Soil & Fertilizer Recommendations

As above, so below. The health of plants starts with what is beneath the surface: SOIL. If our soil is healthy, our plants will be healthy. Soil houses the roots of the plants and plants use their roots to get their nutrition/food from the soil.

The soil in Arizona is not the greatest to say the least lol. It lacks nutrients and is primarily made up of clay. To increase the health of the soil and add nutrients into to the soil you can do a few things...

What exactly you need to do depends on what & where you're planting.

Planting in containers or pots is different than planting in the ground. For containers/pots I'd recommend using a potting mix such as GroWell Premium Potting Mix or Kellogg Patio Plus if you're planting ornamental plants or Kellogg Raised Bed & Potting Mix if you're planting edible or medicinal plants.

For cactus, agave, and succulents I recommend using a cactus potting mix - this will help with drainage - as these plants like their soil on the drier side.

Native plants don't really require us to amend the soil, because they are conditioned to the soil conditions here already.

Now if you're planting an ornamental shrub or tree that isn't native to AZ in the ground, then I'd recommend you mix the native soil you dig out of the ground 50/50 with a good potting soil. Such as Fox Farm Ocean Forest or Kellogg Raised Bed & Potting Mix 2 cu from Home Depot or for something a little more basic you could use a composted mulch such as Kellog GroMulch from Home Depot. I also like to move any rock away from the base of plants and make a mulch well around plants using a composted mulch such as Kellog GroMulch.

If you're planting something that comes from a tropical environment (like Hong Kong Orchid, Guava, Jasmine, etc.) or a fruit tree like Citrus, Peach, etc. then I highly recommend using Fox Farm Ocean Forest or Kellogg Raised Bed & Potting Mix 2 cu to feed & amend the soil along with Mycorrhiza such as Great White Mycorrhizae to stimulate root growth and maximize nutrient absorption. This combo of soil, rich with nutrients & mycorrhizae fungi will make for healthier and stronger plants. Last but not least I'll move any rock away from the base of the plant and make a mulch well around the plant using a composted mulch such as Kellog GroMulch.

The key to having healthy plants in Arizona is healthy, well draining soil & DEEEEP watering. Healthy soil is high in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals and contains good bacteria. Worms are a good sign of healthy soil!

I amend my soil when planting, but I also add more soil and/or compost 1-2x/ year to my plants and garden and fertilize at least 2-3x/year to replenish the nutrients in the soil... feeding the soil means feeding the plants!

I'll get into the details of deep watering and how & when to fertilize on another post, but feel free to reach out via email bakersbotanicals@gmail.com or instagram @bakersbotanicals with any questions (:

Here is a list of my Soil & Fertilizer Recommendations

If you need extra support with caring for your plants you can email or text me to schedule a garden or landscape consultation.

Blessed be my botanical friends <3