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10 Best Potting Soil For Roses: Reviews & Buying Guide (2023)

The quality of the soil has an essential role in the overall health of your roses. Potted roses are more sensitive to the soil quality since the roots can drown if the soil is too compact. The best potting soil for roses is well-draining, slightly acidic, and packed with nutrients. 

A well-draining soil must allow water to stay long enough for the roots to absorb as much as it needs. It must not contain clay soil which is too compact to let the water drain well. 

The best type of soil for roses is loam soil that is slightly acidic with a soil PH that ranges from 5.5 to 7.0.

The pandemic makes a lot of us turn to new hobbies like gardening. Chances are, the beautiful blooms of roses encouraged you to grow them in your home. 

If you plan to set up a new batch of potted roses in your garden, let us help you find the best potting soil in the market. 

In this post, we listed the 10 best potting soil for roses to showcase all the gardener’s favorites and the quality and affordable potting soil in the market.

Table Of Contents


10 Best Potting Soil for Roses [Top Picks and Reviews]

The following list includes the most rated potting soil in the market that best suits the soil requirements of the different species of roses.

1. Miracle-Gro Potting Mix

Miracle-Gro Potting Mix Review

If you’ve been gardening for a while, you have probably seen a couple of Miracle-Gro products.

Miracle-Gro is one of the top producers of gardening products in the US. As Amazon’s #1 bestseller, their Miracle-Gro Potting Mix was able to make it to our list due to its rose-friendly features.

Their potting mix is a blend of well-draining contents and plant food to nourish your plants with the micronutrients they need. It contains sphagnum peat moss to help retain water in potted roses long enough for the roots to absorb adequate moisture.

Other ingredients include:

  • Perlite is the white grounded volcanic rock that creates small gaps in the soil to let the water flow and boost water drainage.
  • Compost is made of grass clippings, aged bark, dry leaves, and animal manure to enhance the soil environment for your plants.
  • The wetting agent is responsible for retaining water to help the plants absorb moisture. It balances the draining and water retention in the soil resulting in the adequate water uptake of roses. Miracle-Gro uses softwood barks of spruce, pine, or hemlock.

Most gardeners love this potting soil for its positive effect on the bloom production of their plants. It is also affordable for its size and no longer needs to be mixed with soil.

Due to the quality organic materials, this potting mix can boost the rapid growth of the root and stems of roses, resulting in the early development of blooms.

Despite all of the manufacturer’s claims, some gardeners experience the infestation of fungus gnats in their potting soil. Due to its rich organic content, this potting soil is susceptible as a breeding ground for soil problems like fungus gnats.

However, some gardeners found a way to deal with the fungus gnats issue, such as:

  • Placing the potting soil under the sun a day before you use it on your plants.
  • Adding cinnamon and diluted neem oil on the potting soil to get rid of the fungus gnats a day before using it on pots.

This potting soil also contains animal manure as part of the compost. So, if you have a sensitive sense of smell, this might not be the best potting mix for your indoor roses.

Aside from being one of the best potting soil for roses, you can also use it for other varieties of plants. So a bag of this potting mix can already help you transplant a batch of new seedlings or plants for repotting.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Well-draining and nutrient-rich for roses
  • Ideal for all kinds of indoor and outdoor potted plants
  • Has compost that feeds roses for up to 6 months

Cons

  • It smells bad due to its organic contents which may not be suitable for indoor use for some gardeners.
  • Can be infested with soil organisms during storage

2. Black Gold All Purpose Potting Soil With Control Release Fertilizer

Black Gold All Purpose Potting Soil With Control Release Fertilizer Review

Black Gold potting soil from Sun Gro is also another must-try small-scale brand for your roses. It is an ideal option for your house plants, patio containers, and hanging baskets. It is also made of organic materials to help ensure the rapid and healthy growth of your plants.

This potting mix contains Canadian sphagnum peat moss with worm castings, forest humus, and pumice. Black Gold potting soil uses pumice instead of perlite to encourage good water drainage for your potted plants.

It also has a higher amount of peat moss, which is ideal for gardeners who want to save on water and fertilizer use.  

