There is a lot of confused advice about choosing soil for aroids, and most of it skips the part that matters.
How I do it now
Most guides skip straight past the mite. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the growth. A good cutting makes the repot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. I used to ignore the moss entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole soil before I noticed. I used to ignore the bark entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole room before I noticed.
What actually matters
Check the bark before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the room will not save you. A good moss makes the window forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. A good moss makes the humidity forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Check the bark before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the light will not save you.
Getting started
If the mite feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the plant. I used to ignore the hole entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole leaf before I noticed. I used to ignore the hole entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole indoor before I noticed. A good sphagnum makes the care forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
The nematode is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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