The soil your money plant grows in is the medium that supports its roots, provides nutrients, retains moisture, and allows gas exchange at the root level. Getting the soil right creates conditions where everything else in care becomes easier — watering, fertilizing, and preventing root problems all become more manageable when the soil has the right properties.
The good news is that money plants are not demanding about their soil. They do not require exotic or expensive substrates. What they do require is specific properties that are easy to achieve once you understand what you are aiming for.
The Four Properties Money Plant Soil Must Have
1. Free drainage
When you water your money plant thoroughly, the excess water must drain quickly and completely from the pot. The soil should not hold water in a permanently saturated state. Good drainage is the single most important soil property for money plants because it is the primary protection against root rot — the most common cause of money plant death. A well-draining soil provides space for both water and air in the root zone, giving roots the oxygen they need for respiration.
2. Good aeration
Even after watering, the soil should contain significant air space between soil particles. This air space — typically called pore space — is where roots breathe. Roots consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide just as any other living tissue does, and they need a direct pathway for these gases to move in and out of the soil. Compacted, dense soils block gas exchange and create anaerobic conditions that promote the pathogens responsible for root rot.
3. Moderate moisture retention
While drainage and aeration are critical, the soil should not drain so rapidly that roots cannot access water at all. Money plants need moisture available to their roots between waterings. The ideal soil holds enough water to supply roots for 7 to 10 days in normal growing conditions, then becomes dry enough to prompt the next watering. Coco coir and organic potting mix components provide this moisture-holding capacity while allowing drainage of excess water.
4. Slightly acidic pH (6.0 to 6.5)
Soil pH affects the availability of nutrients to plant roots. At a pH of 6.0 to 6.5, the macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) and most micronutrients (iron, manganese, zinc) are highly available to money plant roots. As pH rises above 7.0 (alkaline conditions), iron and manganese availability drops significantly and deficiency symptoms appear even when these nutrients are present in the soil. Most standard commercial potting mixes are formulated to fall in the appropriate acidic range.
The DIY Money Plant Soil Recipe
Making your own money plant potting mix is simple and produces excellent results. Here is the recipe used by experienced indoor gardeners:
Standard recipe
- 2 parts standard commercial potting soil: Provides the organic matter, nutrients, and moisture-holding capacity. Use a general indoor potting mix, not a seed-starting mix (too fine) and not garden soil (too heavy).
- 1 part perlite: White volcanic mineral granules that dramatically improve drainage and aeration without affecting pH. Perlite does not compact or decompose over time. Available at most garden centres in India.
- 1 part coco coir (coconut fibre): Provides excellent moisture retention, is slightly acidic, and has excellent long-term structural stability — it does not break down and compact as quickly as peat moss. Widely available in India at very low cost.
Mix these together thoroughly before using. This 4-part recipe by volume is simple to scale — for a standard 20 cm pot, roughly 2 litres of this mix is needed. Prepare the mix fresh for each repotting to ensure it has not compacted or degraded in storage.
Alternative recipe using coarse sand
If perlite is not available in your area, coarse horticultural sand can substitute. Use 2 parts standard potting soil, 1 part coarse sand, and 1 part coco coir. Ensure the sand is coarse and gritty — not fine beach or building sand. Fine sand actually worsens soil structure by filling the air pockets between particles, creating a compacted dense layer that drains poorly. Coarse sand maintains large particle gaps that improve drainage.
Evaluating Commercial Potting Mixes
Many commercial potting mixes available in India can work well for money plants, but some require modification. Here is what to look for and what to watch out for when buying a pre-mixed product.
Good indicators
- Mix contains visible coarse material — perlite, vermiculite, or bark chips — indicating good drainage properties
- Labelled as "well-draining" or "for tropical plants" or "for indoor plants"
- Dark, earthy colour with loose, crumbly texture — not clumpy or compressed
- pH stated as 5.5 to 7.0 on the package
- Does not feel excessively heavy for its volume when dry
Warning signs
- Mix is very fine-textured and dense, like compacted garden soil
- Contains visible large amounts of non-decomposed materials or materials with unpleasant smell
- Feels very heavy and clay-like when squeezed
- Water sits on the surface for a long time rather than draining quickly when tested
Even a good commercial potting mix usually benefits from the addition of 20 to 30 percent perlite before use in money plant pots. This small modification significantly improves drainage and aeration and reduces the risk of overwatering-related issues.
