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Got this new spider plant as a gift. Need to repot her because the… | Anything about plants | Planta community

SadeB

Got this new spider plant as a gift. Need to repot her because the pot she came in didn’t have drainage holes. I’m actually thinking about repotting most of my plants. Started my plant journey this year so I thought miracle grow was a great choice but I realized the drainage is poor now that I’ve done a lot of research even if I add perlite and now a lot of my plants have fungus gnats because the soil stays wet way too long. I even delay watering when I’m reminded to on the planta app. I guess my question is what’s your go to chunky soil mix even if it’s one that you buy already made?

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5 likes 12 comments

12 comments

  1. Alyssa

    I’ve started making my own, with a cactus succulent mix from the store, and then I add perlite and orchid bark to make it chunky and airy

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    • SadeB

      That sounds like a good mix. 😊

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  2. Meowmy

    I had the same exact issue! Miracle grow, even when mixed with perlite, in a terracotta pot(which helps with drainage) had gotten me lots of fungus gnats. I even found lots of dead fungus gnats in my cat's water bowl, eww 🥹🥹 I have a lot of hoyas and succulents along with calatheas and other regular plants, so I go with succulent soil with my regular plants too and they all do fine but I can't say I recommend them because some of the plants may need a lot more water... so while I don't have a good recommendation for the soil(i'll leave that up to more knowledgeable fellow planta users 😉) I would recommend trying terracotta pots, they absorb and release excess water and I had lots of luck with them!

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    • SadeB

      I think I’m gonna throw them out. It’s really crazy, almost like the soil comes with gnats lol.

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    • Meowmy

      I know right??!! 🥹 when I had the infestation I couldn't stand the thought of fungus gnat babies inside the soil, eating away the roots....never again.....I saw Alyssa recommended succulent soil as well, so maybe you'll have some luck with that 🤞

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  3. Alyssa

    Ugh yeah fungus gnats are the worst, I’d throw out any old soil and wash the roots good too before repotting in good soil, but Meowmy has a good point using terracotta pots, I have all mine in terracotta with no attached drainage plate (lost my beautiful pearls and jade pothos to a pot that had drainage with an attached plate, so sad 😭) and also, strange conundrum to think of but for all of us with central air and heating, during the summer months of us using AC everyday the soil will dry out a lot slower due to the cold air not evaporating water as much as hot air does. So yes, good mix, good pot, not overwatering, and using some indoor fans and opening up windows to get some more airflow than just using ac alone will do the trick! Hope that helps you and your planty journey ☘️💚

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    • SadeB

      Thanks so much. Will definitely look into getting the terracotta pots for some of them.

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  4. Doll

    I just bought these three to make a chunky mix. Was recommended by a ig plant friend who’s been using it for years and her plants are gorgeous.

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    • MargieD

      Do you happen to know the mixture amounts? Is it just 1-1-1?

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    • Doll

      Yeah she said equal amounts. Im not an experienced plant person but got the info from one.🤍🪴

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  5. Amy

    I’m had the exact same problem with every single plant I repotted. The worried about repotting once again for the stress of it all but it would’ve been worse to keep them in the miracle grow soil. I wound up mixing in this stuff from Ace hardware. It also contains perlite. My plants have instantly perked up!

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    • SadeB

      Oh. There’s an Ace nearby. I’ll go check it out. Hope they have. Thanks a lot!

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