The best palm soils, compared.
Top pick: Invigortex houseplant mix, 3 litre title Best value: COMPO Sana palm earth, 5 litres – Verified 5 litres for one small pot, at a lower outlay than the 10 litre bag. Updated October 2026.
Palm soil is bagged potting compost sold for palms, not garden topsoil and not a liquid feed. You usually buy it to repot a kentia, a parlour palm, or a, or because a general houseplant bag felt too fine and stayed wet. This palm soil comparison covers five amazon.co.uk listings: two bags whose litre lines agree, and three houseplant mixes whose titles say 3, 10, and 30 litres while each specification line says 1 litre. The Royal Horticultural Society points indoor palms to peat-free John Innes No 2 and hardy palms in containers to peat-free John Innes No 3. Parlour palms want a light peat-free ericaceous mix. The [palm soil buying guide](/hub/trees-and-palms/palm-soil/sub/palm-soil-buying-guide) sets out drainage, species, and pack size before a model choice. A useful bag is free-draining, sized for the pot, and labelled for palms or for the peat-free John Innes type the Royal Horticultural Society recommends. The RHS splits the mix by the plant.
Palm soil is bagged potting compost sold for palms, not garden topsoil and not a liquid feed. You usually buy it to repot a kentia, a parlour palm, or a, or because a general houseplant bag felt too fine and stayed wet.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How much mix do you need?
The Invigortex houseplant mix titled 3 litres is listed at about £8.99, and the bullets name palms together with pothos, ferns, peace lilies and other foliage plants. The specification line says 1 litre, the unit count says 1,000 millilitres, and the item weight says 1 kg, so the title size is not confirmed. The amazon.co.uk line is 5.0 from one review, dated 3 August 2026 and written in the United Kingdom, and the same text appears on the 10 litre and 30 litre Invigortex files without naming a pack size. That review calls the mix right for the buyer’s houseplants and says they saw no tiny flies, which they had seen with other products. The bullets claim a fast-draining blend that prevents overwatering and root rot, with no grit percentage, particle size or number of weeks of feed. They also say the mix is free from harsh chemicals, and they do not list the ingredients. A 5.0 from one shared review is weaker evidence than COMPO’s 4.5 from thousands, and the low shelf price is not a per-litre bargain until the volume lines agree.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small houseplant blend that mentions palms, and you can check the bag volume on arrival because the listing disagrees with itself.
Less suitable: You need a named palm compost with an agreed litre count, or you are treating 5.0 as a stronger result than COMPO.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this Invigortex mix be used outdoors?
The listing question has no separate answer. The bullets say indoor and outdoor potted plants, and patio plants.
Does the listing prove it prevents root rot?
The bullets claim it prevents overwatering and root rot. There is no measured result behind that line.
Is this bag 3 litres?
The title says 3 litre. The volume line says 1 litre and the item weight says 1 kg. Check the bag on arrival.
The Invigortex houseplant mix titled 10 litres is about £12.95, with the same bullets as the other sizes: palms listed beside ferns, pothos, peace lilies and foliage plants, plus a fast-draining claim and no week count for feed. The specification line still says 1 litre, the unit count says 1,000 millilitres, and the weight says 1 kg, which does not confirm a 10 litre bag. The star line is 5.0 from one review, the same United Kingdom text dated 3 August 2026 that sits on the 3 litre and 30 litre files, and it does not name a pack size. The reviewer reports no tiny flies. That is one household, not a sample of this title. The bullets say the mix can be used on indoor and outdoor pots and on a patio, while a listing question about outdoor use has no answer text of its own. Ingredients are not named, peat is not stated, and there is no grit percentage behind the drainage claim. At about £12.95 it sits under the COMPO 5 litre price, and you still cannot calculate a litre-price from a title the specification contradicts.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already accept a houseplant blend and you will confirm the litres in the parcel before you rely on a 10 litre title.
Less suitable: You need a 10 litre palm compost whose title and specification agree, which the COMPO 10 litre bag does.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this 10 litre-title mix be used outdoors?
The listing question has no separate answer. The bullets say indoor and outdoor potted plants, and patio plants.
Is the bag free of chemicals?
The bullets say free from harsh chemicals and synthetic additives. They do not list the ingredients.
Does the 10 litre title match the specification line?
No. The title says 10 litre. The volume line says 1 litre and the weight says 1 kg.
