The Best Organic Potting Soil for Herbs

Whether your goal is to eat tastier meals or test your green thumb, growing herbs is one of the most rewarding things you can do. An herb garden can be budget friendly too, which is always a good thing.

Thankfully, most herbs are easy to grow and require minimal care. Besides the important things like ample sunlight and regular watering, using good soil is key in growing healthy and happy herbs. 

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All plants thrive in healthy, nutrient-rich, properly-drained soil (good drainage is so important) - for this reason organic soil is the best potting soil option for your herb garden.

This guide will explore why organic soil is a good choice and features a list of high-quality potting soil brands for your organic garden.

This post does contain some affiliate links which means The Honest Consumer will receive a commission if you decide to purchase, however, at no additional cost to you!

What is organic soil?

Also known as living soil, organic soil contains 30-40% organic matter derived from plant and animal residue such as manure, lichens and mosses, grasses, leaves and trees.

There are different organic soil blends to suit different types of plants with a pH level ranging between 5.5 to 7.

How is Organic Soil Different from Conventional Soil?

Conventional or non-organic soil contains 2 to 4% organic matter. It’s often a mix of peat moss, bark and perlite, but some companies add Styrofoam to improve aeration and drainage. This type of soil has a neutral pH.

While organic potting soil relies on plant and animal materials to promote growth and discourage disease like fungal diseases, conventional soil relies on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and soil amendments to achieve similar results.

It’s worth noting that the USDA does not regulate how soils are labeled. However, a brand may be labeled “organic” as long as it contains natural, carbon-based ingredients and has been produced in an environmentally friendly way.

What are the Benefits of Organic Soil in Your Herb Garden?

So now you know what organic soil is, let’s look at how it can benefit you’re your herbs, health and the environment, and how you can make the best choice for your different plants and their needs.

• Nutrient rich- Organic soil can help you grow stronger and healthier herbs. Good potting soil has all the essential nutrients for plant growth including nitrogen, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Organic soil acts as a natural slow release fertilizer for plants and microbes, supporting good-yielding, high-quality, nutritious crops.

• Environmentally friendly- While it’s convenient to grab at the store prepackaged soil, it does more harm than good for the environment. To add nutrients to the soil and protect your herbs from pests, you have to use synthetic chemicals and fertilizers which pollute water and destroy beneficial bacteria and other organisms within the overall soil ecosystem. Organic planting soil, on the other hand, is known to improve soil structure and boost plant immunity thereby reducing the need for chemical additives which harm the environment.

• Keeps plants hydrated- With organic soil, you won’t have to water your herbs as often as those with conventional soil. It holds water tightly enough to keep it around, but loosely enough for plant roots to take it up. This provides an ongoing supply of water to plants between periods of replenishment to allow continual growth. Remember, just make sure you have the adequate drainage holes or draining ability for your plants!

• Safer for you- When you use chemical additives to enrich conventional soil, you may expose yourself to a host of serious health issues including cardiovascular disease, infertility, dementia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and more. All this can be avoided with the use of organic soil which is not only chemical free but also keeps you in touch with nature.

4 Best Organic Soils for your Herb Garden

High-quality organic soil makes all the difference in herb gardening, that’s why we’ve put together some top picks to help you make a good buying decision.

Any of these are great choices for ensuring your herb garden gets the essential nutrients needed for healthy growth.

Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose Potting Soil

Price Range: $20+

Dr. Earth Pot of Gold All Purpose organic soil will truly satisfy your green fingers! It has all the nutrients you need to grow healthy herbs from aged fir bark, kelp meal, composted green waste, sawdust, alfalfa meal, fish bone meal, and other organic materials. 

It also contains TruBiotic® and mycorrhizae, which are beneficial soil microbes that will ensure a healthy, rich start for your plants. Dr. Earth is suitable for indoor and outdoor gardening and is people and pet safe, so you don’t have to worry about your furry friends.

Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix

Price Range: $11.99+

Burpee is committed to the success of all gardeners by providing quality gardening products such as their organic potting mix. From alfalfa meal, bone meal, earthworm castings, and kelp meal, this soil will help your herb garden thrive inside or outside. 

The star ingredient is coconut coir, a sustainable and renewable resource, that helps maintain moisture between waterings. Perfect for containers and raised beds, this mix provides a balanced blend of nutrients for up to 3 months.

Back to the Roots Natural & Organic All-Purpose Peat-Free Potting Mix

Price Range: $11.99+

Back to the Roots organic soil is quite popular among herb gardeners. Proudly blended in the USA, the soil is composed of nutrient-rich materials such as earthworm castings, moisture-balancing yucca extract, and pH-balancing dolomitic limestone.

It also has beneficial Mycorrhizae which enhances plant roots and improve plant health in a variety of ways. And that’s not all - this mix is peat free which means that it holds water better, especially for little plants beginning to grow.

Epsoma Organic Potting Mix

Price Range: $17+ a bag

Espoma is a reputable brand in the gardening community. They offer more than a dozen different organic soil options to match your gardening needs.

Their top seller, the Epsoma organic mix potting soil, comprises humus, shrimp meal, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, earthworm castings and lots of perlites to thrive your herbs easily. 

It’s perfectly soft and pliable with outstanding moisture retention and drainage for plants. With all this goodness combined, you’ll have and endless supply of fresh herbs for your meals all year round.

What to Look for in Organic Soil

There are different organic soil brands in the market today - which one is the best for your herb garden? Here are a few tips to guide you with your purchase.

• Ingredients: Organic soil can contain different types of natural ingredients. You might not recognize every item on the label, but you should be able to pronounce it. Soil companies usually have several blends for different purposes so be sure to do some research and choose the right soil to cater to your gardening needs.

• Source: Transparency is key when looking for sustainable soil companies. Those that source locally and have a history in the organic gardening community are proud to show this. They’ll freely share all the information regarding how and where they make their products on their website.

• Plant location: The location of your plants should influence the soil type and therefore your choice of potting mix. If you're placing your herbs under a shade, then go for a lighter potting mix as it won’t lose water quickly. However, if you’re growing them outdoors in a spot with 5-8 hours of full sunlight, opt for some medium weight potting mix that will hold water for longer. You can also use organic potting soil for indoor plants as well.

• Size: When it comes to buying plant soil, don’t be afraid to go big. It’s easy to think that a small bag is enough but before you know it, you’re running low but still more herbs to plant. Look at the overall weight of the units to ensure you have enough supply for your garden.

So whether you've got your plants started in herb containers or you've built container gardens, your organic potting soil mix matters, and will help your plants grow more than you could imagine!

The great thing is that you can use organic potting soil for indoor or outdoor use, and it will help you avoid using excess water because it helps plants hold water better.

Organic potting soil is the best soil to use for healthy plants and food. We hope you've found your top pick among these organic potting mixes and start growing your favorite herbs soon!

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