, and is a non-organic compound that drastically improves aeration and drainage, while reducing compaction. Perlite is the little white pebbles in your potting soil. If your soil does not contain any, you need to add it in yourself.
Another common amendment is vermiculite, which acts sort of similar to perlite. We have a complete guide comparing perlite vs vermiculite if you want to learn more about which is right for you and your plants!
Still not sure which growing medium is right for you? Check out our detailed guide on different soil and soilless media.
Amending your soil
If you are growing outdoors, you should be amending your soil at the end of every growing season. By amending your garden soil at the end of every year, you give your soil a chance to recuperate and compost for the next time you plant in it.
Using garden soil amendments introduces microbial activity into your soil, and this activity improves conditions. If you are looking for another way to improve soil quality, consider using compost tea!
These garden soil amendments can also be used along with a light base soil to create your own Super Soil. A super soil is an organic soil that contains enough nutrients and microbial life to take your plants from seed to harvest. You may need to top dress throughout flower with dry organic amendments, but for the most plant, your plants will be well nourished.
Want to learn more about improving your soil? Check out our full breakdown of how to amend your soil. Or, you can check out our complete guide on container gardening.
No matter what you need, we have it here at Hydrobuilder. We are the experts in all things growing, and we have the products and resources you need whether its your first grow or you're looking to have your best grow yet. If you have any questions or don't see a product you need, give our experts a call at 888-815-9763.
