10 Best Soils for Monstera Plants – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Few houseplants have a similar kind of wow factor than Monstera plants. The name refers to their genus. There are 49 species in the world, with many living in Central and South American rainforests. The two you’re most likely to find as houseplants are Monstera adansonii and Monstera deliciosa. Their distinguishing characteristic is their large leaf holes, hence, its common moniker as the Swiss Cheese Plant.

Monstera plants aren’t fussy compared to more difficult species, such as African Violets or orchids. Nevertheless, the correct soil will make all the difference whether yours just gets by or thrives. Our guide will cover everything you need to know to make an informed choice, along with reviews of some of our favorite products. Here’s wishing your Monstera plant a long and healthy life!

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2024

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix	Excellent aeration Good drainage High-quality nutritional value	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix	Affordably priced 6-month nutrient support Gnat-resistant blend	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Houseplant Resource Center Monstera Potting Soil	Made in USA Third-party tested Excellent blend	CHECK PRICE
		Gardenera Premium Monstera Potting Soil	Excellent blend Pleasant earthy smell Decent water retention	CHECK PRICE
		rePotme Monstera Imperial Houseplant Potting Soil Mix	Excellent drainage Varied available sizes Monstera-specific	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Soils for Monstera Plants

1. FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix – Best Overall

FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix covers many of the bases we look for in these products. It has a peat base, providing an ideal soil environment enhanced by its varied natural fertilizer sources. Water retention and drainage are spot-on, along with sufficient aeration from the bulk of the blend. It is our choice for the best overall soil for Monstera plants.

The fertilizer content will give your Monstera plants a decent start for up to 4 weeks. You can use it for indoor or outdoor pots. Even the smell of the soil is pleasant with an agreeable earth scent.

See Also: Fox Farm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Review – Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

2. Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix – Best Value

Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix will give your Monstera plants an excellent start with nutrients to support new growth for 6 months. It has several ingredients in the blend to improve water retention. It also has lava rock in it to allow for better drainage. The price is right, too. It’s our no-brainer pick for the best soil for Monstera plants for the money.

Careful watering is necessary when raising tropical plants, anyway. You must strike the right balance between sufficient water and mold development. Unfortunately, it’s easy to miss the mark with this soil.

3. Houseplant Resource Center Monstera Potting Soil – Premium Choice

Houseplant Resource Center Monstera Potting Soil gives your plants what they need by creating an environment that checks off the boxes for moisture retention and drainage. Your Monstera will thrive with this formulation that taps the unique requirements of these plants. You’ll also find that it provides adequate aeration to keep mold and fungus under control.

The soil is packed with nutrients to help your Monsteras through transplant shock and early growth. You can tell by just looking at it that it’s something special. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty expensive.

4. Gardenera Premium Monstera Potting Soil

Gardenera Premium Monstera Potting Soil handles your plant’s moisture retention and drainage needs on all fronts with its list of high-quality ingredients. The balance between them is excellent with these seemingly opposing requirements. Its appearance looks like it came directly from the ground but with better nutritional value and consistency.

The company is based out of the Ukraine, which may set it up for price increases. Nevertheless, it’s a quality product that delivers what it promises.

5. rePotme Monstera Imperial Houseplant Potting Soil Mix

RePotme Monstera Imperial Houseplant Potting Soil Mix is formulated specifically for these plants, making its nutrient and ingredient profile ideal for their needs. The textured blend provides ample drainage and aeration to keep them healthy with the optimal growing conditions. While it doesn’t contain any fertilizers, it at least gives your plants what they need.

The manufacturer didn’t provide any info on the pH. However, it doesn’t contain any peat moss, which made us question what it was. After all, Monsteras prefer acidic soils.

6. Uncle Bud’s Coco and Perlite Potting Mix

Uncle Bud’s Coco and Perlite Potting Mix’s main benefit is its moisture retention, thanks to its ingredients that exceed at it. That makes nutrients available to your plants for optimal growth. The blend is coarse, which also allows for decent drainage. You’ll take care of water management well with this soil. The company specializes in species-specific mixes like this one.

On the downside, it is pricey, especially considering what it is. We would think of it more as something you’d mix with a more affordable product to extend its benefits.

7. Miracle-Gro Potting Mix

Miracle-Gro Potting Mix hits it out of the park with another affordably priced product that delivers well beyond your expectations. It even comes with a 6-month guarantee, which is definitely above and beyond. Its base is natural ingredients that go a long way toward providing excellent nutrient support. Your Monstera will do well with this soil.

The downside is the occasional quality control issues, which include some unpleasant and unexpected conditions. Fortunately, they aren’t frequent but worth mentioning, nevertheless.