The Invigortex houseplant mix titled 30 litres is about £19.95, and the bullets again name palms with ferns and other foliage plants and claim the blend is fast-draining and free from harsh chemicals. The specification line says 1 litre, the unit count says 1,000 millilitres, and the item weight says 1 kg, which is not a believable mass for a 30 litre sack of compost. The star line is 5.0 from one review, identical to the text on the 3 litre and 10 litre listings, written in the United Kingdom on 3 August 2026, and it never says which size arrived. There is no feed window in weeks, no peat statement, and no measured drainage. A listing question about root growth is answered only by the bullet that says the mix supports roots. Paying about £19.95 for a titled 30 litre bag would look like the large-pack saving in this set, under the COMPO 10 litre price of about £26.84, and the specification block does not show that you are buying 30 litres. Treat the title as unconfirmed until you have the bag in front of you.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing houseplant blends and you will reject the bag if the parcel is not the volume the title promised.
Less suitable: You need 30 litres you can trust for a large palm, or any per-litre comparison with COMPO.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this mix help with root growth?
The bullets say it supports root growth. The listing has the question and no measured answer.
Is the 30 litre title confirmed by the weight?
No. The item weight is 1 kg and the volume line says 1 litre, which does not confirm a 30 litre bag.
Is the 5.0 score from buyers of the 30 litre bag?
The only review does not name a pack size, and the same text is on the 3 litre and 10 litre listings.
The COMPO Sana 10 litre bag, model 11431, is the larger named palm and green-plant compost in this set, at about £26.84 on amazon.co.uk. The title and the specification line both say 10 litres, and the weight is 3.92 kg, which works out at about £2.68 a litre. The star line is 4.5 from 8,462 reviews, and the first 23 of a 50-text sample say they were reviewed in the United Kingdom. A UK reviewer with a palm in a pot outdoors wrote that the plant loved this compost, and other texts mention ferns and indoor pot plants after repotting. The bullets state 8 weeks of nutrition and “a lot of water”, with no measured drainage rate. One UK buyer found some perlite and still added orchid bark and more perlite. More than one UK review reports fungus gnats or flies, including a buyer who says three bags were full of bugs and plants were lost, while other UK reviews report no bugs. The listing does not say peat-free. It is the top pick when you need about 10 litres and you will add grit if the pot stays wet.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need about 10 litres for a palm or other green plant in a pot, and you will add grit if the compost stays wet.
Less suitable: A parlour palm that needs an ericaceous mix, or a buyer who reads 4.5 stars as proof the bag arrives free of flies.
Specifications
Common questions
How long does the fertiliser in this 10 litre bag last?
The bullets say 8 weeks of nutrition. The listing does not give a longer period. After that, container palms still need feeding in the growing season.
Does this compost drain well enough on its own?
The listing gives no drainage rate. A UK review says some perlite is present and that the buyer added orchid bark and more perlite.
Have UK buyers reported flies in this compost?
Yes. More than one UK review reports gnats or flies after use. Other UK reviews say they saw no bugs.
The COMPO Sana 5 litre bag, model 11420, is compost named for green plants and palms, at about £20.59 on amazon.co.uk. The title and the specification line both say 5 litres, and the listed weight is 1.98 kg, so the pack size does not clash with itself. The star line is 4.5 from 1,887 reviews, yet only a few of the first 50 texts say they were written in the United Kingdom, so that rating is not a UK palm trial. Reviewers describe monsteras, dracaenas, chives and a palm doing well, and one longer review says the mix fills gaps in the pot. The bullets state 8 weeks of nutrition. One review mentions 12 weeks, and this comparison uses the 8-week bullet. Buyers call the bag small for the money, at about £4.12 a litre, and some describe a wet mix with pieces of wood. One review reports a cut sack that leaked, and another describes baking the compost against fungus gnats, which is a buyer habit rather than a safe instruction. It is best value when one small pot will not use a 10 litre bag.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have one small pot and want a named palm compost whose 5 litre lines agree, without buying 10 litres.
Less suitable: You need a larger volume, a peat-free statement on the bag, or a score built only on UK reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
How long does the feed in this COMPO bag last?
The listing bullets say 8 weeks of nutrition. One review mentions 12 weeks. This comparison uses the 8-week bullet.
Is this bag only for palms?
The title says green plants and palm tree earth. Reviews also mention chives, monstera, dracaena, and other indoor plants.
Does the listing say this bag is peat-free?
No. The listing does not say peat or peat-free. Do not treat it as a peat-free John Innes bag.
