03/30/2026
Just your local plant girl giving some tips on your OUTDOOR soil choices this spring!
Your soil is your plant’s nutrition and my best advice is to spend some extra money there so your outdoor plants can successfully endure our Oklahoma environment (which is extreme, HELLO) and thrive.
CONTAINER PLANTS:
This is the soil that goes inside your pots. You want to make sure that your soil can breathe.
What I mean is… your soil needs to dry out during the day and in between waterings.
Roots need to dry out so they grow. They steer towards moisture and if your plant is constantly wet, you will experience root rot with your plant and it will die from over watering
Find a lightweight soil such as Baccto Lite that contains moisture retention properties but allows for appropriate drainage.
MAKE SURE YOUR POT HAS PROPER DRAINAGE HOLES before purchasing and planting. One of my biggest pet peeves as a horticulturist is finding the ideal pot for my space, and the manufacturer did not put drainage holes. This happens way more than it should.
PLANTING DIRECTLY IN THE GROUND:
The soil you use to put flowers, trees, and shrubs directly in your flower bed or lawn is different. Root rot is not a concern due to the large space your plant has to grow in. Water retention inside your garden should be your main concern, as well as the nutrients in your soil.
What is also vital is that your soil is NOT conducive to weeds. Ugh. No one has time to constantly plucking weeds. Or grass.
My favorite out of all of these is mushroom compost. There are so many brands available at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Tractor Supply. Most local hardware stores and co-ops have this as well.
My second favorite is the Better Earth compost. This soil is the best when working with Oklahoma clay soils. It is a compost designed to break down clay soils and will allow your roots to grow outside the hole you’ve dug for your plant. I’ve only been able to locate this at TLC nursery. It is definitely worth the stop when planting trees and shrubs. It’s fairly inexpensive and will cost you less than that poo -poo soil known only as the root of all my plant problems.
And for all of your soil and additional questions… that’s what I’m here for!
