Best Soil for Syngonium Plant – DIY Potting Mixes

Are you looking to bring in some greenery to your space, then Syngonium plants are the best choice. These plants come in different shades with spade life leaves.

Also known as Arrowhead plant, due to its arrow shaped foliage, this houseplant is native to Central and South America.

To grow this Araceae family plant, you’ll need best soil for Syngonium plants. It does well in well-drained soil that retains required moisture and include enriching nutrients in it.

You can either get potting soil mix from local store or make your own potting soil mix for Syngonium plants.

But, before that let write few lines about Syngonium podophyllum, as it is important to know about the plant before growing it.

Know Your Plant – Syngonium Podophyllum

Like other houseplants, Syngonium plant can purify air and add aesthetic appeal to your space.

Syngonium podophyllum is a climbing vine that does well even with little care.

• Arrowhead plant prefers neutral to acidic soil.
• Most houseplant dies due to overwatering rather than underwatering. To avoid, use well-drained potting soil for Syngonium plants.
• Arrowhead vine needs medium bright sunlight and can survive in partial shade.
• Ideal temperature to grow this houseplant is above 60F.
• Syngonium podophyllum prefers humid and warm environment to grow. Choose a room in your house that gets ample amount of light, heat and humidity.
• Water your Syngonium plants only when top layer of the soil is dry. In colder climates, reduce watering frequency to avoid overwatering.
• You need to fertilize these plants once in a month using balanced liquid fertilizer.

Excellent thing is you can easily propagate Syngonium plant using stems.

Due to its rapid growth rate, you might need to repot the plant frequently to avoid root bound.

Best Soil for Syngonium Plant

Before you rush to local store or buy online for potting soil mix, you must check the characteristics of the soil.

Most important aspects are: fertility, good texture, water retention ability and good aeration.

Kind of soil you choose for growing Syngonium plant will have major impact on the plant health.

1. Soil should be well-drained

Overwatering is the main culprit of dying houseplants. Same goes with this American evergreen plant.

Your potting soil should contain sand, perlite, vermiculite and garden soil along with old compost. These ingredients are known to provide good aeration and remove excess water from the container.

2. Your soil should retain required moisture

Soil water holding capacity is very crucial for your plant growth. It is the amount of water your potting soil can be able to hold so that plant can use it.

Adding organic matter and improving soil texture can increase water retention capacity of your garden or potting soil.

Else, the plant may undergo underwatering issues and the plant leaves turn yellow.

3. Soil aeration to enhance nutritional uptake and microbial activity

To drain excess water easily, potting soil should be well aerated. This reduces soil compaction and allows plant roots to breathe easily.

It enhances absorption of nutrients from the soil. Overall, good aeration of potting soil promotes healthy growth of Syngonium plant.

4. Soil must be fertile

It is a known fact that plant needs essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to form stems, leaves and to carry out growth, reproduction and development.

While most potting soil mixes need old compost, you can also add your homemade compost to the plant hole. This gives the initial boost for the plant to grow.

5. Soil pH impacts the availability of nutrients

Syngonium podophyllum needs acidic soil to thrive. Test your soil pH and it should range from 5.5-6.5.

Some nutrients are more available in acidic soil, however most mineral nutrients can be found when the soil is neutral.

In simple words, soil pH impacts the amount of nutrients soluble, so that it can be absorbed up plant roots.

Don’t miss this: How to Make Syngonium Pink Splash More Pink?

How to Make Your Own Potting Soil Mix for Arrowhead Plant?

Soil available in your garden though rich in nutrients, it may in some cases result in excess water or overwatering.

This is why most container gardeners prefer potting soil mix that is known to drain well and retain moisture at the same time.

You can opt for store available potting soil mixed that can efficiently drain water and give required support for your Syngonium plant.

But, as a gardener I’d like to make my own potting soil mix. So let’s check important ingredients that can significantly improve soil texture and water draining ability.

Below listed are few soil amendments to make best potting soil mix.

Peat Moss

It is a product of sphagnum moss and some organic material that didn’t decay completely.

Peat moss is prominent to hold moisture and slowly release when needed. It also improves soil texture improving aeration.

As Syngonium plant like neutral to acidic soil, adding peat moss can improve soil’s acidity.

But, as it is nonrenewable resource, most gardeners choose coconut coir instead of peat moss.

Coco Coir

If you’re looking for renewable resource, then coconut coir is the best go.

Apart from its water retention ability, it has neutral pH that makes it ideal to use for any plant.

Highly porous characteristic of coco coir improves soil aeration by allowing ample amount of air flow and avoid root rotting.

It can also hold nutrients and release it slowly to the plant roots.

It suppresses weed growth and it adds organic matter that decomposes slowly.

Perlite

This soil amendment provides good structure for your soil, which is very important for healthy growth of the plant.

Adding perlite improves soil aeration, its draining ability and allows plants to establish stronger roots.

