The best houseplant composts, compared.
Top pick: Lechuza Basicpon 12 L Best value: Miracle-Gro houseplant mix 10 L – Agreed 10 litre houseplant bag at about £0.90 a litre, 4.3 from 4,661 reviews, feed claimed for up to 3 months, about £8.99. Updated October 2026.
Houseplants compost is the growing medium you buy for a plant that lives in a pot indoors. On amazon.co.uk the usual job is repotting foliage in a flat. You tell a suitable bag by the job it names, the litres, whether those litre fields agree, and whether peat-free is printed on that listing. An unmarked bag is not peat-free. An announced retail peat ban is not in force, so the wording on the sack is the check. A small indoor bag suits a few plants. A 40 to 60 litre multi-purpose sack is the wrong default for one windowsill plant, and a manure smell is a poor fit in a bedroom. Plants that hate wet roots need extra grit or bark, or a mineral substrate if you want stone instead of compost. A starter feed lasts only for the period the listing states. How to separate a houseplant bag, a patio sack, a compressed block and a mineral substrate is set out in the [houseplants compost buying guide](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/houseplants-compost/sub/houseplants-compost-buying-guide).
Houseplants compost is the growing medium you buy for a plant that lives in a pot indoors. On amazon.co.uk the usual job is repotting foliage in a flat.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you potting?
Lechuza Basicpon 12 litres is £18.98 and 10 kg, model 19552, with the same peat-free and fertiliser-free bullets as the 6 litre bag. The file repeats 4.8 from 352 and the same review text, so you should not add the two counts. At £1.58 a litre it is the cheaper Basicpon size in this set if you can lift 10 kg. Reviewers use it for cacti and succulents in humid rooms, as a base layer, and after rinsing. Dust and uneven particle size are the complaints, not a split-bag cluster in these 15 shared reviews. The item type again says Planter. Buy the 12 litre bag when you already want unfertilised pon and the 6 litre price per litre looks steep, and do not buy it because the stars look like a second trial.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A larger unfertilised mineral bag when you will rinse it and feed on your own schedule.
Less suitable: A light carry up stairs, or a buyer who wants the 6 to 8 month feed that belongs to Lechuza-PON.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the listing say is included?
12 litres of peat-free Basicpon. Bullets say fertiliser-free and free of additives. Weight is 10 kg.
Is the review count separate from the 6 litre bag?
No. This capture repeats 4.8 from 352 and the same review bodies as B09S115G3V.
What do those reviews say about dust?
Reviewers call it dustier than a home mix or Soil Ninja, and they rinse it. Composition lava, pumice and zeolite is in the reviews, not in the bullets.
Lechuza Basicpon 6 litres is £14.98 and 5.2 kg, with peat-free and fertiliser-free on the bullets, model 19551. The stored line is 4.8 from 352 reviews, and those review bodies are the same text as the 12 litre file, so this is one sample, not a second test. Reviewers describe alocasias thriving, fewer fungus gnats than in soil, and the freedom to add their own feed. They also call it dustier than a home mix or Soil Ninja, and they rinse it. Lava, pumice and zeolite appear in the reviews, not in these bullets. The item type says Planter, which is a bad catalogue tag for a substrate. At £2.50 a litre it is the dearer of the two Basicpon sizes for the same review pool.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small mineral bag for cuttings or sensitive plants when you will feed them yourself.
Less suitable: Anyone who wants starter feed in the bag, or who will treat this star line as separate from the 12 litre listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Is Basicpon the same as Lechuza-PON with feed?
No. These bullets say fertiliser-free and free of additives. Lechuza-PON on B085DDH5B2 is a different model, 19563, and is not described as fertiliser-free.
Why does the item type say Planter?
The item type is Planter and the style is accessory. The title and bullets are a 6 litre peat-free substrate. Treat the item type as a bad tag.
Are these reviews only for the 6 litre size?
The file shows 4.8 from 352 reviews, and the review text matches the 12 litre file B09S11KV54. Do not treat them as two samples.
Lechuza-PON is an 18 litre peat-free mineral mix at £23.99 and 14.9 kg, model 19563, with 4.7 from 5,617 reviews. Bullets claim nutrients in the root area, a stable pH, and a 45 percent water to 55 percent air ratio, and they name orchids, citrus, cacti and succulents. That nutrient line is not a month count on this listing, and the bag is not sold as fertiliser-free. Buyers move alocasias onto it after fungus gnats and report new growth, while complaints centre on price, weight, and bags that arrive split or open. The item type says Planter, which does not match a bag of substrate. A 12 litre or 6 litre receipt in some reviews is a different size from this title, so those weights are not this 18 litre bag. It is the strongest mineral option here on sample size, and it is still a heavy substrate you water differently from compost.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are leaving organic compost for a pre-fed mineral mix and you can lift about 15 kg.