Black Gold Potting soil also comes with slow-release fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 0.13-0.05-0.10. It uses a polymer-coated slow-release fertilizer for the continuous release of nutrients to your plants for up to 6 months. After a few weeks of potting your roses, the manufacturer recommends using a liquid fertilizer for the best results.

What most gardeners love about this potting soil is its extra fertilizer content and its rich earthy smell.

The slow-release fertilizer does not release excess nutrients in high temperatures that ensure prolonged feeding for your roses. It also smells earthy, which you would find in the premium quality of potting soil.

The only downside of this potting soil is it gets easily infected with fungus gnats. So, it is crucial to seal and store it in a cool and dry place.

Pros

  • Contains slow-release fertilizer
  • Earthy and fresh smell
  • Use premium-grade and high-quality organic materials
  • Good potting soil for indoor use

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Can get easily infested with fungus gnats if not properly stored

3. Espoma Organic Potting Mix

Espoma Organic Potting Mix Review

Espoma is known for its organic fertilizers, but it is also gaining popularity for its other products like Espoma Potting Mix.

Though it doesn’t contain fertilizers, it nourishes plants through the organic source of nutrients and healthy microorganisms for your roses. It is also vegan-friendly since it doesn’t have any animal manure. 

Espoma Potting Mix contains 35% to 45% sphagnum peat moss for adequate soil aeration and prevents the soil from getting too compact. It is also enhanced with organic materials derived from aged forest products, hummus, or composted rice hulls. Humus helps retain moisture and prevents nutrients from leaching. 

This potting mix also uses perlite to promote good drainage and limestone to adjust the soil pH level. It nourishes the soil environment through individual organic fertilizers such as earthworm castings, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, feather meal, & yucca extract.

What makes Espoma Potting Soil different from others is its pure organic contents and its Myco-tone water-saving formula.

Myco-tone helps reduce drought stress and improve the moisture retention of the soil. Most gardeners love it for steering clear of pests and pure organic sources of nutrients. 

Some gardeners, however, say that the potting mix drains too fast, which induces drought stress to their plants. However, there are only a few instances of this issue. Several factors may also come into play, such as the type of plants and their level of moisture absorption.

Pros

  • Vegan-friendly
  • Uses premium organic materials like alfalfa meal and kelp meal
  • Natural scent and does not smell sulfurous
  • Contains Myco-one for stronger roots
  • Limestone content is essential in adjusting the soil PH level for your roses

Cons

  • Some gardeners find it too loose and drain the water too fast.
  • A bit pricey than others.

4. FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil

FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Review

FoxFarm is the leading supplier of gardening supplies that utilize nutrients found from the sea.

It is one of the best potting soil for roses and suitable for other types of plants placed in any location of your house. If you want to discover a new brand that works, FoxFarm is worth checking out.

You can use it for: 

  • Annuals and Perennials
  • Bedding Plants
  • Houseplants
  • Indoor/Outdoor Containers
  • Vegetables and Herbs
  • Raised Beds

This potting soil contains light materials to encourage good aeration and encourage the strong root development of your roses. It is made of sphagnum peat moss to prevent soil compaction and fortified with earthworm castings, bat guano, fish emulsion, and crab meal. 

FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest offers a unique blend of nutrients that you will rarely find in most mainstream potting soil mixes. Bat guano is the accumulated manure of bats and seabirds. It is a good source of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, which are essential macronutrients for healthy plant growth. The nutrient ratio of this potting mix is as follows:

  • Nitrogen: 0.3%
  • Phosphate: 0.45%
  • Potassium: 0.05%
  • Calcium: 1%

This potting mix is best for planting seedlings of roses since it has an adjusted soil PH level of 6.3 to 6.8 to enhance its nutrient uptake.

Most gardeners love its light texture and good aeration for their roses. However, it is not vegan-friendly since it has fish and crab meals. 

The only issue with this product is its price since some gardeners find it expensive. However, due to its unique ingredients, most gardeners are reaping the value of their investment through the rapid growth and improved bloom production of their roses.

