The optimal composition of the soil for orchids and instructions on how to cook it yourself

The popularity of orchids in our country is undeniable. Love her for the beauty of flowers, unusual, exotic look.

But with all this, the plant is quite whimsical to the content parameters. What is the soil for planting.

The composition, properties, characteristics are significantly different from the usual earthen soil for flowers.

In the article, we will consider what soil is needed for orchids, how to choose it in the store and prepare it yourself from pine bark and other ingredients.

Importance of proper soil

It is no longer a secret that impassable, tropical forests are considered the homeland of orchids. As a place of residence, they choose the trunks of large trees. Clinging aerial roots to bumps and protrusions of tree trunks, they extract nutrients and moisture. This plant specificity should be considered when choosing soil.

An optimally selected substrate is the key to plant health. Do not use ordinary earth as soil for exotics. After all, the root system, accustomed to light, must freely blow air, participate in the process of photosynthesis. And heavy earth will be a kind of press for the roots. In such conditions, it is quite difficult to grow an exotic flower. Uncomfortable growing conditions can lead to significant problems and diseases of the orchid.

Read more about whether it is possible to plant an orchid in ordinary soil here, and learn how to choose a substrate for a flower from this material.

Self cooking

Novice orchid growers exclusively purchase a ready-made substrate for orchids in garden stores. But experienced gardeners who have been breeding flowers for more than one year, believe that it is better to prepare the soil themselves. Especially since own-prepared substrate has several advantages:

• low cost;
• proven quality of components;
• simple execution;
• individual selection of components corresponding to the variety;
• drawing up the required proportions.

Read more about what is better, a ready-made substrate or self-prepared, as well as about the composition of the soil can be found here.

Shop substrate

The market of soil mixtures for orchids is full of offers from various manufacturers. However, even patented brands offer vibrant, attractive packaging with poor product quality.

Important! Most finished substrates contain a large amount of peat and soil dust, and the bark is catastrophically small. This ratio of components negatively affects the growth and flowering of the plant.

More information about the popular manufacturers of soil for orchids can be found here.

Mandatory and optional soil components

The general criteria for choosing a soil mixture for indoor orchids are the same. The soil should have the following qualities:

1. breathability;
2. friability;
3. ease;
4. lack of toxic properties;
5. have good drainage properties;
6. optimal acidity.

In addition, the substrate is updated every three years, therefore it must be enriched with mineral trace elements. The integral components of the soil mixture for exotic plants are pine bark, moss, wood ash, fern roots. It is this composition of natural materials that is considered the basis for the preparation of the substrate.

Also to the main ingredients add additional components, no less important, among them:

• walnut shell;
• coconut fiber;
• parts of pine cones;
• humus;
• peat;
• deciduous and coniferous land;
• dry leaves.

Inorganic substances:

1. expanded clay granules;
2. perlite;
3. vermiculitis;
4. polystyrene;
5. mineral wool;
6. foam rubber;
7. gravel.

These materials are used as drainage.

Ingredient preparation

Consider how to prepare the soil with your own hands. The organic components for the soil mix are easy to find in nature.. At the same time, you don’t need to go far, everything is around us.

1. Pine bark. This is the main component that is easy to find in a pine forest, on fallen trees. It is better to take bark with a minimum resin content. Without fail in a dry form. Still suitable bark of birch, spruce, oak.
2. Sphagnum moss. They are also harvested in the forests in the spring, after complete snow melting. In the lowlands where meltwater stagnates, moss appears. It has bactericidal, moisture-absorbing properties. Use fresh and dry.
3. Fern rootsthat contain many useful substances and trace elements. Grow in a forest area.
4. Charcoal it is easy to find on the ashes or burn at the stake small logs of any tree species. This component acts as an antiseptic and sorbent.
5. Cones and earth. In coniferous forests it is easy to find fallen, dry cones. Their scales are used to prepare the substrate, can replace the pine bark. Fertile soil is extracted only under a layer of needles.
6. Foliage and deciduous soil. Sometimes dry foliage is added to the substrate for some varieties of orchids. The leaves create a unique microflora in the pot, thereby protecting the plant from diseases and mold. They can be found along with the land in deciduous forests.

Not all components from the above list can be found in the natural environment. Artificial materials should be purchased in specialized stores.

• Expanded clay granules. The substance is light, porous, inexpensive, environmentally friendly. Applies as drainage or main component. Sold in departments with building materials.
• Coconut chips, fiber. Components are bought in garden shops, they are separately packaged and pre-disinfected.
• Styrofoam. Used as a baking powder, and large fractions are used in the form of drainage. The material is chemically inert, light. You can buy it in hardware stores.
• Perlite, vermiculite, foam rubber, gravel - components loosening the soil. Available in the same departments with building materials.

