Potting Mix for Houseplants in Morocco: The Complete Guide (Potting Soil, Compost, Perlite, Pozzolana, Biochar)
The potting mix is the unseen part of the plant, and the most decisive. It decides whether the roots breathe, drink their fill or rot. Yet it’s often chosen at random, from a bag of “potting soil” whose contents are a mystery. This guide brings together the essentials: what a potting mix is for, which ingredients make it up, how to proportion them, and what Morocco’s climate and water change about the general rules.
Guide written by the Instant T studio in Rabat, updated in October 2026.
At a glance
A good potting mix does three things: holds water, lets air through, and feeds and anchors the plant. For most tropical houseplants, start with roughly equal parts rich material (indoor potting soil, which you can blend with sieved mature compost), fibres (coco chips, bark) and draining material (perlite, pozzolana), then adjust to the plant, the pot and your watering. Avoid garden soil, fine sand and layers of pebbles at the bottom of the pot.
Cacti and succulents: a very mineral mix, roughly 2/3 mineral to 1/3 rich material.
Orchids: bark, no potting soil.
Calathea, ferns: more water retention (vermiculite, coco), without stagnation.
In Morocco: hard water crusts up potting mixes, and heat and air conditioning dry them out fast; an airy mix and regular flushing make the difference.
A growing medium is anything a plant grows in: the term is broader than “potting soil” and covers a ready-to-use blend just as much as a mix of individual ingredients. Potting soil is a blend ready for repotting. Garden soil is neither.
In a pot, garden soil causes three problems: it compacts, driving out air and suffocating the roots; it holds water unevenly; and it may contain seeds, fungi and pests. Garden soil works thanks to its volume, depth and biological life, which a pot can’t reproduce. A mix designed for containers is the better choice.
The three functions of a potting mix
Function
What it means
What provides it
Holding water
Keeping moisture available to the roots between waterings
Coco fibre, compost, vermiculite, biochar
Letting air through
Keeping gaps where oxygen can circulate
Perlite, pozzolana, bark, coco chips
Feeding and anchoring
Supplying nutrients and holding the plant steady
Compost, potting soil, fertiliser; the mass and weight of the mix
The whole art of potting mix is a balance between water and air. Too much water and not enough air: the roots rot. The reverse: the plant dries out. Each ingredient moves the slider one way, which is why it pays to combine them. The right balance depends on the plant: see which potting mix for which plant.
Indicative prices as of October 2026, for the 1-litre size (except biochar: see the product page). The 2- and 5-litre sizes work out cheaper per litre.
Indoor potting soil
It’s the base of most mixes. Its quality depends on its composition, which the label should spell out: see reading a potting soil label. On its own, shop-bought potting soil often compacts and holds a lot of water: it’s improved with fibres and draining materials.
Compost
Compost is plant matter broken down by micro-organisms. It provides organic matter, water retention and slow-release nutrients. For indoor use it must be mature and sieved: young compost gives off ammonia that burns roots and attracts gnats. It goes into a mix as an ingredient, usually between 10 and 30% of the volume when it complements a potting soil, rarely on its own. All the details are in our article on compost.
Coco chips
These pieces of coconut husk aerate the mix and hold some moisture without making it soggy. Soak the chips for a few minutes before use: they swell and lose some of their salts. They’re a renewable plant by-product that breaks down slowly.
Bark
It adds body and aeration. Essential for orchids and aerial-rooted plants (some Philodendrons, Anthuriums), it also improves mixes for climbing aroids.
Perlite
Expanded volcanic glass: white, light and porous. It aerates and drains but holds little water. It doesn’t feed. It rises to the surface when you water — that’s normal.
Vermiculite
A mica-type mineral expanded by heat, which holds water and nutrients and releases them gradually. Ideal for seedlings, cuttings and plants that like to stay moist. In excess, it compacts.
Pozzolana
A porous, heavy, angular volcanic rock. It drains for the long term, doesn’t compact and weighs down large pots. It’s the go-to ingredient for cacti. Spread on the surface, it reduces evaporation.
Biochar
A porous plant-based charcoal. Its structure holds some water and nutrients and provides a home for microbial life. Our horticultural biochar is made in Morocco from olive-growing by-products. It is “charged” before use (mixed with mature compost, or soaked in diluted organic fertiliser). Its effects depend on the starting potting soil, the plant and the dose: see our article on biochar.
Clay pebbles
Useful as a mulch, as a bed under a pot inside a planter, or mixed in a small proportion. Not at the bottom of the pot: a layer of pebbles doesn’t drain — we explain why here.
The comparison of perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana and coco chips is detailed in their dedicated guide.
What about peat?
Peat is the base material of most shop-bought potting soils: light, highly absorbent, almost sterile and very acidic. But it’s extracted from peat bogs, habitats that store huge amounts of carbon. Draining them to harvest the peat releases that carbon. That’s why we champion compost, fibres and draining materials in its place for everyday repotting. The reasons, figures and alternatives are in our article on compost. To spot peat on a bag, see reading a potting soil label.
What proportions?
There’s no universal recipe, only starting points. For a tropical foliage houseplant (Monstera, Philodendron, Pothos), start with:
one third rich material (indoor potting soil, which you can blend with sieved mature compost);
one third fibres (coco chips, fine bark);
one third draining material (perlite, pozzolana).
Then adjust: more draining material for plants that dislike wet feet; more fibres and rich material for those that like to stay moist. A small handful of charged biochar can round it all off.
Plant
Adjustment
Monstera, Philodendron, Pothos
Basic mix, more bark for climbers
Calathea, Maranta, ferns
More rich material, vermiculite or coco
Alocasia, Anthurium
A light, rich, airy mix
Ficus, Dracaena
Two parts rich material, one part bark, one part perlite or pozzolana (stability for large pots)
Peperomia, Hoya, Zamioculcas
More perlite, less rich material
Cacti, succulents
Two thirds mineral (pozzolana and perlite), one third rich material
Potting mix advice is often written for temperate climates and soft water. In Morocco, three factors shift the rules.
Hard water
Tap water is hard in many Moroccan cities. With every watering it deposits salts in the potting mix: a white crust on the surface, rising pH, scorched leaf tips on sensitive plants (Calathea, Maranta). An airy mix, an occasional flush — at the change of season, for example (water generously until it runs out of the holes, to wash out some of the salts) — and, where possible, rainwater or filtered water limit the problem. It’s all explained in tap water and your plants.
Heat and air conditioning
A hot summer and constant air conditioning dry potting mixes quickly. A breathable terracotta pot speeds up evaporation even more. Conversely, in winter, with reduced light and coastal humidity, a mix can stay damp for a long time: you then need an airier mix and less frequent watering. These rhythms are described in when to water, autumn and winter care and plants in an air-conditioned office.
