This week on the Podcast, Jessie talks with Travis and John, founders of Sol Soils, a premium potting mix company selling hard to find soil components, soil toppers, and soil mixes for all types of plants. They hand-mix their soils with the best ingredients to produce fast-draining, gritty mixes.

We love that their focus on "gritty" mixes which are coarse growing mediums made up largely of inorganic materials that more closely mimic the natural environment that many popular plants like aroids, tropicals, cacti, succulents, or orchids come from.

There are a number of benefits to a chunky mix that make it superior to any standard "specialty" tropical, cactus, or succulent soil you'll find in big-box, or even high-end plant shops.

The extra aeration allows the roots ample room to breathe (Oxygen in + CO2 out) and avoid shrinking, caking, and compaction.

Quick draining means water is able to freely penetrate the soil to get to the plant's roots and drain excess right out the bottom of the container, avoiding the dreaded "wet feet" that leads to root rot.

The mix still stores water well, but allows for the substrate to breathe and dry in a more consistent manner and the moisture it does hold is in the components around the roots instead of trapping and suffocating the roots themselves like a peat base often does.

These types of soil options do not need more frequent watering since they capture moisture and hang onto it for the plant to draw from over time.

Shop Sol Soils here!