How to replace natural components?

The basis of the substrate for orchids is materials of organic origin. But if necessary, they can be partially replaced by artificial ones.

1. Replace the bark with river sand, sheet soil, foam fragments.
2. Moss - polystyrene, foam rubber, hydrogel.
3. Instead of ash add crushed activated carbon.
4. As a drainage layer and baking powder use perlite, gravel, brick crumbs, crushed stone, perlite, cork materials.

Composition variations for different varieties

Reference! Representatives of orchids, which are grown at home, are divided into two groups: epiphytic and terrestrial. They differ not only in name, appearance, but also in the growth environment.

Accordingly, the substrate for plants has a number of differences.

Epiphytic orchids include varieties:

1. dendrobium;
2. Cattleya;
3. lycasts;
4. phalaenopsis;
5. Cumbria
6. zygopetalum;
7. masdevallia.

For such plants, the soil is important mainly for maintaining an upright position, and then for nutrition and obtaining life-giving moisture. Hence, epiphytes do not need land, enough ungrounded substrate. Mixture Options:

• 1 part charcoal and 5 parts bark.
• 5 parts of pine bark, 2 parts of moss, ½ part of wood ash, ½ part of dry foliage.
• 2 parts moss-sphagnum, 1 part ash and 5 parts slivers of bark.
• 3 parts of bark, 3 parts of cork material, 1 part of peat, 1 part of moss, 1 part of ash.

Ground orchids: cymbidium and paphiopedilum, which require enhanced nutrition. The following soil components such as pine bark, wood ash, moss, peat are suitable for them. Mix recipes:

• 1 part of peat, pine bark, moss, expanded clay, ash.
• 2 parts of leafy soil and humus, 2 parts of fern roots, 1 part of peat and river white sand.
• 1 part of dry leaves, moss, sand, 2 parts of fern roots, 3 parts of leafy soil.
• 3 parts of leafy land, 1 part of pine bark, peat, moss.

Basic rules for procurement

In order to save the family budget growers collect ingredients for the substrate and stockpile for future use:

1. Moisture-resistant component - moss-sphagnum grows in marshy areas. Used in dry and wet condition. It is recommended to dry the moss in partial shade, pack it in separate bags and store in a dark place. When wet, the moss is stored in the freezer, in individual packages.
2. Coals from a fire should be collected, washed thoroughly and chopped to 3-4 cm. Powdered charcoal is used to disinfect plant sections. Store recommended in plastic bags in a cool place.
3. Pine bark must be dry, but not rotten. It is best to take a bark from a tree that has been cut down for no more than 1 year. Using a secateurs, grind to a size of 3-4 cm.
4. They dig a fern in the spring before the formation of foliage or in late autumn, when the leaves are already dried. The roots are well dried, cut into pieces. The material is stored in a dark place, in sealed packaging.

Important! All ingredients collected in the forest must be sanitized for the future mix. Cones, wood ash are poured with boiling water, and then soaked in cool water. Fresh, pine bark is advised to warm in the oven at a minimum temperature of no more than 5 minutes.

Such a procedure is carried out in order to extract harmful insects, and to increase the ability of moisture absorption.

Instructions on how to make the substrate yourself at home

A detailed description of the process eliminates fuss and unnecessary errors. It is important to follow the sequence.

1. Combine all pre-prepared ingredients, depending on the plant variety according to the above recipes. However, the condition of the soil and flower should be regularly monitored, adjusted.

   If the moisture in the pot is not absorbed for a long time, the soil dries poorly, while the plant is clearly not comfortable. So you need to add bark and charcoal.

   Or the situation is the opposite, the substrate quickly becomes dry, moisture is not enough. Orchid leaves shrink, turn yellow, aerial roots dry. This is a signal - you should add moss and fern roots.

2. All components are mixed immediately before planting a tropical beauty. The proportions of the components are also affected by the size of the root system, the dimensions of the pot. But all this is selected individually.
3. We prepare a planting pot, a spatula, a basin for mixing the substrate, a measuring container. Then, using a measuring container, measure the portions in accordance with the selected recipe. All components are mixed in a basin and thoroughly mixed with a spatula.
4. We proceed directly to the process of laying layers. You should take a transparent plastic pot with holes for drainage. We lay expanded clay granules at the bottom, then a layer of substrate, followed by a second layer of drainage, and from above - the rest of the soil.

It is important to regularly monitor the condition of the soil. After all, over time, it is depleted, decomposes, turning into dust. Then it is better to transplant an orchid or update the soil. The condition of an orchid directly depends on the presence of one or another component, so think carefully before using the material.

Useful video

Next, watch a video on how to prepare the substrate yourself.

Watch the video: My Home made orchid potting mixes. Orchid Potting mix to repot various kinds of Orchids (December 2024).