Pros

  • Great soil not only for roses but for seed starting as well
  • Worth the price
  • Quality organic materials
  • Initial nutrient support included for roses
  • Adjusted soil PH levels aid in better nutrient uptake.
  • Has a fresh and earthy smell

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Not vegan-friendly
  • Some gardeners say it smells moldy.

5. Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix

Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix Review

Another potting soil that is worth trying is Miracle Gros’s organic Choice Potting Mix. It is their OMRI-listed version where they only used organic materials for the whole composition of the soil. This potting mix is only suitable for container plants and may not work as fine in in-ground plants.

This potting soil contains a blend of sphagnum peat moss, composted bark fines, and organic fertilizer to help your roses thrive and grow well. It comes with a slow-release fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 0.10-0.05-0.05.

Aside from roses, you can also use this potting mix on:

  • Vegetables
  • Fruits

The natural and organic ingredients in this potting soil can feed your roses for up to two months. Most gardeners see immediate progress in using it for their plants. However, it is only available in the following states: CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, ME, MI, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WI.

Most gardeners get issues with the fungus gnats in this potting soil. But most packed potting soils are prone to soil microorganisms due to their organic contents.

Some gardeners would bake the potting soil under the sun or in the oven for 20 minutes a day before using them on plants. The high temperature from the sun alone can kill the eggs and larvae of the gnats.

If you have an unpleasant experience with gnats and don’t want to do the extra work to get rid of them, this may not be the potting mix for you.

Aside from the big issue, it works just fine for roses. Plus, it’s vegan-friendly too. Some gardeners even use it for their plant tanks.

Pros

  • Vegan-friendly
  • OMRI-listed
  • With natural slow-release fertilizer
  • Best for indoor and outdoor potted roses
  • May work for aquatic gardening
  • Premium organic materials

Cons

  • Limited availability to certain states
  • Some batches are infested with fungus gnats

6. Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix

Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix Review

Burpee Organic Premium Potting Mix is a gardener’s favorite since it is lightweight and uses organic materials to nourish your roses. It has fewer issues with gnats infestation than other brands. It is OMRI-listed which makes it a perfect addition to your organic gardening. 

This potting mix utilizes 70% to 80% coconut coir which is known to hold moisture well. Therefore, using this potting mix will require less watering since it can sustain the moisture needs of your roses for a long time.

To avoid soil compaction, it uses perlite to add volume to the soil and let the excess run down to the bottom of the pot. 

Burpee Potting Mix also contains compost, so it’s no wonder why it is an easy target of fungus gnats. Most gardeners consider this potting mix as the best coconut coir potting mix in growing roses since it requires less fertilization and watering. 

This potting mix uses a slow-release fertilizer that can feed your roses for up to 3 months. You can begin adding rose-specific fertilizer after four weeks. The NPK ratio of the fertilizer is 0.12-0.12-0.12. The overall soil PH level of Burpee Potting Mix is at 6.5.

Pros

  • Smells like coconut but usually does not have an odor
  • OMRI-listed
  • Fewer bug issues
  • Vegan-friendly
  • Good for organic use
  • Feeds your roses for up to 3 months
  • Less fertilization and watering

Cons

  • A bit pricey
  • Not too clean, plastic pieces and glass were found in some batches

7. Organic Plant Magic Compressed Organic Potting Soil 

Organic Plant Magic Compressed Organic Potting Soil Review

If you want to try something new when it comes to the potting soil of your roses, why not try the expandable soil.

Organic Plant Magic Compressed Organic Potting Soil is a compacted potting soil that can produce up to three gallons of potting soil when expanded. 

Compared to other potting soils, it is suitable for container gardening and in-ground gardening. It contains natural ground coconut coir as the base component, worm castings, mycorrhizae, beneficial bacteria, humic acids, amino acids, and kelp.

Aside from potting soil, it also serves other purposes, such as: 

  • Soil amendment to revitalize nutrient-deficient soils.
  • Soil conditioner to improve soil drainage of heavily compacted soil.
  • Initial soil to grow roses from seeds, transplants, and seedlings.
  • Mulch and soil dressing for plants that needs more moisture.

