Ideal substrate for orchids. Soil for orchids at home. Components used: which one is better

As you know, replacing soil for a flower is a kind of stress. For this reason Orchids are replanted every 3 years with soil replacement(read about when it is best to replant an orchid at home, and from there you will find out whether this procedure can be performed at autumn period). So during this period the soil is greatly depleted and loses valuable properties:

• The balance of mineral salts is disrupted.
• The substrate ages and decomposes.
• The supply of micronutrients is running low.
• Breathability decreases.
• Acidity levels increase.

ATTENTION: Soil compaction disrupts the drainage process, and stagnant moisture can have a detrimental effect on the root system. For the full development of the exotic, carry out complete replacement substrate.

General criteria choosing a soil mixture for indoor orchids the same. The soil must have the following qualities:

Representatives of orchids that are grown at home are divided into two groups: epiphytic and terrestrial. They differ not only in name, appearance, but also the growing environment. Accordingly, the substrate for plants has a number of differences.

Epiphytic orchids include the following varieties:

• dendrobium;
• Cattleyas;
• lycastes;
• phalaenopsis;
• Cambria;
• zygopetalum;
• masdevallia.

For such plants, soil is important mainly for maintaining vertical position, and then for nutrition and receiving life-giving moisture. Hence, epiphytes do not need soil; a soil substrate is sufficient. Mixtures have variations: 1 part charcoal and 5 parts of bark. Or sphagnum moss, ash and bark chips in a ratio of 2:1:5.

Terrestrial orchids: cymbidium and paphiopedilum, which require increased nutrition. The following soil composition will suit them:

• pine bark;
• wood ash;
• peat.

ADVICE: You can also prepare a substrate from ready-made soil for orchids, adding moss and part of the deciduous soil.

Experienced flower growers answer this question unequivocally - no. The usual habitat of orchids is loose, light soil . Root system must be freely blown with air and participate in the process of photosynthesis. And in the ground it will be compressed, as if under the weight of a stone. In such conditions exotic flower It is quite difficult to grow and most likely he will die.

Can I use regular soil? Soil for exotic plants You can buy ready-made, cook it yourself, or purchase individual components and choose the proportions yourself. Garden stores have a large selection of different soil mixtures for orchids. When purchasing a substrate, you should pay attention to:

Unfortunately, even in trusted stores you can buy a low-quality product. To avoid this, prepare the substrate for orchids yourself. It is not necessary to collect all the ingredients of the substrate yourself; they are sold separately in specialized stores. Thus, it is easy to assemble the substrate yourself by mixing the components in required quantities. Good products of natural materials from the manufacturer “Gardens of Aurica”.

How to make the mixture yourself?

In order to save Money, and also for complete confidence in quality, the soil is prepared individually. The main composition of the substrate contains:

1. pine bark. This is the main component that is easy to find in a pine forest, on fallen trees. The bark should be chopped to 2-3 cm.
2. Sphagnum moss. Collected in forests, in lowlands, after the snow has completely melted. Moss has bactericidal properties. Used fresh and dry.
3. Fern roots, which contain many useful substances. Add to the dry mixture.
4. charcoal easy to find in the ashes. The ash needs to be the same size as the other ingredients.
5. Expanded clay, inexpensive and lightweight material. Granules are great for drainage.

They use options for preparing the substrate with the addition of coarse sand, granular clay, cork material, perlite, polystyrene, leaf soil, peat, humus.

Watch a video about collecting materials for an orchid substrate:

With soil replacement? Detailed description the transplantation process will eliminate fuss and unnecessary errors. It is important to follow the sequence:

Watch the video about correct transplantation orchids:

The phalaenopsis that we grow at home are specially bred hybrids, and their ancestors grow in humid tropical forests South-East Asia. Their genus includes about 40 species and hybrids.

ATTENTION: For these orchids, the soil is not soil in the usual sense of the word. In nature they are accustomed to receiving natural substances from the water that falls on their roots. At indoor growing soil is needed as a support for growth and retention in the plant pot.

If the soil is heavy for the plant, then the roots will not get enough air and nutrients. And from this the plant will simply die. Therefore, when choosing soil for a flower, it is necessary to take into account some of the plant’s requirements. It must provide:

• breathability;
• moisture permeability;
• hold nutrients and dry in 3-4 days.

The composition is of great importance. The soil for phalaenopsis is called substrate. You can purchase it ready-made in a special store, or you can make it yourself by selecting the right and high-quality components.

