Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Basketgrass (Oplismenus hirtellus 'Variegatus')
Also called Basketgrass, Variegated Basket Grass, Ribbon Grass.
More about basketgrass
About Basketgrass
Oplismenus hirtellus 'Variegatus' · also called Basketgrass, Variegated Basket Grass · houseplant
A fast-growing, trailing ornamental grass with narrow leaves striped in white, green, and rose-pink. Excellent in hanging baskets or as ground cover in conservatories. Needs bright indirect light to maintain its vivid variegation, regular watering during growth, and periodic hard cutting back as it becomes straggly after one to two years.
Preferred mix: Standard peat-free potting compost with added perlite
Watch for — Straggly, bare stems: Normal after 12–18 months as the plant ages. Cut back hard in early spring to encourage a flush of fresh, compact growth, or propagate new plants from stem cuttings and replace.
Why basketgrass needs this mix
Basketgrass is an easy-going houseplant — it just wants a free-draining general mix that holds some moisture but never stays soggy.
- Basketgrass is adaptable, but like most houseplants it still needs air at the roots — a mix that drains freely while holding a working moisture reserve.
- A little perlite or bark stops ordinary compost compacting into an airless block over time, which is the slow, common cause of decline.
- It is not fussy about pH or special ingredients; getting the air-to-moisture balance right is what matters.
For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.
What goes wrong with the wrong mix
The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons basketgrass struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:
- Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates basketgrass's roots.
- A pure peat mix that dries to a hard, water-repelling block is hard to re-wet and stresses the plant.
- No drainage hole turns even a good mix into a stagnant, root-rotting sump.
Reusing tired, compacted old compost or skipping the perlite. A free-draining mix in a pot with a hole solves most "why is it struggling" cases for basketgrass.
pH — does it matter for basketgrass?
Basketgrass is not fussy about pH — a slightly acidic to neutral mix (around pH 6.0-7.0), which a standard peat-free compost provides, is perfectly fine. No testing needed.
If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.
DIY mix vs a bagged one
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for basketgrass as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
Drainage and the pot
A pot with a drainage hole and a saucer you empty after watering is all basketgrass needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Refresh basketgrass's mix every 18-24 months; even good compost slumps and compacts, and fresh, airy mix is often the simplest fix for a tired plant. When the time comes, our repotting guide for basketgrass covers the timing and technique step by step.
Basketgrass soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for basketgrass?
3 parts peat-free houseplant compost : 1 part perlite : 1 part orchid bark or coco chips (optional). Basketgrass is adaptable, but like most houseplants it still needs air at the roots — a mix that drains freely while holding a working moisture reserve.
Can I use normal potting soil for basketgrass?
Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates basketgrass's roots. A decent bagged houseplant compost works for basketgrass as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
Does basketgrass need a special pH?
Basketgrass is not fussy about pH — a slightly acidic to neutral mix (around pH 6.0-7.0), which a standard peat-free compost provides, is perfectly fine. No testing needed.
Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for basketgrass?
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for basketgrass as long as you mix in perlite for air. The simple DIY ratio above is cheap and more reliable than a budget bag alone.
How often should I refresh the soil for basketgrass?
Refresh basketgrass's mix every 18-24 months; even good compost slumps and compacts, and fresh, airy mix is often the simplest fix for a tired plant. A pot with a drainage hole and a saucer you empty after watering is all basketgrass needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Keep reading
- Basketgrass care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water basketgrass — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting basketgrass — when and how to refresh the mix
- Soil pH guide — test it and adjust it safely
- Should I water my plant? The simple check first
- Overwatered plant — signs and recovery
- Root rot — how the wrong soil starts it, and how to save the plant
- Best soil for japanese brake fern
- Best soil for moore's blechnum
- Best soil for hammock fern
- All 8452 soil and potting-mix guides in the Growli library