As well as plants, I offer custom soil mixes based on your plant's needs as well as your watering habits. Soil mixes and vermiculite are available for pick-up. I can also ship these, but only in quantities up to 8 L at a time.

Below are descriptions of each soil mix I offer. You can order these using my order form.

Standard Violet Mix
Many soil mixes you purchase in big box stores do not contain enough perlite to promote the drainage that african violets and other gesneriads require. This mix is a great choice because it promote proper drainage. Note that if you tend to err on the side of watering too little, the Premium Violet Mix might be a better choice for you.

Premium Violet Mix
This mix contains some vermiculite. This is the mix that I use for my african violets as well as all my gesneriads and houseplants (other than cactus). It promotes good drainage, but doesn't allow the plant to dry out as much between waterings. This mix is a good choice if, like me, you tend to err the side of watering too little. If you tend to be an overwaterer, the Standard Violet Mix might be a better choice for you.

Cactus and Succulent Mix
This mix promotes a lot of drainage and ensures that your cacti and succulents are not sitting in water when you water them. Remember, especially as light increases and these plants approach their blooming season (i.e. spring) less more often is a good rule of thumb for watering. In other words, it's better for them to get a little bit of water twice a week rather than a larger amount once a week.

Christmas Cactus Mix
While the Cactus and Succulent Mix above works great for christmas cacti (as well as thanksgiving and easter cacti) this one is a little more taylored to these species. It contains a small amount of vermiculite which holds onto some moisture between waterings, but still allows lots of drainage to keep your plant's roots happy.

Seed Starter (Fine Grain)
This mix is a little labour intensive to make, as I ensure it only contains very fine grains, which is good for the tiny roots of seedlings. It has some vermiculite in it to ensure moisture retention.

Premium Seed Starter (Fine Grain)
This seed starter mix has more perlite than the one above. It promotes drainage better, which helps prevent root rot of small seedlings, but the flip side is that you might have to water your seedlings more often than the mix above. Again, it's important to know your watering tendencies and habits when selecting a mix. If you've had trouble with seedlings rotting in the past, this is a good mix to pick.

I also sell straight vermiculite in various quantities if you would like to add this to soil you already have. My experience is that a little bit added in with the soil of any plant ensures the plant has better moisture between watering and promotes good root growth. It doesn't cause root rot the way having wet soil between watering does because of the lack of organic content, however, do keep in mind that too much vermiculite in a soil mix can cause too much moisture between watering.

You can check the prices/sizes I offer for vermiculite on my order form.