The best substrates should include:

If you do not have the opportunity, desire or time to make the soil yourself, then simply buy it at a specialized store. There are a huge number of store-bought substrates, but as practice has shown, not all of them good quality . So, when buying a substrate, you need to pay attention to some features:

• The bark should be of good quality - dense, strong, without damage and not too small. The pieces of bark in the substrate should be intact, up to 3 cm, and in no case crumbled.
• The moss must be disinfected and dried.
• Charcoal - pieces should be 2 cm in size (smaller ones will easily collapse).
• The substrate should not look like a lump of earth, because it will accumulate moisture and have poor air permeability.
• The composition should not contain earth, only pieces of charcoal, bark, fern root, pour and coconut fiber.

What requirements must you meet?

In order for the plant to take root and be comfortable, it is necessary to follow certain selection principles:

• It should not be too dense and compacted.
• The substrate should dry out within 3 days - this is ideal soil for phalaenopsis.
• The lower the humidity of the room, the more soil is needed. It must have a sufficient amount of moisture-intensive components.

Remember, one desire to have at home beautiful orchid not enough. First you need to study the theory by. It is especially important to know the conditions of detention for those who have just arrived. Read the advice of our experts on which ones are needed and how to apply them correctly, how they are needed and why it is important to respect the premises in which the phalaenopis is located.

The easiest way is to plant your plant in ready-made purchased soil.. Now exists a large number of foreign and domestic compositions.

ADVICE: Remember that there should be no soil in it. If you still see its presence in the substrate, then simply sift it. At home, it is not necessary to use all of the listed components. It is enough to take the most basic of them.

The compositions can be as follows:

Experienced flower growers have developed best compositions for the development of phalaenopsis. Let's look at them:

1. The following composition is popular:
   • pine bark – 2 parts;
   • gravel or pebbles - 2 parts;
   • expanded clay – 1 part;
   • charcoal - 1 part.
2. The following composition can also be used:
   • pine or oak bark - 3 parts;
   • pumice pieces - 1 part;
   • charcoal - 1 part;
   • fern roots – 1 part;
   • expanded clay – 1 part.

Do it yourself

Main components:

1. Oak or pine bark. Take from a fallen or cut down tree. It should be easy to separate from the tree, dry and not rotten.
2. Charcoal is taken from a burnt trunk of birch, oak, or beech. It is advisable to do this yourself to be sure that it burned without polymers or toxic substances.
3. Fern root - dig up in the summer, clear of soil, wash, cut into small pieces and dry.
4. You can collect sphagnum moss and peat yourself from a swamp or buy it in a store.
5. Skins of forest, cedar or walnuts, sunflower seed husks or eggshell- baking powder.
6. Minerals perlite and vermiculite - buy in the store.
7. Expanded clay, polystyrene foam or polystyrene, pebbles, gravel, pumice - drainage.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions:

1. Collection of components.
2. Sanitization – most do it yourself assembled components cannot be used without disinfection. They need to be washed, heat treated, crushed to required sizes, dry. Can be placed in bags for long-term storage.
3. Parts of the substrate can be collected gradually.
4. Using mixing recipes, prepare the soil.

Watch a video about preparing a substrate for orchids with your own hands:

Comparing a store-bought substrate with one you prepare yourself, it’s difficult to say which is better.. On the one hand, you can give preference to store-bought - it is already prepared according to all the rules and for all the needs of the plant, it also contains natural ingredients. But unfortunately it is not always of good quality.

On the other hand, if you give preference to a self-prepared substrate, you will of course be confident in the quality of the collected components and select them to suit your conditions for keeping the flower. But you will encounter the following problem: you will not be able to find all the components. Therefore, a universal substrate for phalaenopsis will be a store-bought one with the addition of your selected components.

Consequences of the wrong choice

An incorrectly selected substrate can become a problem for the root system of the flower.. It damages soil that has become caked or compacted. As a result, the orchids rot or dry out.

IMPORTANT: But a dying plant can be saved. To do this, it needs to be urgently replanted with a complete replacement of the soil. And of course, reconsider its components. After all, maybe they were the cause of problems with the plant.

Read more about how to transplant a phalaenopsis orchid at home.

Conclusion

To keep your plant healthy and happy beautiful flowering, you need to be very careful when choosing a substrate for an orchid, without it, cultivation is doomed to failure.

And then you can avoid problems and complications in caring for the flower. Now you know which substrate is best for planting phalaenopsis at home. Happy floriculture to you!

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Phalaenopsis orchids are quite colorful flowers that, until recently, were very rare. They could only be seen in nature. However, recently florists have learned to cross them, and therefore phalaenopsis orchids began to appear on the shelves of flower shops.

This type of orchid belongs to the group tropical plants constantly growing on tree branches. They have the following features:

1. Orchids' nutrition consists of air and rain.
2. To grow them at home you need nutritional composition soil with different impurities.
3. Phalaenopsis orchids require frequent replanting and their pot needs updating.
4. Transplantation should be carried out only when the flower is dormant. These times include seasons such as spring and autumn.
5. During replanting, it is recommended to trim the flower stalk so that the orchid grows faster.
6. It is not recommended to place the orchid in a bright place.

