Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Ruellia makoyana (Ruellia makoyana)
Also called Monkey plant, Trailing velvet plant.
More about ruellia makoyana
About Ruellia makoyana
Ruellia makoyana · also called Monkey plant, Trailing velvet plant · tropical
Ruellia makoyana, the monkey plant, is a low, trailing Brazilian tropical grown for velvety olive-green leaves with silvery veins and purple undersides, plus rosy-pink trumpet flowers. It loves warmth, high humidity, and bright filtered light, making an excellent hanging-basket or terrarium plant where its spreading, soft-textured stems can cascade.
Preferred mix: Rich, moisture-retentive, free-draining mix
Watch for — Sudden wilting: The plant collapses quickly if the soil dries out. Keep soil evenly moist and check moisture frequently, especially in warm rooms; it usually recovers if rewatered promptly.
Why ruellia makoyana needs this mix
Ruellia makoyana hates drying out, so it wants a mix that stays evenly moist — but it still needs perlite so "moist" never tips into "waterlogged".
- Ruellia makoyana comes from damp, shaded forest floors and has fine roots that scorch and brown the moment the rootball dries — the mix has to hold a steady reserve.
- Coir and compost give that reserve, while perlite keeps enough air that the constantly-moist mix does not turn anaerobic.
- Even moisture also keeps its thin leaves from crisping at the edges, which is this plant’s most visible stress signal.
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 ruellia makoyana struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:
- A free-draining, gritty mix dries too fast for ruellia makoyana — you get crispy brown edges and frond or leaf drop within days of one missed watering.
- A pure, airless peat mix swings the other way: it holds water but suffocates the fine roots and rots the crown.
- Letting the mix dry to the point it shrinks from the pot is very hard to re-wet evenly and stresses the plant badly.
Using a sharp, fast-draining "houseplant" or cactus-leaning mix that lets ruellia makoyana dry out. It needs a moisture-retentive but still airy blend.
pH — does it matter for ruellia makoyana?
Ruellia makoyana prefers a slightly acidic mix (around pH 5.5-6.5); a peat-free compost-and-coir blend sits there naturally, so routine pH testing is unnecessary.
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 good peat-free houseplant compost works for ruellia makoyana straight from the bag if you mix in some perlite for air. The DIY ratio above gives a more reliable moisture-to-air balance.
Drainage and the pot
Use a pot with a drainage hole but a less-porous material (plastic or glazed) so it does not dry too fast. Bottom-watering keeps the mix evenly moist without sogging the crown.
Peat-free mixes slump and compact as they hold moisture, so refresh ruellia makoyana's mix every 12-18 months to keep air in the rootball even if the pot size is unchanged. When the time comes, our repotting guide for ruellia makoyana covers the timing and technique step by step.
Ruellia makoyana soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for ruellia makoyana?
3 parts peat-free houseplant compost : 1 part coco coir : 1 part perlite. Ruellia makoyana comes from damp, shaded forest floors and has fine roots that scorch and brown the moment the rootball dries — the mix has to hold a steady reserve.
Can I use normal potting soil for ruellia makoyana?
A free-draining, gritty mix dries too fast for ruellia makoyana — you get crispy brown edges and frond or leaf drop within days of one missed watering. A good peat-free houseplant compost works for ruellia makoyana straight from the bag if you mix in some perlite for air. The DIY ratio above gives a more reliable moisture-to-air balance.
Does ruellia makoyana need a special pH?
Ruellia makoyana prefers a slightly acidic mix (around pH 5.5-6.5); a peat-free compost-and-coir blend sits there naturally, so routine pH testing is unnecessary.
Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for ruellia makoyana?
A good peat-free houseplant compost works for ruellia makoyana straight from the bag if you mix in some perlite for air. The DIY ratio above gives a more reliable moisture-to-air balance.
How often should I refresh the soil for ruellia makoyana?
Peat-free mixes slump and compact as they hold moisture, so refresh ruellia makoyana's mix every 12-18 months to keep air in the rootball even if the pot size is unchanged. Use a pot with a drainage hole but a less-porous material (plastic or glazed) so it does not dry too fast. Bottom-watering keeps the mix evenly moist without sogging the crown.
Keep reading
- Ruellia makoyana care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water ruellia makoyana — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting ruellia makoyana — when and how to refresh the mix
- Soil pH guide — test it and adjust it safely
- Underwatered plant — signs and how to rehydrate it
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry diagnosis
- Should I water my plant? The simple check first
- Best soil for monstera
- Best soil for pothos
- Best soil for fiddle leaf fig
- All 5561 soil and potting-mix guides in the Growli library