Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Artillery Plant (Pilea microphylla)
Also called Artillery Plant, Artillery Fern, Rockweed, Gunpowder Plant, Angeloweed.
More about artillery plant
About Artillery Plant
Pilea microphylla · also called Artillery Plant, Artillery Fern · houseplant
The artillery plant (Pilea microphylla) is a fine-textured, fern-like trailing houseplant in the nettle family, named for the way it puffs out pollen. It wants bright indirect light, consistently moist soil, and humidity above 50 percent. ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, making it a genuinely pet-safe choice.
Preferred mix: Light, well-draining, organic-rich potting mix
Watch for — Leaf crisping and drop: Caused by letting the soil dry out fully, low humidity, or hot direct sun. The tiny leaves are unforgiving of drought. Keep soil evenly moist and humidity above 50 percent.
Why artillery plant needs this mix
Artillery Plant is an easy-going houseplant — it just wants a free-draining general mix that holds some moisture but never stays soggy.
- Artillery Plant 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 artillery plant 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 artillery plant'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 artillery plant.
pH — does it matter for artillery plant?
Artillery Plant 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 artillery plant 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 artillery plant needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Refresh artillery plant'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 artillery plant covers the timing and technique step by step.
Artillery Plant soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for artillery plant?
3 parts peat-free houseplant compost : 1 part perlite : 1 part orchid bark or coco chips (optional). Artillery Plant 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 artillery plant?
Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates artillery plant's roots. A decent bagged houseplant compost works for artillery plant 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 artillery plant need a special pH?
Artillery Plant 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 artillery plant?
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for artillery plant 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 artillery plant?
Refresh artillery plant'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 artillery plant needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Keep reading
- Artillery Plant care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water artillery plant — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting artillery plant — 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
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