The coconut coir is responsible for absorbing water to make it readily available for the needs of your roses. It can hold about 50% of water, more than the regular soil. So using this potting soil will require less watering and sustain the needs of plants for moisture throughout the week. 

Most gardeners are amazed at how much a block of this potting soil can make. Considering the amount of potting soil it produces and the quality it provides to your plants, it is worth the price. Most gardeners find this brand true to its claims which makes them choose it over and over again. 

The only concern for this expandable potting soil is some gardeners find it more expensive than other loose potting soil in the market.

Your plants may also find it hard to thrive in this potting soil if it doesn’t require too much water to survive. 

Coconut coir can retain water, and it may drown them easily if you will be using your usual watering schedule.

Our recommendation is to lessen your watering routine if you plan on using this on moisture-sensitive varieties of plants.

Pros

  • A single block goes a long way
  • With slow-release fertilizer
  • Versatile – can be used for potted and in-ground roses
  • Multi-purpose

Cons

  • Pricey

8.  FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil

FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil Review

FoxFarm also offers their Happy Frog Potting Soil that will help nourish your roses through a new blend of organic materials.

This potting soil contains mycorrhizal fungi and humic that are only abundant in fertilizers. It is suitable for potting soil for both indoor and outdoor potted roses. 

It contains 50% to 60% sphagnum peat moss, aged forest products, perlite, and fertilizer. It enhances the root development of plants through extra nutrients found in bat guano and earthworm castings. It also comes with mycorrhizae fungi that speed up the breaking down of nutrients and make them readily available for your roses. 

This potting soil has less perlite content which helps the soil retain more water than their Ocean Forest Potting Soil.

Most gardeners love this potting soil since it is free from fungus gnats and has a PH level that is adjusted for better nutrient uptake. 

The PH level of the soil is essential in helping plants absorb nutrients from the soil. If the soil acidity doesn’t match with the required PH level of your roses, the roots will not be able to absorb the nutrient it needs and die out of starvation.

So, the adjusted PH level of FoxFarm’s potting soils works wonders for growing roses from seeds and transplanting seedlings.

Pros

  • With mycorrhizae fungi, earthworm castings, and fungi
  • Comes with adjusted soil PH
  • Fewer bug issues
  • Earthy smell
  • Less perlite content for enhanced water retention

Cons

  • Pricey

9. Dr. Earth Gold Premium Potting Soil

Dr. Earth Gold Premium Potting Soil Review

Our list will never be complete without the purest organic brand in the market. Dr. Earth Premium Potting Soil is probably the best potting soil for roses due to its food-grade organic contents.

This potting mix is suitable for growing:

  • Vegetables
  • Container plants
  • Flowers
  • Houseplants
  • Hanging plants 
  • Compost tea

This potting mix is OMRI-listed, and Myco-Apply certified. It also comes with Pro-Moisture Hydrate, which is exclusive for Dr. Earth potting soils.

Pro-Moisture Hydrate is a technology developed by Dr. Earth wherein they utilize the inner part of the aloe vera to protect the beneficial soil microorganisms against extreme temperatures.  

Dr. Earth Gold Premium Potting Soil is versatile since it can be used in a variety of ways, such as:

  • Mulch 
  • Seed cover
  • Indoor garden production
  • Transplanting
  • Compost 
  • Soil conditioner

The manufacturer of Dr. Earth prides itself on not using GMO-infested chicken manure and other animal manure in its products. This potting soil is also fortified with mycorrhizae that establishes a good soil environment for your roses.

The main contents of this potting mix are:

  • Alfalfa meal
  • Wild-caught fish bone meal
  • Cold-water kelp 
  • Aged fir bark
  • Fir bark
  • Perlite
  • Peat moss
  • Composted green waste
  • Sawdust
  • Bone meal
  • Feather meal
  • Kelp flour
  • Dolomite lime
  • Gypsum
  • Wetting agent

Dr. Earth Premium Potting Soil may have the highest quality of organic materials in the market, but it is not entirely safe from pest infestation. So in some cases, gardeners also encounter fungus gnats infestation with the batch of potting soil they receive. 

