Choose your size on the product page. Current prices and availability are shown before you add to cart.
AIR AROUND THE ROOTS
Aroid Mix
A chunky, free-draining starting point for plants that prefer plenty of air around their roots. Explore the aroids and tropical foliage below, with bark or perlite additions for the plants that need them.
Watering
Check moisture within the root zone before watering. Fine and Chunky textures, pot size, root development and light affect drying; one depth check or calendar cannot suit every plant.
Feeding
Aroid Mix contains no added fertiliser. For an established plant needing nutrition, consider Plant GROW and follow its label. Match feeding to the plant and active growth.
Choose your size on the product page. Current prices and availability are shown before you add to cart.
FOR EVERYDAY POTTED PLANTS
Potting Mix
A balanced, free-draining mix for plants that want soil around their roots: ferns, palms, ficus, calatheas, flowering shrubs and other ornamentals. Use the plant groups below to find your starting point.
Watering
Check moisture below the surface and consider your plant’s needs. Ferns and calatheas may need more consistent moisture than drought-tolerant plants. Empty water collected in outer pots.
Feeding
For routine nutrition, compare Plant GROW. BOOST is supplementary growth support; BLOOM is positioned for ornamental flowering support. Choose by purpose and follow the relevant label, rather than adding all three.
Choose your size on the product page. Current prices and availability are shown before you add to cart.
ANYTHING YOU PLAN TO EAT
Vege Mix
For leafy greens, herbs and fruiting plants. This moisture-retaining blend is the starting point for your edible garden, from a pot of basil to a balcony harvest.
Watering
Check moisture daily in hot weather. Aim for evenly moist growing mix, adjusting for rain, pot size and the plant’s needs.
Feeding
Check that your chosen fertiliser supports the edible crop and application. GROW is the routine fertiliser option; BOOST is supplementary support, not a replacement for nutrition. Follow the specific label.
Vegetables
Chilli / Chilli padi
Tomato
Brinjal / Eggplant
Okra / Lady’s finger
Long bean
Cucumber
Bitter gourd
Kai lan
Chye sim
Bok choy
Kang kong
Lettuce
Spinach / Bayam
Kale
Sweet potato leaf
Spring onion
Microgreens
Herbs
Sweet basil
Thai basil
Mint (common, spearmint, apple mint)
Lemon balm
Coriander
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Laksa leaf
Curry leaf
Lemongrass
Pandan
Stevia / Sweet leaf
Fruit
Lime / Calamansi
Meyer lemon / Golden lemon
Variegated lemon
Finger lime
Papaya
Passionfruit
Strawberry
Banana
Fig
Which mix should you use for your plant?
Which mix suits a plant depends mostly on its roots. Plants that like plenty of air around the roots, such as many aroids, orchids and succulents, usually start with Aroid Mix plus the additions shown in the plant list above. Ferns, palms, ficus, calatheas and flowering ornamentals start with Potting Mix, and herbs, vegetables and fruits start with Vege Mix. This finder follows Sprout Lab’s own guide, so treat it as a starting point rather than a fixed rule.
Wondering which mix to pick between the three? Our soil mixes page compares the ingredients of Aroid Mix, Potting Mix and Vege Mix side by side and explains what a soilless potting mix is.
How to use the Which Mix finder
Type your plant’s common or botanical name into the search box at the top of this page, or scroll the lists under each mix. Each list shows the mix we suggest and any addition, such as Orchiata bark for orchids or perlite for succulents and cacti. If your plant is not listed, send the team a photo on WhatsApp and say where it lives.
Once you know which mix to use, check the pot. Pick one that leaves some room around the root ball rather than a much larger container, make sure it has drainage holes, and judge moisture below the surface before watering. Light, airflow and pot material change how quickly any mix dries, so one watering schedule will not fit every plant.
Which mix works best also depends on where you live. Singapore homes vary a lot: a sheltered indoor shelf, an air-conditioned room and a breezy balcony dry a pot at very different speeds. That is why this guide gives a starting mix and not a watering timetable.
Which mix for aroids, orchids and succulents?
Which mix do aroids need? Aroids such as monstera, philodendron and pothos, plus orchids, succulents and cacti, sit in the Aroid Mix list because they generally prefer air around their roots. Orchids also get Orchiata bark, and succulents and cacti get Horticultural Perlite. Our guides on aroid potting mix mistakes and repotting monstera and philodendron explain what goes wrong most often.
Which mix for foliage, flowers and edibles?
Which mix for foliage and edibles? Potting Mix covers ferns, palms, ficus, calatheas and flowering ornamentals, while Vege Mix is the starting point for vegetables, fruits and herbs. If a pot you already own stays wet for days, read our guide to compacted potting soil before changing anything, and check light and drainage first.
Once you know which mix to use, remember that a growing mix is not a feeding plan. Aroid Mix contains no added fertiliser, so established plants may need a separate feed; follow the label of any fertiliser you use. See the plant care page for options, and our soil and garden mixes for the full range.
Which mix? Common questions
Which mix is best for a plant that is not on the list? Match it to the closest plant by root type: airy, chunky roots point towards Aroid Mix, general foliage and flowering plants towards Potting Mix, and edibles towards Vege Mix. If you are unsure, send the team a photo and a note on where the plant lives.
Can I combine two of the three when deciding which mix to use? Sprout Lab’s list gives one starting mix per plant, with additions such as bark or perlite where noted. We do not publish tested blending ratios, so follow the additions in the plant list rather than inventing your own recipe.
Does which mix I choose change how often I water? Yes, because a more open mix dries faster than a moisture-holding one. Even so, judge moisture below the surface and consider your light and pot rather than watering on a fixed schedule.
Do I need to change which mix I use every time I repot? Not necessarily. Repot when the plant and the current mix need it. If the existing mix still drains well and the roots are healthy, a larger pot of the same type of mix is often enough.
Still not sure? Send us a photo.
Tell us what you’re growing, where it lives and what’s happening. The team can help you choose a mix and work out the next step.
Repotting? Choose the next pot size to suit your plant’s roots.
Succulents and cacti: explore Aroid Mix with Horticultural Perlite.
Orchids: check the bark guidance in the plant list above.
Plant matches follow the supplied Sprout Lab guide. Use them as a starting point: species, light, weather and pot size affect care. Follow product labels and ask the team about your plant.