8. Rio Hamza Trading Organic Professional Grower Mix

Rio Hamza Trading Organic Professional Grower Mix makes a valiant effort. It contains acid and alkaline ingredients to create a pH-balanced mix. It succeeds on this score while providing both excellent drainage and water retention. Your plants will do well with this blend. The balance is optimal since it will keep fungal and bacterial conditions at bay.

The soil is better suited to plants from arid environments than tropical ones, despite the seemingly overlapping in their moisture needs.

9. IvyMay Organic Houseplant Potting Mix

IvyMay Organic Houseplant Potting Mix strives to make its product pleasant on all levels. The mix is unique, with redwood a part of it. That makes the pH ideal for Monstera. We have to admit it smells nice, although the peppermint is over the top. It’s really just to sell it to you rather than provide any benefits to your plants. It’s questionable whether it would repel pests, too.

The mix contains earthworm castings, which give it a nutrient boost. That’s essential if you’re using this product for transplants or repotted Monsteras. You’ll help it weather the change like a champ.

10. Soil Sunrise Philodendron Potting Soil Mix

Don’t let the name of the Soil Sunrise Philodendron Potting Soil Mix steer you away from this product. People sometimes call Monstreras by this name mistakenly because it closely resembles these plants. The manufacturer is simply capitalizing on this confusion. That includes its disclaimer about not adding fertilizers despite the fact that it contains a natural source, earthworm castings.

That deception goes to the product description and labeling. The picture doesn’t accurately show what’s in the bag. Some may pass off this gripe as nitpicking, but it’s a big deal when you’re trying to grow Monsteras in the best conditions.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Soil For Monstera Plants

Monstera plants are hardy and easy to grow. These traits along with their unique appearance make them an attractive choice for any room. They are relatively large, getting up to 3 feet tall with a spread of up to 3 feet wide. They can tolerate partial shade but will do best in bright, indirect light. It’s worth noting that it is also toxic to dogs and cats. They can cause mouth irritation if eaten due to calcium oxalates within the plants.

Monstera plants are tropical evergreen vines in their native habitat. Keep that fact in mind when choosing where to put your pots. If you live in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 10 to 12, you can plant them outdoors. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to enjoy their showy, white flowers. Unfortunately, they usually don’t bloom indoors.

Plant Type

Many manufacturers produce soils formulated for certain types of plants. Given how easy Monsteras are to grow, you will likely find many choices that specify this genus. An all-purpose potting soil can suffice, particularly if it is slightly acidic with a pH between 5.5 to 6.5. You should plan on repotting your Monstera every few years or whenever it outgrows its container.

• Related Read: 6 Types of Soil (with Pictures)

Blend

The soil blend is an essential consideration when choosing the best product. We mentioned that Monstera prefers acidic conditions. An excellent way to ensure you meet this need is to focus on peat-based blends. Other suitable choices include pine bark fines, perlite, vermiculite, and coconut coir. These materials have another property that makes them stand out as ideal soil amendments for Monstera.

Drainage

Monstera plants prefer well-draining soils. That’s especially true, given their tropical habitat. After all, there’s a fine line between providing adequate moisture and creating a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Several of the materials we listed help the soil retain moisture while also providing aeration. Both qualities are essential for these plants.

Pine bark fines are simply mulch shredded to a smaller size. It can help prevent moisture loss while providing a natural fertilizer as it decomposes. Perlite consists of treated volcanic rock heated to expand into small pellet-like pieces to retain water. Vermiculite is similar, only it’s a mineral with similar benefits. Coconut coir is the odd one of the bunch—it is the fibers on the outside of coconut shells. It adds bulk with water retention.

Volume/Weight

These two properties go hand in hand with the blend. It’s helpful to check these specs to make sure you’re buying enough soil for your pot. The water-holding capacity will also affect the size, particularly after you water it. That can, in turn, determine how easy the plant is to move. These specifications offer an excellent way to comparison shop to see which products are of a better value.

You’ll see volume expressed in cubic liters, quarts, or gallons, depending on the content and size of the bag. We suggest checking this spec on the container you’re using, too. A full-grown plant will do best in a pot with a volume of at least 3 gallons.

Fertilizer

You’ll find products with and without added fertilizer. It is a helpful amendment that can provide nutrients for growing plants. However, you can always give your Monstera plants a treat anytime if you notice they are not thriving. They’ll appreciate the boost. If they’re growing faster than expected, you can always prune them so they don’t overstay their welcome.

Conclusion

FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix sits at the top of our reviews. It provides everything your Monstera plants will need to get a great start and continue to grow to their maximum potential. Miracle-Gro Tropical Potting Mix gets top marks for its affordable price. Excellent nutrition never came at a better price. Your Monsteras will never have it this good, making it the best value for the price.

Hopefully, after reading these 10 reviews, you have a better idea of which soil to use for your monstera plant and help it live a long and healthy life.

Featured Image Credit: 20750684, Pixabay