Less suitable: A light 8 to 10 litre compost bag, cuttings that should stay unfertilised, or a normal pot you intend to keep soaking.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing say the mix is fertiliser-free?
No. Bullets claim balanced nutrients, a stable pH, and a 45 percent water to 55 percent air ratio. Basicpon is the fertiliser-free listing.
Which plants do the bullets name?
All plants, including orchids and citrus. The highlight also names cacti and succulents, mould inhibition and drainage.
What do the reviews repeat?
4.7 from 5,617 reviews. Buyers move alocasias onto it after gnats. Complaints are price, weight, and split or open bags.
Houseplant Focus is a peat-free twin pack, 2 x 8 litres, at £17.98, with a bullet that says it nourishes for up to 2 months and that you then start Houseplant Focus feed. The volume field is 16 litres, which matches the title, and the stored rating is 4.6 from 1,739 reviews. Bullets call it free-draining for indoor plants and tell you to repot every 18 to 24 months. Reviewers describe revived root-bound plants and an 8 litre size they can finish, though some add perlite and orchid bark, and a few saw the price jump between orders. The weight field is 1.2 kg and the unit count is 2.0 gram, which cannot describe a moist 16 litre pack, so those rows stay a conflict rather than a guessed volume. It is the top pick here because the title prints peat-free, names a feed window, and the review sample is large, not because the weight line is trustworthy.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a peat-free indoor mix with a printed 2-month feed and you will ignore the broken weight field.
Less suitable: A cheap single bag, or anyone who needs the kilogrammes on the listing to match the litres.
Specifications
Common questions
Is peat-free printed on this listing?
Yes. The title says peat-free and the item type is peat-free soil for houseplants.
What is wrong with the weight line?
The volume field is 16 litres, which matches 2 x 8 litres. The weight is 1.2 kg and the unit count is 2.0 gram. Those two fields do not match a 16 litre sack.
When does the listing say to feed?
Bullets say the mix nourishes for up to 2 months, then start Houseplant Focus feed. They also say repot every 18 to 24 months.
Westland’s 8 litre houseplant mix is £9.47 and 4.47 kg, with the United Kingdom as country of origin and with Seramis and perlite named for airflow and drainage. The stored line is 4.5 from 4,932 reviews, the largest unique sample of any organic bag here. A bullet says this bag fills a 28 cm pot, which is a fill claim rather than a measured test. Buyers report palms and spider plants looking happier, and also water that sits heavily, little visible perlite, springtails, flies and a split seam. Peat-free is not in the title or the bullets, so a peat-free Westland sold under another ASIN is a different product. Nutrients are claimed without a number of months. It is the deep-sample indoor bag when Seramis and perlite on the label matter more than a peat-free line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Ordinary leafy houseplants when you want a UK-made 8 litre bag and a very large review file.
Less suitable: Snake plants or other plants that hate a wet mix, and any order that must say peat-free.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this 8 litre listing say peat-free?
No. Seramis and perlite are named. Peat-free is not in the title or bullets.
What pot size does the bullet claim?
The bullets say this 8 litre bag fills a 28 cm pot. That is a listing claim, not a measured fill.
What do the reviews repeat?
4.5 from 4,932 reviews. Buyers like it for ordinary houseplants. They also report water retention, little visible perlite, springtails, flies, and a split bag.
DIVCHI’s potting soil is titled 10 litres at £7.70, listed at 680 g, with 4.4 from 1,702 reviews and India as the country of origin. Reviews describe a compressed block you soak, sometimes for about an hour, rather than a loose 10 litre bag. Separate bullets name vermiculite, 50 percent garden soil, and 20 percent sand or perlite, so there is no single recipe. Peat-free is not printed; one review says it does not use peat and another says coco peat. Buyers like the light parcel for strawberries, tomatoes and larger plants, and they also report dry lumps if the first watering is not enough. The 77p figure uses the claimed 10 litres, not a measured loose volume, so it is not a confirmed price per litre. It suits you if you want a block you can expand, not if you need a finished houseplant bag on the day it arrives.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You can wait to soak a block and you are potting several plants, not one urgent windowsill pot.