Locally available materials
Some materials are produced in Morocco (olive-wood biochar, for example); others are imported. When choosing, check the origin and composition: see reading a potting soil label.
Prices are in the potting mixes category. For example, the Home Potting Mix Kit is 115 MAD and the Cactus and Succulent Kit is 90 MAD. A 16 cm pot needs about one litre of fresh potting mix, a 25 cm pot three to four litres: see the calculation in our repotting guide.
How to judge a potting mix
Three simple tests, no equipment needed:
The handful test. Squeeze a handful of moist mix. It should hold a loose shape, then crumble at a touch. If it forms a paste, it’s too dense. If it doesn’t hold together at all, it’s too dry or too mineral.
The watering test. Water should soak in within ten seconds or so and come out of the holes. If it sits on the surface for more than about fifteen seconds, the mix is probably compacted.
The drying test. The mix should dry out within a few days to a week, depending on the plant, not over several weeks. Touch it rather than following a schedule: see when to water.
When to change the potting mix?
Usually every one to three years: the mix compacts, becomes depleted and holds water differently. Signs that it’s time to repot: water runs straight through or sits on top, a hard crust forms, the mix pulls away from the sides, roots come out of the holes. Between repottings, top-dressing (removing the top three to five centimetres and replacing them) gives it a little new life. The steps are in our repotting guide.
Feeding the potting mix
Fresh potting mix contains nutrients for a few weeks. After that, the plant needs topping up during the growing season, from spring to late summer. A few fertilisers from our shop:
liquid compost tea, which feeds the roots and the life in the potting mix;
and, for foliage care, ready-to-use black soap for plants, which keeps it clean and protects it from pests.
The Plant Care Kit brings together our three care products: compost tea root feed, seaweed foliar feed and black soap for plants. Proper use and dosages are in our fertiliser guide. Fertiliser doesn’t make up for a lack of light or poor watering.
Seedlings and cuttings: vermiculite and perlite, a fine, light mix.
Terrariums: a mix suited to a closed space, which we teach in our workshops.
Kokedama: a ball of enriched potting mix and moss, watered by soaking.
Indoor bonsai: a very free-draining, structured mix, with careful watering.
The classic mistakes
Repotting in garden soil.
Using fine or beach sand, which clogs or brings in salt.
Putting pebbles or gravel at the bottom of the pot.
Choosing a pot that’s too big and a mix that stays wet.
Pressing the mix down hard.
Using all-purpose compost for everything, including cacti and orchids.
Using young compost in pots.
Feeding straight away after repotting.
Ignoring hard water, which crusts up the mix.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best potting mix for houseplants?
There isn’t just one. For tropical foliage plants, a mix of equal parts rich material (potting soil, possibly blended with mature compost), fibres (coco, bark) and draining material (perlite, pozzolana). For cacti, a very mineral mix. For orchids, bark.
Is all-purpose compost enough?
It suits many plants, but it’s often dense and holds moisture. For tropical houseplants, it’s better improved with fibres and perlite. See all-purpose compost or Signature Potting Mix.
Can I make my own potting mix?
Yes, with a rich base and two or three ingredients. The Home Potting Mix Kit brings together the four basic ingredients.
Perlite or pozzolana?
Both drain. Perlite is light and aerates; pozzolana is heavy, long-lasting and steadies large pots. See our comparison.
How much potting mix should I buy?
About half the volume of the new pot: one litre for a 16 cm pot, three to four litres for a 25 cm pot.
Why has my potting mix gone hard?
It has compacted, or limescale from the water has formed a crust. Scratch the surface, flush thoroughly, and repot if the problem persists.
Is sand suitable for houseplants?
Not fine sand, which fills the pores of the mix. Choose perlite or pozzolana instead. Beach sand should never be used (salt).
Where can I find potting mixes and ingredients in Rabat?
In our online shop, with delivery (40 MAD) or collection from the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour, Aviation district, Rabat. Tell us your plant and your pot and we’ll recommend the right mix.
Not sure about a mix? Tell us your plant and your pot on WhatsApp at 06 61 05 26 38. The studio is at 6 Rue Zemmour, Aviation district, Rabat, Monday to Saturday, 11am to 3pm; see also our workshops.
Biochar: what does it really do in your plants’ potting mix?
The word is showing up more and more on bags of potting soil, with promises ranging from “living soil” to “exceptional growth”. We use it in our Signature Potting Mix, and we’re preparing to launch our own brand, Olivette Biochar. In other words, we know it well — and we’d rather tell you what it actually does, without the magic.
What it is, and what it isn’t
Biochar is a plant-based charcoal made by heating biomass (wood, fruit stones, crop residues) to a high temperature with very little oxygen. This process is called pyrolysis. Instead of burning, the material turns into a solid, black, light and very porous form of carbon.
It shouldn’t be confused with barbecue charcoal, which often contains binders and lighting agents, nor with activated charcoal, which is further treated to trap molecules and used in filtration. Biochar is intended for soil.
The idea isn’t new. In the Amazon, dark soils called terra preta, enriched centuries ago with charcoal and organic waste, are still far more fertile today than the land around them. Modern biochar is their heir.
What it does in a pot
Its secret is its structure. A particle of biochar is riddled with tiny pores: for the same volume, its surface area is enormous. This has several effects.
It holds water in its pores and releases it gradually, smoothing out the swings between waterings.
It holds nutrients on its surface that would otherwise be washed out through the drainage holes.
It keeps the potting mix airy. Unlike organic matter, which breaks down and compacts, biochar is very stable: it keeps its structure for years.
It shelters microbial life. Its pores are a refuge for the useful bacteria and fungi in the potting mix.
It locks in carbon. Instead of returning to the atmosphere as the plant material decomposes, the carbon stays stored in a very stable form.
What it doesn’t do
This needs saying clearly, because it’s where the promises go off the rails.
It isn’t a fertiliser. Biochar on its own provides almost no usable nutrients.
It doesn’t replace good watering or good light. A badly placed plant won’t be saved by an additive.
Its effect is modest in a potting mix that’s already good. In a 2022 study carried out on a quality potting mix, adding 4% biochar increased water-holding capacity by around 21%, without any significant improvement in the growth of the plants tested. It mainly helps poor mixes, ones that drain too fast or ones that compact.
The point many people forget: it needs “charging”
New biochar is “empty”: its pores contain neither nutrients nor micro-organisms. Mixed straight into potting soil, it can at first hold some nutrients for itself rather than for the plant.
You avoid this by charging it before use: leave it to soak for one to three days in compost tea or diluted organic fertiliser, or mix it with compost. It then fills up with nutrients and micro-organisms and becomes a reservoir rather than a competitor. That’s one reason it is naturally paired with compost in a mix — we come back to this in our article on compost. Our liquid compost tea can be used for this.
What dose?