Soil Additives to Enhance Money Plant Performance
Perlite
The single best addition to any money plant soil mix. Perlite is lightweight, sterile, pH neutral, and dramatically improves both drainage and aeration. Use at 20 to 30 percent of total mix volume. More than 40 percent perlite reduces moisture-holding capacity and makes the mix drain too rapidly, requiring very frequent watering.
Coco coir
Coco coir (coconut pith fibre) is an excellent, sustainable alternative to peat moss. It is slightly acidic, holds moisture well without becoming waterlogged, resists compaction, and has excellent long-term structural stability. Unlike peat moss, which is a non-renewable resource, coco coir is a by-product of coconut processing and is abundantly available in India at low cost. Use at 15 to 25 percent of total mix volume.
Orchid bark or pine bark chips
Adding 10 to 15 percent small bark chips to a potting mix improves aeration and drainage, slows compaction, and adds a coarse texture that money plant roots grip well. This is particularly useful for plants that will stay in the same pot for 2 or more years, as the bark chips help maintain soil structure over time as other organic components break down.
Worm castings
Adding 10 to 15 percent worm castings (vermicompost) to a money plant mix provides a slow-release source of balanced nutrients, improves soil microbiology, and enhances moisture retention mildly. Worm castings are one of the gentlest and most beneficial soil amendments available. They will not burn roots even in higher concentrations and are particularly useful in mixes intended for plants that will not be fertilized regularly.
Soils and Substrates to Avoid
Garden soil or topsoil
Garden soil is formulated by nature for in-ground planting, not for containers. In a pot, garden soil compacts progressively, blocking air exchange and causing drainage failure. It also commonly contains pests, disease organisms, and weed seeds that are problematic in indoor environments. Never use garden soil alone in a money plant pot.
Seed-starting mix or seedling soil
Seed-starting mixes are very fine-textured and highly moisture-retentive, designed to keep tiny seeds moist during germination. These properties make them poor choices for established money plants as they retain too much moisture and compact easily in larger pots, creating the waterlogged conditions that promote root rot.
Fine sand
Fine beach sand, building sand, or play sand is harmful to soil structure when used in potting mixes. Its tiny particles fill the air gaps between soil particles rather than improving drainage, effectively compacting the mix and worsening both drainage and aeration. Always use coarse, gritty horticultural sand if you are using sand as a drainage amendment.
Dense, unmodified peat-heavy commercial mixes
Some cheaper commercial potting mixes consist almost entirely of compressed peat moss with very little drainage material. These mixes work well when fresh but become water-retentive and difficult to manage as the peat breaks down over time. If you use these, add 25 to 30 percent perlite to counteract their water-holding tendency.
Soil Maintenance Between Repottings
Even with a good starting mix, soil quality degrades over time. These practices maintain soil health between repotting cycles.
Periodic deep flushing
Every 3 to 4 months, water your money plant with a much larger volume of water than usual — several times the pot volume — very slowly, allowing it to flow thoroughly through the entire soil mass and drain out the bottom. This flushes accumulated mineral salts (from tap water and fertilizer) from the soil before they build up to levels that affect pH or create toxic conditions for roots.
Top dressing
Periodically adding a thin layer (1 to 2 cm) of fresh potting mix or worm castings to the top of the soil replenishes organic matter and micronutrients that have been depleted from the top soil layer. This does not replace repotting but extends the productive life of the existing soil between full repotting cycles.
Loosening compacted surface
After months of watering, the top surface of soil can form a hard crust that repels water and reduces air exchange. Gently loosen the top 2 to 3 cm of soil with a chopstick or skewer every 2 to 3 months. Avoid disturbing roots close to the surface. This simple maintenance step improves both water penetration and root zone aeration significantly.