Despite its organic composition, this potting soil smells earthy than other typical organic soil.

Pros

  • OMRI-listed
  • Food-grade organic products
  • With Tru-Biotic and Pro-Moisture Hydrate technology
  • With mycorrhizae fungi that improve soil ecosystem
  • Multi-purpose

Cons

  • Pricey
  • Some batches have fungus gnats in them

10. Soil Sunrise Premium Organic Potting Soil Mix

Soil Sunrise Premium Organic Potting Soil Mix Review

Some new products can outshine the mainstream producers of potting soils, like Soil Sunrise Premium Organic Potting Soil Mix. It is from the brand Soil Sunrise that is unknown to most among gardeners but continues to gain popularity for its positivity from its customers.

This potting soil consists of organic coco coir, worm castings, and perlite. The base of this mix is coco coir which can hold on to moisture longer than peat moss. The soil is enriched with worm castings to promote fast germination when you grow your roses from seeds.

Aside from potting roses, you can also use it for:

  • House plants
  • Vegetables
  • Cacti
  • Succulents 

Gardeners love it since it is soft and lightweight, which helps with the aeration of the soil. Most of them love the quality of this soil but are most disappointed with the size. The image may look like it’s a big bag. However, it is the size of an Ipad. 

Despite its size issues, it is one of the only potting soils in the market that doesn’t have infestation issues. It is worth the try if you are done with the gnats infestation. However, a bag may only be applicable for a couple of small pots.

Pros

  • No worms and gnats
  • Smell fresh and earthy
  • Uses coco coir that enhances water retention
  • Doesn’t contain toxic materials

Cons

  • A bit pricey for its size
  • Small and non-resealable packaging

5 Factors To Consider in Buying a Potting Soil

Now that you have seen the top 10 potting soils that you can use for your roses, it’s time to select the best one. 

Every gardener has criteria for finding the best potting soil for their plants. However, it all boils down to five specific metrics. 

These include:

Size

The picture can be deceiving in the image that you see online. So make sure to see the dimensions and decide whether it is worth the investment or too small for what you need. 

Quality of Materials Used

The materials best for your roses depend on their soil and water requirements. Remember that coco coir holds more water for a longer time than peat moss.  

Extra Features

Some brands offer added nutrients and beneficial soil microbes like mycorrhizae in their potting soils. Also, check for extra contents like slow-release fertilizers and unique nutrient sources. 

Smell

It can be easy to get swayed with the benefits of the potting soil and forget about the experience of using them.

Due to the organic content of potting soils, they mostly have the usual smell that some gardeners are not a fan of. See if you can tolerate the smell of the potting soil, or you opt for a better smelling potting soil. 

Soil PH Level

Some potting soils already come with an adjusted soil PH. If your preferred potting soil is not one of them, you may need to buy a soil acidifier to match it with the soil acidity requirements of your roses. Mismatched soil PH between the plants and soil can only end with nutrient deficiency for your roses.

Final Thoughts

Our top picks for the best potting soil for roses are Dr. Earth Gold Premium Potting Soil for its top quality of organic materials, Happy Frog Potting Soil from FoxFarm for its unique attempt at nourishing plants, and Organic Plant Magic’s Compressed Potting Soil for its creative and practical approach in their potting soil. 

We hope that this post helps you find the potting soil that suits your needs for your roses. If you find this post informative, please don’t forget to share it with your friends and co-gardeners. 

How was your experience in using one of these potting soils? Let us know your experience by sharing them in the comments below.

About Jeanne Keith F.

Jeanne Felipe is a content creator of anything that can make this world a better place. She is a self-improvement junkie and a nature lover at heart. She loves to help people through her writing, either finding the right tools or doing the right thing to accomplish their goals. Quotes, sprouting plants, and cute dogs make her feel ecstatic. In her free time, she loves tending her garden and cooking Chinese and Mexican dishes. Connect her on Linkedin.

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