Less suitable: A same-day repot, a peat-free houseplant mix, or a price comparison that needs an agreed litre.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the bag arrive as 10 litres of loose compost?
The title says 10 litres. The weight is 680 g. Reviews describe a compressed block that they soak, sometimes with about 3 to 4 litres of water.
Is it peat-free?
The bullets do not say peat-free. One review says it does not use peat. Another says coco peat.
Is the recipe consistent?
No. Separate bullets say vermiculite, 50 percent garden soil, and 20 percent sand or perlite. No certifier is named for organic.
UK GROW’s 5 litre houseplant mix is £6.99 and listed at 3.44 kg, with a heat-sealed resealable bag in the title. The star line is 4.4 from 5 reviews, and the saved listing contains one review body: the title is Good size and the text is So good. Bullets claim nutrients, organic materials and a mix for plants from succulents to ferns, without a certifier, a feed window or a peat-free line. The volume field says 5 litres while the unit count says 1.0 gram, so that gram row is a conflict, not a second volume. Five ratings cannot tell you how the bag behaves on gnats, smell or drainage. At about £1.40 a litre it is a small, lightly reviewed bag, not a result you should rank beside the thousand-review listings.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single small bag when you accept that almost no buyers have described it.
Less suitable: Anyone using stars as evidence, or a plant that needs a free-draining or peat-free recipe you can read on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
How many reviews are in the file?
The listing line is 4.4 from 5 reviews. The saved listing contains one review body: the title is Good size and the text is So good.
Is it peat-free or certified organic?
Neither is printed. Bullets say organic materials and eco-friendly packaging. No certifier is named.
Do succulents and ferns want the same bag?
One bullet says the mix suits plants from succulents to ferns. The file does not split drainage by plant.
The Miracle-Gro 10 litre houseplant potting mix is listed at £8.99 and 3.34 kg, with a bullet that says it feeds for up to 3 months. Across 4,661 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.3, and buyers often mention growth and a bag that covers several medium pots. Fibre Smart is named for an air and water balance, and the title covers seedlings, cuttings, herbs, houseplants and patio pots. The listing does not print peat-free, so you should not treat model 119769 as a peat-free bag. Fungus gnats after repotting, and a strong smell on opening, are the complaints that recur in the stored reviews. Some buyers also say it holds water too well and they add perlite. At 90p a litre, with the litre fields in agreement, it is the best value houseplant bag in this set if you can accept an unmarked peat line and a gnat risk.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A few indoor pots when you want a 10 litre bag with a printed 3-month feed and a large review sample.
Less suitable: An order that must say peat-free, or a room where fungus gnats after a new bag are a hard stop.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this listing say the mix is peat-free?
No. The title, bullets and item type do not say peat-free. The model number in the file is 119769.
How long does the listing say it feeds?
The bullets say it feeds for up to 3 months. Fibre Smart is named for air and water balance.
What do the stored reviews repeat?
The file has 4.3 from 4,661 reviews. Praise centres on growth and the 10 litre size. Fungus gnats and a strong smell are the repeated complaints.
Laeto’s multi-purpose listing is titled 60 litres at £13.29, with a stored weight of 13.8 kg and 4.3 from 1,857 reviews. The title covers garden and house plants, and the bullets also name vegetables, beds, roses, citrus and lawn top dressing. Some reviewers describe a crumbly, moist mix they used indoors and on the patio. Others say the bags that arrived were 40 litres, not 60, and one report includes glass, plastic, mildew and a soaking bag. Peat-free is not in the bullets; some reviews say it is, and one says the bag had no such marking. Price per litre is blank because of that litre conflict, so £13.29 is not a 60 litre bargain you can calculate. Use it only if a multi-purpose sack is the job and you will check the litres printed on the plastic.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large multi-purpose sack for the patio and for many pots, if you check the litre mark on delivery.
Less suitable: One houseplant in a flat, a peat-free order, or anyone who needs the titled 60 litres to be certain.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a houseplant mix or a multi-purpose sack?
The title is multi-purpose compost for garden and house plants. Bullets also name vegetables, beds, roses, citrus and lawn top dressing.
Do the litres agree?
Title, volume and unit count say 60 litres. Reviews in the same file say 40 litre bags arrived, including seven bags across three orders.
Is peat-free printed?
Not in the bullets. Some reviews say peat-free. One says the bag had no such marking. Price per litre is left blank because of the litre conflict.
