Atlanta Botanical Garden mix

Atlanta Botanical Garden mix, or "ABG mix" for short, refers to a substrate mix commonly used in tropical or subtropical enclosures that was originally popularized by the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Widely regarded as the gold standard in tropical substrates, ABG mix is valued for its ability to retain moisture, while allowing adequate ventilation for plant roots and absorbing excess nutrients through its charcoal component.

ABG mix is a recipe, rather than a product, and can be produced by a number of vendors - or mixed at home.

Recipe

The original Atlanta Botanical Garden ("ABG") mix recipe is:

• 2 parts tree fern fiber
• 1 part peat moss
• 1 part charcoal
• 1 part sphagnum moss
• 2 parts fir bark

Be wary of products offering "ABG-like" mix which do not list their ingredients, or which may be using the popularity of the original ABG recipe to sell a product with different or inferior ingredients.