Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Riccia fluitans (Riccia fluitans)
Also called crystalwort, floating liverwort.
More about riccia fluitans
About Riccia fluitans
Riccia fluitans · also called crystalwort, floating liverwort · tropical
Riccia fluitans, crystalwort, is a rootless aquatic liverwort that naturally floats as a bright green tangled mat. Famously pinned down with mesh in aquascaping, it forms a dazzling pearling carpet under strong light and CO2. Vivid but demanding, it sheds oxygen bubbles when thriving and needs high light, injected CO2 and frequent trimming to stay anchored.
Preferred mix: None — floats or is pinned to hardscape
Watch for — Floating free: Being rootless, it constantly tries to detach and rise; secure it under mesh or fine netting and re-pin escaping clumps to keep the carpet intact.
Why riccia fluitans needs this mix
Riccia fluitans is an easy-going houseplant — it just wants a free-draining general mix that holds some moisture but never stays soggy.
- Riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans'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 riccia fluitans.
pH — does it matter for riccia fluitans?
Riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Refresh riccia fluitans'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 riccia fluitans covers the timing and technique step by step.
Riccia fluitans soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for riccia fluitans?
3 parts peat-free houseplant compost : 1 part perlite : 1 part orchid bark or coco chips (optional). Riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans?
Plain garden soil or a cheap, claggy compost compacts in the pot and slowly suffocates riccia fluitans's roots. A decent bagged houseplant compost works for riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans need a special pH?
Riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans?
A decent bagged houseplant compost works for riccia fluitans 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 riccia fluitans?
Refresh riccia fluitans'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 riccia fluitans needs — the free-draining mix does the rest.
Keep reading
- Riccia fluitans care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water riccia fluitans — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting riccia fluitans — 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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