Guide to Sustainable Indoor Plants - Part 1: It Starts with the Soil

I am often surprised by just how bad growing plants can be for the environment. We might often think of the harms of industrial farming, but did you know that home growers use significantly more pesticides and fertilizers than commercial growers per acre? Many people incorrectly assume that if they only use organic varieties of fertilizers and pesticides then they are actively doing good. The sad reality is that unless you are growing a significant portion of your food, generally the environmental costs outweigh the benefits. And even then, depending on your practices, that might not be the case.

But that doesn't mean all is lost. In this article, we will discuss some of the things you can do to lower your impact and perhaps even reverse it to some degree.

It starts with the soil.

I mean technically I could have started with anything, but this is a good place. As I have mentioned before in other posts the two main organic bases for “soil” (technically potting media but honestly who cares) are Coco-Coir and Peat Moss. I go over this more in my book but generally speaking, neither is GOOD for the environment. Coco-coir is often considered the more eco-friendly option, but there is some debate about this. I think there is no one universal answer as to which is better or worse for the environment but rather depends on a variety of factors including where you live, how far the ingredient had to travel to get to you, and how you end up using the “soil” long term.

Even if you could consider all these factors, it would still be difficult to determine which would be best but again neither is great so rather than waste too much time worrying about this (unless you are using massive amounts of potting media) the tip here is to learn to reuse your soil.

Many plant ‘experts’ will recommend you toss your old soil, or slightly better, compost it. The idea is that after a few years, it will have used up ‘all of the good stuff’. In other words, it has run out of slow-release fertilizer and has broken down to where it is no longer ideal for the plants.

One thing I recommend is to improve the soil back into something ideal for our houseplants. After some time and practice it might end up even better than the original. The common term for this process is called ‘reamending’. The idea is rather simple. Once you have used the soil from one plant set it aside, add some fresh goodness back, and then use it whenever you need it.

This is easier said than done and depending on where you get your goodies it could be worse so try to take this into account. But as a general rule, reamending is better than buying new.

The way I reamend my soil is by engaging in a practice known as ‘living soil’. I use fresh vermicompost to bring microorganisms and nutrients into my left-over mix. The readily available nutrients are great for supporting a healthy plant and the microorganisms help keep the soil in better condition and they also support a healthy plant. Win-win if you ask me. I also create my vermicompost at home which allows me to use my kitchen scraps, as well as paper, cardboard, and plant debris instead of buying something from the store.

Start thinking about ways you can reamend your soil rather than toss it.

Done with part 1?

Check Guide to Sustainable Indoor Plants – Part 2: Water.

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