Recommendations vary by source and type of biochar, but the most common guideline for potted plants is 5 to 10% of the volume of the mix. Some mixes contain more, up to around twenty per cent, but then you need to know your biochar well.
Beyond that, side effects appear. A study on flower pots found that with 15% biochar or more, flowering decreased: the biochar had raised the pH and reduced the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus. The principle is simple: start low.
Watch the pH, especially with Moroccan tap water
Depending on the raw material and the production temperature, a biochar is neutral or, more often, alkaline. That’s something to watch here: our tap water is already hard, and it gradually makes potting mix more alkaline. Combining a very alkaline biochar with hard water isn’t ideal for plants that prefer a slightly acidic mix.
If in doubt, choose a biochar whose maker states its pH, and stick to moderate doses.
How to recognise a quality biochar
A known raw material: untreated wood or biomass, with no paint, glue or chemical residues.
A controlled particle size: neither fine dust that clogs the mix nor large chunks unsuited to a small pot.
A stated pH, and ideally analyses available. Some biochars are certified, for example under the European Biochar Certificate.
Genuine pyrolysis: wood simply burned in the open air doesn’t have the same properties.
In practice, for your plants
Biochar is mixed in when repotting, through the potting mix. Sprinkling it on the surface of an established pot does very little: it will only work its way down very slowly.
It suits most houseplants at moderate doses. For cacti and succulents, which want a very free-draining mix, use little or none, precisely because it holds water.
A potting mix containing biochar, compost or vermiculite holds more water than a mineral mix, which changes the watering rhythm. The right answer isn’t a schedule, it’s touching the soil — which is the subject of our article on when to water.
We use biochar in our Signature Potting Mix and are preparing to launch Olivette Biochar. To choose the right potting mix for your plants, see all-purpose compost or Signature Potting Mix, or drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat.
When should you water your plants? Forget the calendar, touch the soil
“Water on Sundays.” “Twice a week in summer, once in winter.” “Every ten days.” This advice circulates on plant labels, in articles and in conversation. It all has the same flaw: it claims a precision it doesn’t have.
Prescribing a fixed watering day is like serving everyone the same portion without checking who’s hungry. A plant doesn’t know what day it is. It responds to the light it receives, the warmth of the room, the size of its pot and the mix it lives in. All of that changes from one home to another, from one season to the next, sometimes from one week to the next.
Why no schedule works
The same plant in two homes doesn’t have the same needs. What sets the rhythm:
Light. The more there is, the harder the plant works and the more water it uses. Our guide to light levels helps you assess your spots.
Temperature and air. A warm, ventilated or air-conditioned room dries the potting mix much faster.
The pot. Porous terracotta lets water evaporate; plastic and glazed ceramic hold it in.
The potting mix. An airy mix dries quickly; a mix rich in compost, biochar or vermiculite stays moist for much longer.
The size of the plant. Large foliage transpires more than a small rosette.
The season. It’s not unusual for the same plant to go from a few days to several weeks between waterings from one season to the next.
A schedule ignores all of this. It works by accident, for a few plants, in a few homes — and it drowns the rest.
The right question
The question isn’t “which day?” but “is the potting mix dry at the depth that matters?” You answer it with your hands and eyes, in thirty seconds.
The finger test
Push a finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. It’s the most reliable test there is, and it’s free. What you find depends on the plant:
Tropical foliage plants (Monstera, Philodendron, Pothos, Ficus): water when the top two or three centimetres are dry.
Plants that like to stay moist (Calathea, Maranta, ferns, Spathiphyllum): water as soon as the top starts to dry, without waiting for the whole pot to dry out.
Plants with reserves (Zamioculcas, Sansevieria, cacti, succulents): wait until the pot is dry all the way down.
The weight of the pot
Lift the pot just after a good watering: it’s heavy. Lift it a few days later: it’s noticeably lighter. With a little practice, your hand learns the difference and you can tell how moist it is without touching anything. It’s the most useful method for large pots, where your finger can’t reach the bottom.
The stick
A wooden skewer pushed to the bottom of the pot and pulled out tells you about the whole depth: clean and dry, the mix is dry; dark with soil stuck to it, it’s still moist.
How the soil looks
Dry potting mix is paler, crumbly and sometimes pulls away from the sides of the pot. Moist mix is darker and glossier. This varies with the mix, which is why it helps to compare it with how it looks just after watering.
The plant itself
Some plants warn you: Pothos and Spathiphyllum droop when they’re thirsty and perk up within a few hours of watering. But beware: drooping leaves can also signal too much water, when the roots are rotting. Before watering a wilting plant, always check the soil.
The moisture meters sold for a few dirhams are often unreliable. Your finger is better, and it never breaks down.
How to water well
Water thoroughly, until water runs out of the drainage holes. Small daily sips only wet the surface and encourage shallow roots.
Empty the saucer after a quarter of an hour. A pot sitting in water suffocates its roots.
Use a pot with drainage holes. A planter without drainage is the number one cause of plants rotting in silence.
Water in the morning if you can, with water at room temperature.
If the potting mix has gone hard and water runs down the sides without soaking in, water from below: stand the pot in a tub of water for a quarter of an hour, then let it drain.
Watering out of habit, because it’s Sunday, without looking at the soil.
Watering a wilting plant without checking it isn’t already soaked.
Watering every plant on the same day, with the same amount, when a Zamioculcas and a Spathiphyllum have nothing in common.
Blindly following the label. It gives an average for a home that doesn’t exist.
Not adjusting in winter. We cover this in our article on autumn and winter care: the number one cause of death isn’t cold, it’s water.
If you really need a reminder
Some people like a ritual, and that’s fine. Just do it differently: set a reminder to look at your plants, not to water them. A weekly round, a finger in each pot, is enough to know which ones need water that day — and which can wait.
After a few weeks, you won’t need the reminder any more. You’ll know how to read your plants, and that’s what matters.
Unsure about a plant that’s declining? Drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat: we’ll look at the soil, the pot and the light together.
Bright, indirect, soft: what these light terms mean for your plants
The label on a Monstera says “bright but indirect light”. On a Pothos: “soft light”. On a Calathea: “partial shade”. Then you look around your living room and have no idea where to put what.
The problem is real: these terms have no official definition. Every brand and every website uses them in its own way. This article sets out a simple scale, a test you can do at home and some pointers for reading your windows.
Why light comes before everything else
A plant makes its energy from light. It’s its only source of food. Fertiliser doesn’t replace light, and perfect watering won’t save a plant kept in the dark. So when a plant declines, the first thing to check is its position — before water and before fertiliser.
It also explains the watering rhythm: the more light a plant receives, the more water it uses. The two are adjusted together — see our article on when to water.