Five palm soil listings on amazon.co.uk were scored out of 100. Stars count for 40, the review sample for 25, fit for a palm in a pot for 25, and value in this set for 10. Shelf prices, stars, and review counts are the listings as stored for this page. There was no laboratory drainage test. A single shared 5.0 does not outrank a 4.5 from thousands of reviews. If two totals tie, the larger United Kingdom review sample is the top pick, once. The highest value score that is not the top pick is best value, once.
Stars
40%The amazon.co.uk star rating, scored as (rating / 5) × 40 and rounded. A 4.5 becomes 36. A 5.0 becomes 40.
Review sample
25%5,000 or more reviews score 25; 1,000 to 4,999 score 20; 100 to 999 score 12; 10 to 99 score 6; under 10 reviews score 2.
Fit for a palm in a pot
25%Named palm compost with an agreed volume, and a UK review that names a potted palm, scores higher. A houseplant mix whose title volume clashes with the specification scores lower. Peat wording is not scored, because none of the five listings states peat-free.
Value in this set
10%A per-litre price is used only when the title and the specification agree. Verified 5 litres for one small pot scores higher on value than the 10 litre bag, because the cash outlay is lower even though the litre is dearer.
Palm soil is a potting compost for a palm in a pot. The decision is drainage, the species, and a pack size the listing actually confirms. A coco brick, garden topsoil, or a bottle of liquid feed will not do that job. The five bags below are the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, not a garden-centre survey and not a laboratory drainage test.
Palm soil, in UK shops, is a bagged potting compost sold for palms. It is not garden topsoil, not a coco brick, and not a liquid palm feed. People buy it to repot a kentia, a parlour palm, or a Trachycarpus, or because a general houseplant bag felt too fine and stayed wet. A useful bag is free-draining, sized for the pot, and labelled for palms or for the peat-free John Innes type the Royal Horticultural Society recommends. The RHS splits the mix by the plant.
Coco bricks, garden topsoil, ericaceous rhododendron compost, and liquid palm feed are other products. Palm soil here means bagged potting compost for a palm in a pot.
All three Invigortex files say 1 litre and 1 kg in the specification block while the titles say 3, 10, and 30 litres. Do not quote a per-litre price from those titles.
A parlour palm moves to a pot a couple of centimetres wider. COMPO states 8 weeks of nutrition. After that, container palms still need feeding in the growing season. Do not water in winter while the mix is already damp.
Palms in pots fail when the mix stays wet. None of these listings gives a drainage rate. On COMPO 10 litres, a UK review says some perlite is present and that the buyer still added orchid bark and more perlite. On COMPO 5 litres, one review says perlite is already in the mix, and some buyers describe a wet mix with pieces of wood. Invigortex bullets say the blend is fast-draining and prevents root rot. Those lines are claims, with no grit percentage or measured rate.
Pack size only counts when the title and the specification agree. COMPO 5 litres is 5 litres at 1.98 kg, about £20.59, about £4.12 a litre. COMPO 10 litres is 10 litres at 3.92 kg, about £26.84, about £2.68 a litre. A rule of thumb from these two bags only: named palm compost here is roughly £2.70 to £4.10 per litre. The 5 litre bag is the lower cash outlay for one small pot, and the litre itself is dearer. The 10 litre bag is the lower verified litre-price.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have one small pot and want a named palm compost whose 5 litre lines agree, without buying 10 litres. COMPO Sana 5 litres is about £20.59, with 8 weeks of nutrition on the listing. Few of the first 50 review texts are from the United Kingdom, so the 4.5 is not a UK palm trial.
You need about 10 litres, a volume you can trust, and you will add grit if the mix stays wet. COMPO Sana 10 litres is about £26.84. A UK review names a potted palm. UK reviews also report flies, so 4.5 stars is not proof the bag arrives clear of them.
The lowest ticket in this set is about £8.99. Treat the 5.0 from one shared review as weaker evidence than 4.5 from thousands. The specification says 1 litre and 1 kg, so check the bag on arrival before you rely on the 3 litre title.
COMPO Sana 10 litres is the top pick when you need about 10 litres of named palm compost, the title and specification agree, and you will add grit if the pot stays wet. COMPO Sana 5 litres is best value when one small pot will not use a 10 litre bag: the outlay is lower, at about £20.59, and the litre is dearer. The three Invigortex listings are cheaper on the shelf, and their specification lines still say 1 litre, with one shared 5.0 review. None of the five bags states peat-free, and this was not a laboratory drainage test.
COMPO Sana palm earth, 5 litres
Verified 5 litres for one small pot, at a lower outlay than the 10 litre bag.
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 listed below, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. This is not a laboratory test.
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.