This Miracle-Gro listing is titled 2 x 10 litres at £12.30, while the volume field says 10 litres and the unit count says 20,000 ml. The title says potting mix, not houseplant, and the only bullet is root growth, with no feed window and no peat line. The stored rating is 4.2 from 274 reviews. Some buyers say a bag was acceptable for a croton and saved a garden-centre trip. Others report fungus gnats, plastic strips, foil-backed paper and pottery shards in one bag, and mushrooms with small brown beetles in the second. Price per litre is left blank because the litre fields do not agree, so you should not guess a 10 or 20 litre yield. Treat it as a twin-pack order you check on arrival, not as a second copy of the 10 litre houseplant mix.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already want a Miracle-Gro potting-mix twin and will check the litres printed on the bags that arrive.
Less suitable: A single agreed houseplant bag, or anyone who needs a price per litre before they order.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the houseplant mix?
The title says Miracle-Gro potting mix, 2 x 10 litre, not houseplant. The only bullet is root growth.
Do the litre fields agree?
No. The title and the 20,000 ml unit count are 20 litres. The volume field says 10 litres. Price per litre is not calculated.
What do the reviews repeat?
4.2 from 274 reviews. Some bags are fine. Others report fungus gnats, plastic, foil, pottery shards, mushrooms or beetles.
Tigerbox sells a bundle of 2 x 10 litre Miracle-Gro houseplant mix at £16.82, and the volume field and the 20,000 ml unit count both read 20 litres. Bullets claim a 3-month feed and name houseplants, herbs, pots and hanging baskets. The rating is 4.0 from 197 reviews, a much smaller sample than the single 10 litre Miracle-Gro listing. Buyers who like it describe a fine crumb they can use straight from the bag. Fungus gnats, including flies from an unused second bag, a dry batch with mushroom spores, and slow delivery are the repeated complaints. One reviewer called a new formula peat-free and nutrient-poor, but peat-free is not on the bullets, so that stays a review comment. At 84p a litre it undercuts the single bag, yet the defect notes and the thin sample keep the best-value badge on the 10 litre listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want two agreed 10 litre houseplant bags and you will open both before you store one.
Less suitable: A peat-free claim, or a room where flies from a second unopened bag would be a problem.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say this bundle is peat-free?
No. A reviewer mentions a peat-free formula. The bullets do not.
What is in the bundle?
The bullets say you receive 2 x 10 litre bags of Miracle-Gro houseplant mix. Volume and unit count both read 20 litres. The seller brand is Tigerbox.
What do the reviews repeat?
4.0 from 197 reviews. Praise is a fine crumb. Complaints are fungus gnats, a dry batch, and mushroom spores.
Laeto’s houseplant mix is titled 40 litres at £20.00, with 3.8 from 204 reviews, the lowest star line in the set. One bullet says peat-free, and the same bullets also name a 60 litre multi-purpose compost, succulents, African violets and vegetables, so the plant list does not describe one recipe. The style name is moisture-retaining while another bullet talks about perlite and drainage. The repeated review theme is a manure or dairy-farm smell that did not fade indoors, plus wet lumps, gnats and an unbranded sack. Some buyers still report healthy plants, and one used it outdoors after rejecting it in a room. There is no weight field, and a 60 litre bullet conflicts with the 40 litre title, so price per litre stays blank. Do not open this one as the compost for a bedroom.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Outdoor or well-ventilated use if you have already accepted the smell risk and will check the litres.
Less suitable: A bedroom, a studio, or any indoor repot where smell and gnats are the problem you are trying to leave behind.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing say peat-free?
Yes, in one bullet. The same bullets also name succulents, African violets, vegetables and a 60 litre multi-purpose compost.
What do the reviews repeat?
3.8 from 204 reviews. The repeated complaint is a manure smell indoors, plus wet lumps, gnats, and an unbranded sack. Some buyers still report healthy plants.
What is the listed weight?
No weight field. Volume is 40 litres and the unit count is 40,000 g. A bullet says 60 litres, so price per litre is not shown.
Twelve amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the stored pages and the UK review notes already on file. There is no laboratory test. A peat-free line, a feed window or a litre figure is the seller's claim. Where two figures on one listing disagree, both stay and the clash is a deduction. A star row does not mean the bag is peat-free or gnat-proof. The highest score is the top pick. The best value is the agreed 10 litre houseplant bag. A lower price per litre on a thinner sample with defect notes does not take that badge. The weights below sum to 100.