The five-level scale
1. Direct sun
The sun’s rays touch the leaves directly for several hours. Shadows are crisp, with sharp edges. This is what cacti, succulents and aloe vera need. Most tropical houseplants cope with it poorly: behind glass, direct afternoon sun can scorch their foliage.
2. Bright indirect light
The space is very bright, but the rays don’t reach the leaves — either because a sheer curtain filters them, or because the plant is one or two metres from a large sunny window. This is what labels call “bright but indirect light”, the best situation for many popular plants: Monstera, Ficus elastica, Ficus lyrata, Strelitzia.
3. Medium light, or “soft light”
A well-lit room, but with the plants some distance from a window, or near a north-facing window. The word “soft” almost always refers to this level: moderate, constant light without glare. Pothos, Philodendron scandens, Spathiphyllum, Chamaedorea, Calathea, Aglaonema and Chlorophytum thrive here.
4. Low light
A corner far from any window, a corridor with narrow openings, an office with borrowed light. Few plants hold up here: Sansevieria, Zamioculcas and Aspidistra can. Bear in mind that “tolerates” doesn’t mean “likes”: they survive there and grow slowly.
5. Darkness
A windowless room. No plant thrives there without grow lights: over time, it uses up its reserves and fades away.
The hand-shadow test
It needs no equipment. On a bright day, around noon, hold your hand thirty centimetres above the plant’s spot, with a sheet of white paper underneath.
A crisp shadow with sharp edges: strong light, or even direct sun.
A visible shadow with soft edges: bright indirect or medium light.
A blurred, barely visible shadow: low light.
No shadow at all: darkness.
Repeat the test in winter: the same window gives a completely different result.
Reading your windows
In the northern hemisphere, orientation makes a big difference:
South: the brightest, all day long. In summer, the high sun doesn’t reach as far into the room; in winter, it reaches deep inside.
West: strong, hot sun late in the day. It’s the riskiest aspect for leaves behind glass.
East: gentle morning sun, then bright indirect light. One of the best for houseplants.
North: no direct rays, constant moderate-to-low light.
Add what orientation doesn’t tell you: neighbouring buildings, a tree, a balcony casting shade, a pale wall reflecting light, a heavy curtain. And above all distance: intensity drops very quickly as you move away from a window. One more metre can mean one level lower on the scale.
Lux, as a reference
Lux measure illuminance. A few orders of magnitude: full summer sun exceeds 100,000 lux, while a room lit by electric light provides around 300 to 500. That’s why the fluorescent lights in an office do almost nothing for a plant — as we said in our article on plants for dimly lit offices. The light that counts comes from the window.
Phone apps can measure lux, but their results are approximate. The hand-shadow test is more telling.
Which plant for which light
Light level
Typical spot
Plants that thrive there
Direct sun
South or west window, unfiltered
Cacti, succulents, aloe vera
Bright indirect
Near a bright window, sheer curtain, or 1 to 2 m from a sunny window
Sansevieria, Zamioculcas, Aspidistra (they tolerate it, they don’t thrive)
Recognising a badly placed plant
Too much light
Dry brown or whitish patches on exposed leaves: these are burns.
Faded, washed-out-looking leaves.
Leaves that curl or wilt even though the soil is moist.
Potting mix that dries unusually fast.
Not enough light
Long, spindly stems with widely spaced leaves: this is etiolation — the plant is “searching” for light.
Small, pale leaves that yellow and then drop.
Variegation fading: the white areas don’t produce energy, so the plant gives up on them.
The plant leaning markedly towards the window.
Potting mix that stays wet for a very long time, with a risk of root rot as a result.
Following the seasons
Light isn’t the same all year round. In autumn and winter, it drops in intensity and duration: move your plants closer to the windows (see our autumn and winter guide). In summer, move away the ones that direct sun burns, or filter it with a sheer curtain.
Two simple habits complete the picture. Give your pots a quarter turn from time to time, so the plant grows evenly instead of leaning to one side. And wipe dusty leaves: dust forms a film that blocks some of the light.
Mapping the light in your home
Before buying a plant, spend a day observing. At three moments — morning, midday and late afternoon — note where the sun’s rays fall, how far they reach into the room and which areas stay in shade. Take photos if you prefer.
You’ll often find that a spot that’s bright at ten o’clock is dark by noon, or that a corner you thought was dead gets precious low sun late in the day. Repeat the exercise the following season: the sun changes height, and everything shifts.
Moving a plant without burning it
A plant used to moderate light that is suddenly moved into bright sun suffers a shock: its leaves, adapted to low light, scorch. It’s the classic trap of the plant put out on the balcony on the first sunny day.
The principle is to move gradually: a few days in a slightly brighter spot, then a bit brighter again, over one to two weeks. The other way round, a plant moved to a darker corner often drops a few leaves while it adjusts. That’s normal. Don’t water to compensate: in less light, it uses less water.
Four situations we often come across
A south-facing living room with a large picture window. The sun is strong. Keep tropical plants one or two metres from the glass, or filter with a sheer curtain: Monstera, Ficus and Strelitzia thrive there. Cacti and succulents can take the spots closest to the glass.
A bedroom or office with a north-facing window. Moderate, steady light with no risk of scorching. Pothos, Philodendron scandens, Spathiphyllum and Aglaonema are comfortable here.
A bathroom with a small window. Tropical plants love the humidity, but the light is often low. Many plants sold as “bathroom plants” only survive there if the room is bright: do the shadow test before you buy.
A riad or patio. Light comes from above and changes a great deal through the day. Observe for a whole day, and look for the area where the shade is soft rather than the corner that gets direct rays for a few hours.
Three misconceptions
“Indirect light” doesn’t mean “little light”. It’s abundant light whose rays don’t reach the leaves directly.
There’s no such thing as a “shade plant”. There are understorey plants, adapted to filtered light. A plant with no light at all doesn’t live.
A plant that “tolerates” shade doesn’t like it. It survives and grows slowly. If you want to see it flourish, give it more light.
What if natural light is really lacking?
A full-spectrum grow light can make up for it. Place it a few tens of centimetres above the plants, on a timer, switched on for several hours a day. It’s the only way to keep plants alive in a windowless room. For a corner that’s just a little dark, changing the spot or the plant is almost always simpler.
Not sure where to put your plant? Describe the room to us, or drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat. For workspaces, we also offer a free plant assessment.
Organic fertiliser for houseplants: compost tea, seaweed and how to use them
A plant in the garden draws its nutrients from a wide area of soil. A potted plant has a few litres of potting mix, and its reserves run out within a few months. After that, it needs topping up. That’s the job of fertiliser.
The question is which one, when and how. This article covers the subject and describes the two products we develop at the studio: a compost tea for the roots and a seaweed-based feed for the foliage.