If you know about these features and know how to use them, the phalaenopsis orchid will bloom in beautiful colors.

Orchids are rather capricious flowers that should be treated with care individual approach. How to plant them correctly, as well as which soil set options are suitable for them, can be found in this article.

For an orchid, ordinary soil is unacceptable, and therefore the substrate in which planting will be organized must meet the following requirements:

1. Holding the orchid stem vertically.
2. Hold minimum quantity water with organization throughput air.
3. It shouldn't contain garden soil. It should be replaced with natural remedies.

In order for this flower to feel comfortable, you need to learn how to select the right components for the soil. There are several options for mixing it with different ingredients.

Option 1. Take crushed bark, a little peat, perlite and sequoia and mix it all together.

Option two. Taken:

1. Bark of coniferous trees
2. Styrofoam
3. Expanded clay.
4. Peat.
5. Charcoal.

All this is also thoroughly mixed.

Before use, the bark must be prepared. For this:

1. It is cleaned and crushed.
2. All of it must be boiled in water.
3. Before use, the boiling procedure should be repeated two times.
4. It is used only in wet form.

Moss also requires additional processing:

1. All stems should be discarded.
2. Before use, it is recommended to wash it and cut it into pieces.

In order for orchids to grow correctly, they must be planted and replanted correctly. Therefore, the following actions should be taken:

1. Choose the right utensils. A pot in which it is recommended to make small holes is perfect for this role. It should be light and made of plastic.
2. Granite chips or polystyrene foam are placed at the bottom of the pot for about a quarter of the entire container.
3. The plant is carefully placed, and the mixture is poured on top.
4. When using bark, use large pieces at the bottom, medium pieces in the middle, and small pieces at the top.
5. It must be strengthened with sticks and stones.
6. Then it must be watered and placed in a dark place.
7. After a few weeks, the orchid can be transferred to light.

Replanting phalaenopsis orchids

1. This procedure should be carried out no more than twice a year.
2. Before transplanting, the plant should be moistened.
3. If it grows, the orchid should be carefully divided and planted in pots.
4. Flowering begins the same year.

Video about preparing soil for phalaenopsis orchids

In addition to our instructions, you can see detailed video about how to prepare soil for phalaenopsis orchids.

Orchid princesses bring not only the touching beauty of the exotic tropics to our home. It has long been noticed that in rooms with these amazing flowers there is a friendly atmosphere filled with bright and joyful feelings.

Some orchids - paphiopedium, cymbidium, calantha - grow in soils, and they require completely different care conditions than most epiphytes. Terrestrial orchids for better growth need to add special cortical materials to the soil.

Epiphytic plants prefer containers with holes - baskets or special pots that allow the roots to breathe.

Orchids accustomed to a special habitat - rocks - are called lithophytes or rock lilies, and for their normal growth, stones must dominate the substrate.

Most orchids are moisture-loving plants, but there are species that are capable of accumulating moisture in seals on the rhizomes, the so-called pseudobulbs, and in between waterings their substrate should dry out slightly.

Requirements for soil composition for epiphytic orchids

The main task of the substrate for epiphytic orchids is to hold the plant vertically, maintain a minimum of moisture near the roots and freely pass air to the root system. That is why the soil for epiphytic orchids does not contain garden soil at all, but consists of bark, large fractions of sand mixed with perlite or vermiculite, granulated clay, natural fibers, cork, coal, and moss. IN percentage the composition looks like this:

Option 1

70% pine bark (pieces 10-15 mm)

10% perlite

10% redwood bark

Option 2

90% conifer bark

5% charcoal

5% sphagnum moss

For phalaenopsis, cattleya, dendrobium, the substrate may consist of the following components:

50% bark coniferous tree(fragments 5-15 mm)

20% foam

15% expanded clay

5% charcoal in pieces of 4-10 mm.

Some experienced orchid growers do not recommend using expanded clay as drainage, but recommend giving preference natural materials– river pebbles and sand, having first washed and boiled the pebbles, and calcined the sand in the oven. When installing drainage for orchids, light and neutral foam is used.

Depending on the required watering modes individual species The components of the soil for orchids will be different. For orchids that prefer a constantly moist soil condition - miltonias, vandas, lycastas, calanthus, draculas, the following substrate components are recommended:

Option 1

40% conifer bark

30% cork material

20% foam

Option 2

25% sphagnum moss

25% perlite

For orchids in which the substrate should dry out a little between waterings - acacallis, leptotes, trichopilia, wildstekear - the main components of the substrate can be:

Option 1

20% cork material

10% coconut fiber

Option 2

25% pine bark

25% foam

10% expanded clay

U experienced flower growers There is a secret to preparing pine bark for orchid substrate. Pieces pine bark Heat treatment in boiling water for 20 minutes. After drying and grinding, the bark is soaked in warm solution with orchid fertilizers, placing them under pressure for several hours. The wet fractions of the bark are an excellent component for the substrate. Some gardeners add a few fertilizer granules to the substrate. long acting AVA, and to prevent diseases and pests, sprinkle the soil mixture with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.