Being pH neutral, it suits for all houseplants including arrowhead.

As it can’t be decomposed, it will give long lasting benefits for your houseplant.

Depending on the plant needs, increase or reduce the proportion of perlite in potting soil mix.

Vermiculite

It is known to increase water retention ability of the potting soil and attract essential nutrients that benefit the Syngonium plant.

• Though it is pH neutral, it can raise soil pH.
• It is natural mineral and it won’t decompose in soil.
• This additive improves draining ability of the potting soil.

Old Compost Manure or Vermicompost

Adding compost has lots of benefits of the plant.

It has essential key nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients give initial boost to Syngonium cutting and in formation of its leaves.

• Apart from nutrients, compost also adds organic matter to the soil.
• It improves soil aeration and water retention capacity.
• Composting attracts helpful organisms that help in decomposing organic matter.
• It avoids soil erosion.

Soil

Add some potting soil or garden soil mixed with sand. Along with coco coir or any of the additives listed above it can improve soil texture and easily drain excess water.

Most gardeners recommend proper potting soil instead of garden soil, as it can make the soil compact with reduced aeration.

Add builder’s sand or coarse sand to be mixed with potting soil. This will improve soil aeration and draining ability of it.

But, excess proportion can result in underwatering plants.

Best Soil Mix Recipes for Syngonium Podophyllum

Below mentioned are homemade potting soil mix recipes that you can use to grow arrowhead plant.

Potting Soil Mix Recipe: 1

• Potting soil – 2 parts
• Coco coir – 1 part
• Charcoal – 1 part

Charcoal is one of the best amendments to the soil that improves water holding capacity of the potting mix.

Potting Soil Mix Recipe: 2

• Potting soil – 3 parts
• Coconut coir – 2 parts
• Perlite – 1 part

Instead of perlite you can also use pumice; it improves water draining ability of the soil.

Potting Soil Mix Recipe: 3

• Potting Soil – 1 part
• Coco coir – 1 part
• Orchid bark – 1 part

Chunky barks of orchid bark, improves soil aeration and reduce soil compaction.

Potting Soil Mix Recipe: 4

• 2 parts of potting soil
• 1 part of sand
• 1 part of perlite
• 1 part of old compost

You can make your own potting mix recipe. Just ensure it drains well and able to retain required moisture.

If you’re using garden soil, then mix sand to improve soil structure and aeration. Along with it use coco coir and compost.

Note: Using garden soil alone to grow houseplants isn’t recommended, as it can result in compacted soil.

What are the Signs of Using Wrong Soil for Arrowhead Plants?

Syngonium plant leaves show signs of yellowing, wilting or drooping if you’re using wrong potting soil.

With every sign you can diagnose the problem and revive the plant.

• Yellowing leaves: If your soil has poor drainage ability or lack of nutrients then it can lead to discolored foliage.
• Stunted plant growth: Soil with no aeration can often hinder root development, which results in stunted plant growth.
• Root rot: When potting soil fails to drain excess water; it leads to overwatering, which eventually results in yellow leaves, stunted growth and rotting of plant roots.
• Wilting or drooping of leaves: Plant show this adverse signs when it undergoes stress. It could be due to regular watering or lack of nutrients in the soil. In some cases, even after fertilizing due to inappropriate soil roots won’t be able to uptake nutrients.
• Leaf curling: Too much sunlight often makes leaves to curl. Also wrong potting soil can leads to curling of leaves.
• Fungal disease: Due to excess water in the container, fungal infestation gets triggered. If left ignored, it can result in various diseases.
• Nutrient deficiency: Apart from draining ability, soil should provide essential nutrients for the plant growth. This is why you’re advised to add compost to the potting soil mix.

To revive the arrowhead plant, you might have to repot the plant to potting soil mix that drains well.

As this plant is known to grow quickly, you should repot it once in every 2-4 years to avoid root bound.

How to know if your plant is root bound?

If you notice plant roots through drainage hole or plant isn’t growing, then you can say it might have root bound issue.

What Type Of Pot Is Best For Syngonium Plant?

Overwatering is the most common issue among houseplants. Syngonium podophyllum is also susceptible to this issue.

Apart from using well-drained soil, you can use terracotta pot or clay pot. These containers are known to absorb extra moisture and avoid excess water sitting at the bottom.

This doesn’t mean, you shouldn’t use ceramic pots. You can use, but ensure you water Syngonium plant only when top 2 inches of soil is dry. While watering Syngonium check the excess water is drained out of the hole.

I forgot to mention, your container should have a drainage hole.

Conclusion

If you didn’t skip intro part, then you already know Syngonium plants need well-drained and water retentive potting soil.

While choosing soil for Syngonium plant, check soil additives in it. Coco coir, compost, perlite or peat moss along with potting soil ensures the soil is best to grow arrowhead plant.

You can bring plain potting soil mix from store and add perlite to it. This will ensure the soil drain excess water.