I wasted $60 on a fancy potting mix that killed my peace lily

I bought this expensive organic potting mix from a local nursery in Portland (you know, the kind with the fancy bag and promises of perfect drainage). Thought I was treating my peace lily to the good stuff, but three weeks later the leaves were all yellow and droopy. Turns out it was way too dense and held onto water like a sponge, basically drowning the poor thing. I lost the whole plant, plus the $15 I paid for the peace lily originally. Has anyone else had a bad experience with those boutique soil blends that look too good to be true?

3 comments

3 Comments

tylerr392mo ago

Fancy bag, promises of perfect drainage" - sounds like you paid $60 for a swamp in a sack.

cameron_owens492mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain. I once spent $40 on a "specialty cactus mix" that turned out to be basically just wet sand in a bag. My cactus died slower than usual, which I guess was progress? At least your peace lily got a fancy funeral.

the_uma5d ago

Drain the saucer under the pot right after watering so the roots aren't sitting in water, that's usually the real killer. I almost lost my own peace lily before I figured out they're dramatic divas about wet feet but also need consistent moisture. Let the top inch of soil dry out before watering again and you should see new growth in a few weeks.