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The best planting soils for your plants to flourish

Going out to the backyard and extracting soil for your potted plants isn’t always the best idea. There could be harmful herbicides or pesky bugs that could eat away at your plant’s vegetation. This is why choosing a carefully curated potting mix is the best way to ensure a healthy plant. Read on to discover our top picks for planting soil.

There are many different types of potting mixes, all of which have various combinations of organic soil specially designed for different types of plants. Some potting mixes even have insect and bacteria repellents. Soils for succulents — which thrive in drier climates — are quicker to wick away moisture.

Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix

Best Overall

For a go-to potting mix that’s going to help your indoor plants get the nutrition they need to thrive, try Miracle-Gro. This potting mix is suited for a wide variety of potted plants and is less susceptible to gnat infestations. Feed your plants for up to six months with this nourishing soil.

Perfect Plants All Natural Succulent and Cactus Soil

Best for Succulents

Succulents have very different needs from other house plants. They thrive in environments with less moisture and sufficient water drainage. Luckily, this soil is specially formulated to cater to all succulent types to ensure the right amount of water drainage and air flow. The mix includes garden coir, composted pine bark, perlite, and sand.

Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix

Best Organic

If you’re looking for the best organic plant food option, try Burpee. Perfect for flowers, veggies, and herbs, this potting mix is ideal for container and raised bed gardening. This formula slowly releases nourishing food to your plants for up to three months. Its standout ingredient is coconut coir, a natural resource that prevents your plants from dehydration in between watering.

Perfect Plants Organic Potting Mix

For Fruits and Veggies

This all-natural potting mix is enriched with mycorrhizae for support in root growth and deterring harmful bacteria. Use Perfect Plants Organic Potting Mix to help your fruit and veggie plants blossom. This mix is primarily made up of three different soils: Perfect Plants Perlite, peat moss, and coconut coir.

You’ll be amazed at how your plants will flourish from the beneficial effects of potting mix. Never let your plant starve again! They need this planting soil as a sort of “plant food.” If you want your plant to grow and live to its full potential, grab a bag — or two — of these potting mixes pronto!

Winterberry: A complete care guide for this holiday favorite
Adding a winterberry tree to your garden
A spineless holly or winterberry plant

The outdoors in winter can seem bleak and barren, but there are actually many plants that still thrive in the snow! In addition to early blooming flowers and winter vegetables, there are many types of evergreens. If planting different types of pine tree isn’t your idea of a good time, then consider planting some winterberry trees instead. This lovely tree is great for most types of gardens and can provide color and interest to your winter garden. Want to get started growing your own winterberry tree? Here’s everything you need to know in order to successfully care for your winterberry.
What are winterberries?

A winterberry tree is a small tree or shrub in the holly family. Ilex verticillata is the botanical name, but it's typically easy to find under the common name winterberry. True to its name, this shrub produces red or orange berries in late fall and winter. Although it is a type of holly, it doesn't have the glossy, spined leaves characteristic of English holly. Instead, it has long, oval leaves that are a lighter shade of green and don't spines. These plants are also dioecious, meaning the male and female flowers appear on different plants. That means if you want to see berries, you'll need at least two winterberry trees.

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How to care for winter rye, a fantastic cover crop
Growing this cover crop has many benefits
A field of rye grass

If you grow a lot of warm-season annuals, then your garden might be empty during winter. This can have some unfortunate side effects, which is why we recommend planting a cover crop. Cover crops have a number of benefits depending on which one you choose, ranging from replenishing the soil and preventing erosion to simply stopping your garden from looking quite so empty.

Winter rye is an excellent cover crop with plenty of benefits. This guide to growing winter rye will explain everything you need to know about what those benefits are and how to grow your own!
What are the benefits and downsides of winter rye?

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How to grow winter jasmine for January blooms
Growing your own winter jasmine shrub
Yellow winter jasmine flowers

If the long, cold months of winter have left your garden looking cold and empty, it might be time to start planning your spring garden. There are a number of early-blooming spring flowers you can choose from, including classics like tulips and daffodils. If you want something a bit larger than your standard bulbs, you should consider planting winter jasmine. Not familiar with this plant? Don’t worry, we’ll answer all your questions about winter jasmine care so you can get started growing your own.
What is winter jasmine?

Winter jasmine, or Jasminum nudiflorum, is a shrub with thin, vine-like branches and bright yellow flowers. In its native habitat of China, it's among the earliest blooming shrubs, blooming right at the end of winter and beginning of spring. In the U.S., it can actually bloom even earlier, sometimes beginning in November, if the weather stays mild. However, it most commonly begins blooming in January or February, typically continuing until March.

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