For beginning orchid growers in garden centers, nurseries or flower shops you can choose a ready-made substrate for orchids, for example, Vermion, Fusco “Flower Happiness”, Terra Vita Gruntovich, Morris Green, “Effect”, “Stender”, “Landshafta NET” and others.

Soil for terrestrial orchids

When preparing soil for terrestrial orchid species, use a substrate for epiphytes, with the addition of a small amount of dry leaves and garden soil. The pot for planting is chosen from big amount holes to improve drainage. To facilitate the penetration of air to the roots, sphagnum moss is not mixed with the other components of the substrate, but is laid out in a pot on top of the soil mixture.

For paphiopedium, the soil mixture consists of the following elements:

Option 1

20% dry oak leaves

20% pine bark

20% expanded clay

Option 2

35% clay sand

15% perlite

15% pine bark

For cymbidium and zygopetalum, the soil mixture may include the following components:

25% foam

Recently, flower growers have often practiced growing orchids not in soil, but in hydrogel. Orchids don't like to be disturbed with repotting often. Young plants that are 1-2 years old can wait at least a year to be replanted. But deciduous orchids - tunia, calanthus - are recommended to be replanted annually. Epiphyte orchids are moved to new pot every 4-5 years, and evergreens - once every 2-3 years.

The composition of the soil for orchids cannot significantly affect the number of peduncles or the approach of the flowering period, but increasing daylight hours and regulating the watering regime can. But the condition of the beautiful orchid directly depends on the correctly selected components of the soil mixture.

Phalaenopsis - very popular decorative flowering plants. IN wildlife they grow on the bark of trees, their roots are on the surface and do not go into the ground. Therefore, to successfully keep them in the room, they need to create special conditions.

The most important factor for the growth and flowering of phalaenopsis is the soil, which is fundamentally different in composition from substrates for other indoor plants.

In the article we will look at what kind of soil is needed for a phalaenopsis orchid and what composition is better.

Soil requirements

Popular substrate compositions

In addition to the above compositions, there are also soils for orchids with a predominance of stones and rocks. Phalaenopsis grows well in soil made from the following components:

The following composition can also be used:

• Pine or oak bark - 3 parts;
• Pieces of pumice – 1 part;
• Charcoal – 1 part;
• Fern roots – 1 part;
• Expanded clay – 1 part.

This substrate has increased moisture capacity. It can be used to keep plants at low air humidity.

There are also mixtures with synthetic materials. Most often, pieces of polystyrene foam are used to loosen the soil. Here is one of the popular compositions for phalaenopsis orchids, which includes polystyrene foam:

• Pine bark or coconut chips - 2 parts;
• Shredded bark balsa wood– 2 parts;
• Expanded clay – 1 part;
• Charcoal – 1 part;
• Pieces of polystyrene foam - 1 part.

Of the purchased substrates, Seramis has proven itself to be excellent. This soil does not contain any plant components. It is a clay granulate that holds water well. Orchids planted in Seramis intensively increase their leaf mass and bloom profusely, and problematic specimens are quickly restored.

Phalaenopsis planted in hydrogel live no more than a year and then die.

Preparing the substrate for use

To make soil for phalaenopsis with your own hands, you need to carefully prepare each ingredient. The bark, sphagnum moss and fern roots require the most attention. The bark is collected from dead trees and boiled for 20-30 minutes, after which it is dried. The moss is poured with boiling water for 2-3 hours, and then dead insects are removed from it and dried. Fern roots are dug up in the forest, washed, cut and dried in the shade.

All components are stored in unsealed containers and mixed before use. After this, the finished substrate must be poured hot water for a few hours.

The purchased substrate also needs to be prepared for planting. It is sifted to remove fines and dust. Peat is often added to purchased orchid substrates. This component is detrimental to phalaenopsis, as it promotes long-term soil moisture. Peat can also be removed from the substrate by sifting.

If the soil has a characteristic mushroom smell, it cannot be used without disinfection, since pathogenic fungi are already developing in it. Such soil should be poured with boiling water for several hours or boiled for 1-1.5 hours. After this, it must be treated with one of the antifungal drugs. Before use, purchased odorless soil for phalaenopsis should be soaked in hot water for several hours.

Now you know what soil is needed for phalaenopsis orchids and how to choose the best composition.