Listing clarity
35%A named job, peat-free only if this listing prints it, litre fields that agree, and a feed line you can read. A clash between title and volume, or a peat-free line copied from another code, is a deduction.
Amazon evidence
25%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then the size of that listing's review file. Westland at 4.5 from 4,932 and Lechuza-PON at 4.7 from 5,617 are large files. UK GROW at 4.4 from 5 reviews adds nothing here.
Review outcome
20%Comments that describe growth on a stated plant score higher. Fungus gnats, a manure smell indoors, glass or plastic in a bag, and a review text shared by both Basicpon sizes are deductions. One report is not a measured cause.
Value
20%Pounds per litre only where the litre fields agree. The 10 litre Miracle-Gro bag is about £0.90 a litre. Conflicts, including the 60 litre title that reviews describe as 40 litre bags, get no unit price.
Match the job, the peat words on this listing, and litres that agree before you match the star line. Prices below are the stored amazon.co.uk shelf prices. This is not a laboratory test.
Houseplants compost on amazon.co.uk is a container medium for indoor plants. It may be a small potting mix, a peat-free indoor blend, a multi-purpose sack that also names houseplants, or a mineral substrate sold as compost. You are usually repotting foliage in a flat. The checks that stay useful when the brands change are the job, whether this listing prints peat-free, whether the litre fields agree, and whether a starter feed is included.
An announced retail ban is not in force. No peat-free words on this listing means no peat-free claim, even if another shop code for a similar bag prints them.
The 6 litre and 12 litre files repeat 4.8 from 352 and the same review text. Basicpon is fertiliser-free. Lechuza-PON is a different model and is not sold as fertiliser-free.
A 40 to 60 litre sack that also names vegetables is the wrong default for one indoor plant. A manure smell in the reviews is a reason to keep that bag outside.
The first check is the job. A few indoor pots want a small houseplant bag. A 40 to 60 litre multi-purpose sack is the wrong default for one foliage plant, and it often names vegetables, beds and lawn dressing as well. A mineral substrate is not a second scoop of the same compost. Peat words count only on the listing you are buying. Printed peat-free on one bag is not a licence to copy the phrase onto an unmarked listing. The 2022 Defra announcement of a 2024 amateur ban was not enacted.
Drainage and feed decide whether the bag suits the plant once the litres are clear. Most foliage wants a free-draining indoor mix. If a bag holds water, add horticultural grit or bark for snake plants and aroids. One bullet that treats succulents and ferns, or aroids and African violets, as the same recipe is not a drainage plan. A mineral substrate is the alternative when you want stone and fewer gnats than in soil. Some indoor bags claim up to 2 months or up to 3 months of feed.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are repotting a few foliage plants and want a small bag. The Miracle-Gro 10 litre houseplant mix is about £8.99, with 4.3 from 4,661 reviews and a feed claim of up to 3 months. The litre fields agree. Peat-free is not printed. Reviews report fungus gnats and a strong smell.
You want stone instead of an organic bag, often after fungus gnats. Lechuza-PON 18 litres is about £23.99 and 14.9 kg, peat-free, with 4.7 from 5,617 reviews. The bullets claim nutrients and do not say fertiliser-free. Basicpon is the unfertilised bag, and its two sizes share one review text.
You want one multi-purpose sack for the patio and some houseplants. The Laeto listing is titled 60 litres at about £13.29, with 4.3 from 1,857 reviews. Reviews in the file describe 40 litre bags, so there is no price per litre. It is a poor fit for one plant in a bedroom.
The top pick is Houseplant Focus, 2 x 8 litres, at about £17.98. The title prints peat-free, the bullets claim feed for up to 2 months, the volume field matches 16 litres, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.6 from 1,739 reviews. The listed weight of 1.2 kg and a unit count of 2.0 gram conflict with that pack. The best value is the Miracle-Gro 10 litre houseplant mix at about £8.99, about £0.90 a litre, with 4.3 from 4,661 reviews and a feed claim of up to 3 months. Peat-free is not printed on that listing. Lechuza-PON has the largest separate mineral sample and is not a compost bag with a printed feed window. None of these scores is a laboratory test.
Miracle-Gro houseplant mix 10 L
Agreed 10 litre houseplant bag at about £0.90 a litre, 4.3 from 4,661 reviews, feed claimed for up to 3 months, about £8.99.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page on 23 October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the stored amazon.co.uk listings. A peat-free line is only what that listing prints. This is not a laboratory test.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