Before adding fertiliser: the order of priorities
Fertiliser is a supplement, not a cure. A yellowing plant is far more often the victim of overwatering or a lack of light than of a deficiency. Check in this order:
The potting mix and the water, which is often hard — see tap water.
Only then, nutrition.
Feeding a badly placed or waterlogged plant only makes things worse.
What fertiliser contains
Labels show three numbers, the N-P-K balance:
Nitrogen (N) feeds foliage and growth.
Phosphorus (P) supports roots and flowering.
Potassium (K) strengthens the plant’s overall resilience.
On top of these come trace elements (iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc…), needed in very small amounts but essential. Iron, for example, can be present in the potting mix without being usable by the plant when the pH is too high: that’s iron chlorosis, common with hard water.
Organic or mineral?
A mineral fertiliser (synthetic) provides nutrients that are immediately available, in precise quantities. Its drawback: they are salts. Even a slight overdose builds up in the pot, burns the roots and leaves a white crust.
An organic fertiliser provides nutrients in a form that must first be broken down by the micro-organisms in the potting mix. So it works more gradually, feeds soil life as well as the plant, and carries less risk of burning. On the other hand, it’s less precise, and its effectiveness depends on biological activity in the mix — and so on temperature.
Neither is “better” in itself. But for plants living in your living room, with a small volume of potting mix, organic is more forgiving.
Compost tea: feeding the roots
Compost tea is mature compost steeped in water. It draws out the soluble nutrients in the compost and some of its micro-organisms. It’s applied when watering, at the base of the plant: it’s a root feed.
It provides soluble organic matter, nutrients and micro-organisms that benefit the potting mix. Its effect is gentle and long-lasting. It’s also what’s used to “charge” new biochar before mixing it into potting soil — see our article on biochar.
Our liquid compost tea is designed for this. It’s a living product: store it away from heat and sunlight, and dilute it in your watering water — 8 pumps per litre, after shaking the bottle.
Seaweed: supporting the foliage
Seaweed extracts contain trace elements, sugars and various compounds that help the plant cope better with stress — heat, transplanting, changes in light. They are known as biostimulants.
An important point: they aren’t a complete meal. Their nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content is low. They complement basic nutrition; they don’t replace it.
Root feed goes in with the watering and feeds the plant through the potting mix. It’s the foundation, the basic supply, with a lasting effect.
Foliar feed is sprayed onto the leaves, which absorb it directly. The effect is fast but short-lived. It serves as a boost or to correct a trace-element deficiency, not as the main source of food.
The two work very well together: compost tea for the foundation, seaweed for the foliage.
How to spray a foliar feed
Early in the morning or late in the day, never in full sun: the droplets heat up and scorch the foliage.
On the top and underside of the leaves: most of the stomata — the tiny openings through which the plant absorbs — are on the underside.
As a fine mist, on a healthy plant — not on a parched plant or one under heat stress.
Avoid wetting plants with hairy or powdery leaves (African violets, some succulents): they mark and don’t cope well with moisture on their foliage.
Protect your furniture: products of natural origin can leave marks.
When and how often
During the growing season, from spring to late summer. A resting plant doesn’t use what you give it.
Stop in autumn. As we explain in our autumn and winter guide, feeding a plant that isn’t growing builds up salts that burn the roots.
Small doses, regularly, rather than a large dose occasionally. Always follow the manufacturer’s dilution, and if in doubt, underdose.
Never on dry potting mix: water with plain water first.
Not on a sick or freshly repotted plant. Fresh potting mix already contains nutrients: wait a few weeks.
Recognising a deficiency… or an excess
A deficiency
The older leaves gradually pale and yellow: often a lack of nitrogen.
Yellow young leaves with veins that stay green: a lack of iron, very often linked to the pH of the potting mix and to limescale rather than a genuine absence of iron.
Slow growth and small leaves, despite good light and good watering.
An excess
Brown, dry leaf tips.
A white or yellowish crust on the surface of the potting mix (don’t confuse it with limescale, which looks very similar).
A plant wilting even though the soil is moist: the roots are burnt.
If you’ve overdosed, flush the potting mix: run plenty of lukewarm water through the pot and let it all drain away, several times. Stop feeding for several weeks.
By type of plant
Foliage plants (Monstera, Ficus, Philodendron, Pothos): regular feeding during the growing season, with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Root feed as the base, foliar feed as a supplement.
Flowering plants (Anthurium, Spathiphyllum): a fertiliser slightly richer in phosphorus and potassium while in flower.
Cacti and succulents: very little, only during the growing season, at a reduced dose. They naturally live on poor soils.
Bonsai: a tiny volume of potting mix, so regular, well-measured feeding. Our ready-to-use seaweed foliar feed also suits bonsai, alongside feeding at the roots.
Carnivorous plants: never fertilise their potting mix — it kills them.
The most common organic fertilisers
Compost and compost tea: a gentle supply that also feeds life in the potting mix.
Worm castings (vermicompost): fine, rich and very gentle on roots.
Insect frass: rich in nutrients, without the smell of animal-based fertilisers.
Seaweed extracts: trace elements and biostimulants, as a supplement.
Animal-based fertilisers (guano, hoof and horn, bone meal): effective, but they smell strong. Best kept for outdoor plants.
Coffee grounds, peelings, cooking water: do they work?
These tips do the rounds a lot. The reality is more nuanced.
Coffee grounds left on the potting mix often go mouldy. It’s better to add them to compost, in small amounts.
Peelings buried in a pot rot where they are and attract fungus gnats. Compost them first.
Vegetable cooking water, unsalted and cooled, does no harm, but provides very little.
Why not home-made compost tea?
It’s possible, but demanding: you need perfectly mature compost, unchlorinated water and aeration during preparation. Badly made, compost tea can encourage unwanted bacteria instead of supplying good ones. It’s a product best bought from someone who has mastered it, or prepared with rigour.
Other organic options
Insect frass is another organic fertiliser, rich in nutrients. Our shop offers a natural frass fertiliser for indoor and outdoor plants.
Precautions
“Organic” doesn’t mean risk-free. Keep fertilisers out of reach of children and pets, wash your hands after use, and never mix several products yourself. A living product like compost tea should be stored away from heat and used within the stated time.
Compost and plants: why it improves potting soil and why it replaces peat
Under the trees of a forest, nobody adds fertiliser. Leaves fall, decompose and feed a soft, dark, sweet-smelling soil. Compost is that recipe, sped up and bagged: plant matter transformed into a soil improver that enhances any soil or potting mix.
It is also, increasingly, the answer to a problem horticulture often prefers to keep quiet about: peat. We replaced it with compost in our Signature Potting Mix, and we’re preparing to sell our own compost. Here’s why.
What compost is
Compost is the result of the controlled decomposition of organic matter — garden waste, plant residues — by micro-organisms, in the presence of oxygen. The heap heats up during the active phase, which sanitises it, then cools and matures.
A successful compost no longer looks like its ingredients: it’s a brown, crumbly material that smells of the forest floor. It shouldn’t be confused with potting soil, which is a blend of several components: compost is one ingredient.
Compost, potting soil, humus, earth: making sense of it all
Compost: decomposed organic matter. It’s a soil improver, an ingredient.
Potting soil: a ready-to-use blend for growing (compost, fibres, mineral materials…). Compost is one of its components.
Humus: the stable organic matter in soil, which changes very slowly. Mature compost comes close to it.
Garden soil: the top layer of the ground. Too heavy for pots, it compacts and may contain seeds and pests: we don’t recommend it indoors.
Vermicompost: the product of earthworms. Fine, rich and gentle.
What it does for plants
Organic matter, which gives structure to soil or potting mix. It lightens heavy soils and gives body to sandy ones.
Better water retention, invaluable in a hot climate: the soil holds on to water instead of letting it drain away.
Slow-release nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements), at the pace of biological activity.
Microbial life, which transforms these nutrients and protects the roots.
A buffering effect that evens out swings in moisture and nutrition.
It reduces the need for fertiliser. It doesn’t eliminate it: for demanding plants, a supplement is still useful — see our guide to organic fertiliser.
In indoor pots
Compost goes into a potting mix as one ingredient among others, rarely on its own. It usually makes up between 10 and 30% of the volume of the mix. On its own it would be too dense, hold too much water and risk suffocating the roots.
Compost for indoor use must be mature and sieved. Young compost releases ammonia that burns roots, gives off odours and attracts the tiny gnats that hover around pots.
How to recognise mature compost
It smells of damp earth and forest, never of ammonia or rot.
It’s dark brown, crumbly and uniform.
You can no longer recognise the original ingredients (no whole leaves, no pieces of fruit).
A simple test: sow some cress seeds in a little moist compost. If they germinate normally within a few days, the compost won’t burn your plants.
In the garden, in planters and on the terrace
In a hot, dry climate, organic matter in the soil breaks down quickly and disappears: soil that doesn’t receive any becomes poor and dries out. Compost addresses this problem.
At planting time: mixed into the soil of the planting hole and planters.
As a soil improver: a layer of a few centimetres raked into the surface in spring and autumn.
As a mulch: spread around the base of plants, it feeds slowly and reduces evaporation.
In balcony planters: added to potting soil to give it more body.
The problem with peat
Peat has been the star ingredient of commercial potting soils for decades: light and fine, it holds water very well and is practically sterile. It forms in peat bogs, wetlands where dead plants, underwater and without oxygen, decompose so slowly that they accumulate over thousands of years.
That detail changes everything. According to the IUCN, peatlands cover around 3% of the world’s land area but store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined — roughly twice as much as forest biomass. That carbon stays locked away as long as the peatland stays waterlogged.
To extract peat, the bog is drained. The carbon is then exposed to the air and returns to the atmosphere as CO₂. Drained peatlands, which make up less than 0.5% of land, are responsible for around 5% of global human-caused CO₂ emissions, according to the IUCN. And a stripped peat bog doesn’t regenerate within a human lifetime: what built up over millennia disappears in a few years.
Horticulture isn’t the only cause — agriculture and forestry weigh more heavily — but potting soils are a use in their own right. And it’s a use we know how to replace.
How peat is replaced
There’s no single ingredient that does everything peat does. It’s replaced by a blend, in which each component plays a role:
Mature compost provides organic matter, nutrients and water retention.
Coco coir and chips provide aeration and good water retention — see our coco chips.
Horticultural biochar holds water and nutrients and gives the mix structure — see our dedicated article.
Perlite, vermiculite and pozzolana regulate drainage and aeration.
A peat-free potting mix behaves a little differently: depending on the formula, it may dry faster or hold more moisture. That’s one more reason to touch the soil rather than follow a schedule — see when to water. Plants that like an acidic mix also need particular attention, which is solved with other components.
A starting mix for your houseplants
There’s no universal recipe, but for foliage plants a common starting point is roughly equal parts mature compost, fibres (coco, fine bark) and draining material (perlite, pozzolana), with a little charged biochar added.
Then adjust according to the plant: more draining material for plants that dislike wet feet, more fibre and compost for those that like to stay moist. It’s a starting point to test, not a dogma. Watch how the mix dries, and adapt.
Our choice at the studio
We use compost in our Signature Potting Mix in place of peat, and horticultural biochar for structure. At the same time, we’re preparing to sell our own compost, and will publish its specifications at launch. To choose the right potting mix for your plants, see all-purpose compost or Signature Potting Mix.
Choosing a good compost
A clear origin: clean plant waste, with no plastic, glass or chemical residues. Be wary of poorly sorted composts made from municipal waste.
Guaranteed maturity: the maker should be able to tell you how long it has matured.
A sieved texture, especially for use in pots.
Proper storage: cool and moist, never dried out or waterlogged.
Four misconceptions about compost
“It smells bad and attracts insects.” Mature compost smells of earth and attracts no more than potting soil does. Problems come from young or overly wet compost.
“It’s full of weed seeds.” Compost that has heated up properly destroys most of them. That’s why you choose compost made by a controlled process.
“You need tonnes of it.” For a pot, a handful is enough. In the garden, a few centimetres a year.
“It replaces potting soil.” No: it’s an ingredient, not the whole thing.
Making your own compost
If you have a garden or a large balcony, it’s simple in principle: alternate brown materials (dry leaves, cardboard, straw) with green materials (peelings, grass clippings, vegetable scraps), keep the heap as moist as a wrung-out sponge and turn it from time to time to aerate it. Within a few months, depending on the heat, decomposition does the rest. Avoid meat, fish and dairy products. In an apartment, a wormery does the same job on a small scale.
We use compost in our Signature Potting Mix and are preparing to launch our own compost. For your repotting, drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat.
Perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana, coco chips: what are they for, and which should you choose?
In a good potting mix, it isn’t the potting soil alone that makes the difference — it’s what you add to it. Four ingredients come up again and again: perlite, vermiculite, pozzolana and coco chips. They’re among our most requested products, and with good reason. But they’re often confused, even though their roles are completely different.
Two questions: water and air
A potting mix has to do two things at once: hold enough water for the roots to drink, and let in enough air for them to breathe. Too much water and not enough air: the roots rot. The reverse: the plant dries out.
Each of these four ingredients moves that slider in one direction. Choosing them means deciding which way you want to lean.
Perlite: aerating and draining
Perlite is a volcanic rock (a glass) heated to a high temperature, which puffs up into small, very light, porous white granules. It doesn’t break down, contains no nutrients and stays stable for years.
It aerates the potting mix and stops it compacting.
It drains: water passes through it quickly, which limits the risk of rot.
It holds little water — that’s its limitation: on its own, it isn’t enough for plants that like to stay moist.
It rises to the surface when you water — that’s normal. Moisten it before handling to keep dust down.
Vermiculite is a mineral (a mica), also heated to a high temperature: it expands into light, accordion-shaped flakes. It does almost the opposite of perlite.
It holds water and gradually releases it to the roots.
It also holds on to some nutrients.
It’s ideal for seedlings and cuttings, which need steady moisture.
Its limitation: it compacts over time, and in excess it suffocates roots.
Our vermiculite is used as an addition to a potting mix, never on its own for plants that dislike humidity.
Pozzolana: lasting drainage
Pozzolana is a natural, porous, angular volcanic rock, crushed into small gravel. It’s heavy, doesn’t break down and doesn’t compact.
It drains and aerates for the long term, without ever collapsing.
Its pores hold a little water without retaining too much.
It adds weight to mixes: useful for steadying a large pot with a tall plant.
Spread on the surface, it makes a decorative mulch that reduces evaporation.
It’s the go-to ingredient for cacti and succulents. Our pozzolana is the base for them.
Coco chips: aerating while holding a little moisture
Coco chips are pieces of the husk that surrounds the coconut. They’re a renewable plant by-product that breaks down slowly.
They aerate the potting mix and encourage rooting.
They hold some moisture without making the mix soggy.
They last much longer than a soil improver that breaks down quickly.
Tip: soak them for a few minutes before use. They swell, and this washes out any salts.
Cuttings, light mixes, plants that dislike humidity
Vermiculite
Expanded mineral (mica)
Holds a lot
Fair, but compacts
Seedlings, cuttings, plants that like to stay moist
Pozzolana
Volcanic rock
Holds little
Excellent and long-lasting
Cacti, succulents, large pots that need steadying
Coco chips
Coconut fibre
Holds moderately
Good
Tropical plants, peat-free mixes
Which mix for which plant?
Tropical foliage plants (Monstera, Philodendron, Ficus): a base of potting soil or compost, coco chips for aeration, a little perlite.
Plants that like to stay moist (Calathea, ferns, Spathiphyllum): a rich base, vermiculite or coco to hold moisture, and a little perlite so the mix doesn’t get soggy.
Cacti and succulents: mostly mineral, so pozzolana and perlite with a little potting soil — or our ready-to-use mix. See our dedicated guide.
Seedlings and cuttings: vermiculite and perlite, a fine, light mix.
Large pots and tall, unstable plants: pozzolana for weight and stability.
The proportions depend on your base potting soil, your pot and your climate. Start with about one third of the ingredient, watch how the mix dries, and adjust. This also explains the watering rhythm: see when to water.
The mistakes that keep coming up
Perlite on its own, or on the surface: it floats and washes away when you water.
Too much vermiculite: the mix compacts and the roots run short of air.
Dry coco chips mixed in as they are: they swell afterwards in the pot and can bring in salts.
Too much draining material in a small terracotta pot: the mix dries out within days.
Forgetting that these ingredients don’t feed the plant. They structure the potting mix; nutrition comes from compost and fertilisers — see our guide to organic fertiliser.
A word on where they come from
None of these ingredients is neutral. Perlite and vermiculite are mined and then heated to very high temperatures, which uses energy. Pozzolana is crushed rock. Coco chips are an agricultural by-product. That’s one of the reasons we’re increasingly combining compost and biochar in our Signature Potting Mix.
These ingredients are available at the studio, 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat, and online. Not sure about a mix? Tell us your plant and your pot, and we’ll advise you.
Cactus and succulent potting mix: what it should contain and how to make it
Cacti are thought of as indestructible, and yet plenty end up in the bin. Rarely from lack of water: they need very little. Almost always from too much, in a potting mix that keeps moisture around roots designed for soil that dries out within hours.
So the right potting mix is the first thing to get right. Here’s what it should contain, how to make it, and what you should never put in it.
Why a separate potting mix
Cacti and succulents come from arid regions, with poor, stony soils where water drains away at once. Their fine, shallow roots are adapted to this: they absorb quickly after rain, then stay dry.
It drains very fast. Water should pass through the pot within seconds.
It stays airy and doesn’t compact, even after several years.
It’s low in organic matter. A little is enough; a lot holds too much water.
What it should contain
The base is mineral: pozzolana, perlite, fine gravel. To this you add a share of organic matter — potting soil or mature compost — which provides a little water retention and some nutrients. A common guideline is about two thirds mineral to one third potting soil, adjusted to the plant.
Pozzolana provides lasting drainage and weight, without ever compacting.
Potting soil or compost supplies the organic element.
A recipe to start with
There’s no universal recipe. Here are two starting points to test and adjust based on what you observe:
Succulents such as Echeveria, Haworthia, Crassula: one part potting soil, one part pozzolana, one part perlite.
Desert cacti: one part potting soil, two parts mineral (pozzolana and perlite in equal amounts).
If you’re only potting one or two plants, the ready-to-use mix is simpler. For several pots, mixing your own works out cheaper and can be fine-tuned.
What not to use
Beach or sea sand: it contains salt, which is toxic to roots, and it compacts.
Fine builder’s sand: its grains fill the pores and the mix sets hard as it dries.
Garden soil: too heavy, it compacts in a pot.
All-purpose compost on its own: it holds far too much water.
Repotting a cactus or succulent properly
Choose a pot with drainage holes, preferably terracotta, which lets the mix breathe.
Let the plant dry out before taking it out of its pot, and gently shake off the old mix.
Set it in place and fill in with the new mix, without pressing it down too hard.
Spread a thin layer of pozzolana on the surface: it reduces evaporation and keeps the base of the plant dry.
Wait a few days before the first watering: small wounds on the roots have time to heal.
Our complete repotting guide details the steps for other plants.
Cactus or succulent: slightly different needs
They all get lumped together, but these plants don’t all have the same tolerance.
Desert cacti and succulents with thick, powdery leaves (some Echeverias) need the most mineral, driest mix.
More tolerant succulents (Haworthia, Crassula, Sedum) accept a little more potting soil, and so a little more water retention.
Euphorbias and plants with water reserves (Zamioculcas, Sansevieria) are happy with a free-draining mix without being quite as demanding.
If in doubt, start with a very free-draining mix: it forgives a watering mistake better than a mix that’s too rich.
How to tell if your potting mix is right
A simple test, no equipment needed: water the pot and watch.
The water should pass through within seconds and come out of the drainage holes. If it sits on the surface, the mix is too dense.
The mix should dry out within a few days, not a few weeks.
No crust, moss or green algae should form on the surface: these are signs of permanent damp.
You should be able to push a finger in without resistance, even months after repotting.
If your mix fails these tests, repot. In the meantime, water less often and cover the surface with a layer of pozzolana: it helps it dry faster.
Watering and light complete the potting mix
A good potting mix is no use if you water by the calendar. Water only when the mix is dry all the way down the pot — see when to water — and much less in winter.
These plants also need plenty of light, more than most others. In a corner that’s too dark, they stretch and lose their shape and colour. Our guide to light levels helps you place them.
Our cactus and succulent mix is mineral and free-draining, designed for these plants. Drop by the studio at 6 Rue Zemmour in Rabat to talk it through.
Which plant to give a colleague or a client?
We know how to give a plant to someone close: we know their home, their light, their relationship with plants. In a business, none of that applies. You’re giving to dozens of people whose homes, habits and interest you know nothing about.
That completely changes the selection criteria.
Criterion number one: tolerance of neglect
In a group of fifty people, a good number won’t look after the plant. That’s neither a judgement nor a problem — it’s a fact to take into account.
So the plant you give must survive inattention. Not “cope with” it — survive it. Three weeks without water, mediocre light, a radiator too close.
Three species pass this test without question: Zamioculcas, Sansevieria and Pothos. They aren’t rare, and that’s exactly why they work.
A successful gift isn’t the one that impresses when it’s unwrapped. It’s the one that’s still there a year later.
Size matters as much as species
A plant given at work must fit on the corner of a cluttered desk and be able to go home in a bag. If it doesn’t fit in a bag, it will stay at the office — and at the office, nobody looks after it during the holidays.
Aim for a container twelve to fifteen centimetres in diameter, with a total height under forty centimetres. Any bigger and you’re giving a burden.
What to avoid when giving in quantity
Flowering plants — the flowers last three weeks, after which the gift looks like a failure
Orchids — given in huge numbers, experienced as a test, thrown away after flowering
Rare or delicate species — rarity flatters the giver, not the recipient who is going to lose it
Toxic plants — Dieffenbachia, Philodendron and Alocasia are a problem for anyone with a cat or a young child, and you have no way of knowing
Very large plants — they impress in photos and are a nuisance in real life
What makes the difference, for next to nothing
The care sheet
It’s the most neglected element and the most decisive. A few lines: how much water, how often, what light, what to do if the leaves turn yellow.
Without it, people guess — and often guess wrong. With it, the plant stands a real chance. That’s what turns a gift into something people keep.
The container
A beautiful plant in a black nursery pot is only half a gift. A simple planter — terracotta, matt ceramic, concrete — completely changes how it’s perceived, for a few extra dirhams per piece.
A discreet logo
An engraved wooden tag hung on the container works better than a logo printed on the pot. It gets noticed without imposing itself, and it survives repotting.
A large screen-printed logo turns the gift into promotional merchandise — and promotional merchandise ends up in a drawer.
Practical questions to settle early
Lead time — plants aren’t made to order. Allow three weeks between approval and delivery, longer for more than a hundred pieces
Handover — plants don’t travel well in bulk. Plan an on-site handover rather than individual shipments
Timing — avoid giving them just before a long closure. A plant alone in an empty office for two weeks doesn’t stand a chance
A sample — ask for one before ordering the full run. What looks good in a photo doesn’t always look good in your hands
And if you want to go beyond the potted plant
Two formats work well in business and stand out from the ordinary.
The closed terrarium is almost self-sufficient: it recycles its water and lasts for months without attention. It’s the best choice for a recipient you know won’t look after anything.
The gift box — a plant, a potting mix, a fertiliser and a care sheet — has a perceived value well above its cost, because it provides the means to succeed as well as the object itself.
Plants in an air-conditioned office: what works and what fails
An air-conditioned office is a hostile environment for a plant, and rarely for the reasons people imagine. Temperature isn’t the problem: twenty-two degrees suits most tropical plants.
The problem is what air conditioning does to the air around them.
Three simultaneous stresses
Dry air
An air conditioner cools by condensing the moisture in the air and removing it. So it mechanically dries out the atmosphere. An air-conditioned office often drops below 35% relative humidity, whereas most houseplants want 50 to 60%.
The symptom is easy to recognise: leaf tips turn brown and dry out even though the potting mix is properly moist. Many people read this as a lack of water and water more — which adds a second problem to the first.
The constant draught
A plant placed in the direct airflow of a vent is subjected to a constant draught. The leaves lose water through evaporation faster than the roots can supply it.
A plant two metres from a vent and the same plant in the direct airflow look nothing alike after three months.
The weekend swings
This is the most underestimated factor. The air conditioning switches off on Friday evening and back on on Monday morning. In between, the temperature rises, the humidity too, then everything drops abruptly.
This cycle, repeated every week, wears plants out more surely than air conditioning that runs all the time.
The plants that hold up
Sansevieria — thick foliage, little evaporating surface, indifferent to dry air. The most reliable of all under air conditioning
Zamioculcas — the same logic, with the bonus of tolerating low light
Aspidistra — slow, tough, unbothered by fluctuations
Pothos — copes well, as long as it isn’t in the airflow
Aglaonema — good tolerance; choose green varieties in low light
Ficus elastica — its thick, waxy leaves resist drying out better than most
What they have in common is simple: they all have thick or leathery foliage. The thinner the leaf, the more it suffers.
The plants that almost always fail
Ferns — they need high humidity and turn brown within weeks
Calathea and Maranta — the same demands, and they also react badly to hard water
Ficus lyrata — it drops its leaves at the slightest draught
Orchids — they sometimes survive, but never flower again in these conditions
Where to place them
The most useful rule fits in one sentence: never in line with an air vent. Look up, spot the grilles, and place the plants outside their cone of airflow.
Two other habits help a lot. Group plants together rather than scattering them — together, they maintain a slightly more humid microclimate around them. And keep them away from exposed picture windows, where the gap between direct sun and cold blown air creates constant stress.
Watering, counter-intuitively
Dry air gives the impression that you need to water more. It’s wrong, and it’s how plants get drowned in air-conditioned offices.
The surface of the potting mix dries quickly, which is misleading. But deeper down, in a cool room where the plant is growing little, the water stays. Push a finger in up to the second knuckle before each watering — it’s the only reliable method.
If the dry air worries you, act on the air, not on the soil: group plants together, stand pots on a bed of damp clay pebbles, or place a dish of water nearby.
The question of responsibility
In the offices we maintain, the number one cause of failure isn’t botanical. It’s that nobody has been put in charge.
A plant without a carer dies in one of two ways: nobody waters it, or everybody does. The second is more common and quicker.
One plant with a responsible person is worth more than ten plants with nobody.
If you’re bringing plants into an office, appoint someone — or outsource the maintenance. A monthly visit is usually enough to keep a collection in good shape.
Instant T plants and maintains workspaces in Rabat and Casablanca: light and airflow assessment, tailored selection, installation and regular visits. See our office planting page.