What should a goodsoil for potted flowers be likeand what to look for when buying such land? What kind of land do palm trees, orchids and cacti require? And is the type of substrate for potted plants so important? Seewhat is a good soil for potted flowersthat you have at home, what are the most commontypes of soil for flowersand what is price of a bag of good land
Soil for potted flowers
Soil for potted flowers - how good is it
The substrate is a very important element in the cultivation of potted flowers, because it affects the growth and development of our plants.Good soil for potted flowersmust provide proper drainage, good air circulation and nutrients. It must be loose and airy so that the roots can grow freely and have access to air.
Dobrasoil for potted flowersshould contain humus soil and peat. Peat makes the soil light and has a high water storage capacity. By adding expanded clay to the flower soil, we will keep the water in the pot and improve the ventilation of the roots. Other equally important substrate additives include clay, perlite, root activator, coconut fiber, hydrogel or quartz sand. Sometimes the soil also contains long-acting fertilizers that dissolve very slowly, providing the plant with nutrients for many months after planting. Which ingredient will dominatepotting soildepends on its purpose.In stores you will find mixtures that are balanced and specially designed for the cultivation of different groups of potted plants.The soil from the garden should definitely not be used for planting potted flowers, because it contains weeds and is too heavy.
Soil for potted flowers - types
Depending on what kind of potted plant we grow, we must provide it with an appropriate substrate composition, because the nutritional needs of individual groups of plants differ from each other.Soil for potted flowersshould take into account the required pH of the substrate for plants from a given group, the requirements for maintaining moisture, airiness and nutrients.
In gardening stores and flower shops, we can find varioussoil types for potted flowers , including soil for green plants, ferns, cacti, orchids and citrus.
Soil for green plantsis based on a mixture of peat and clay, which additionally increases the storage capacity of nutrients and water.The product often contains the addition of multi-component fertilizers. In such soil, we can plant the vast majority of plants with green leaves, such as: potted palms, ficuses, diphenbachia and dracaena. It is also possible to plant moisture-loving potted plants, such as croton or perennial.
In the case of growing moisture-loving plants, in order to ensure constant soil moisture and reduce the frequency of watering, it is worth adding a hydrogel to the soil for green plants, e.g. in the form of TerraCottem. After watering the plants, the hydrogel absorbs excess water and releases moisture gradually as the soil begins to dry out. As a result, the soil is moist for longer and the water consumption for watering drops by up to half.
Another type of potting soil iscactus soilIt is a mixture of high and low peat, quartz sand and expanded clay. Coarse sand, which is the basic ingredient, typically makes up 70% of the mix. Earth for fernscontains a mixture of expanded clay and peat with a slightly acidic pH. Similarly,citrus soil , which is additionally enriched with silica. In turn,orchid soilis a substrate that contains coconut shells, pine bark, expanded clay and charcoal. Such a mixture is a stable base for the plant and will ensure free access of air to the roots. It should be noted here that the soil for orchids is a completely different substrate than for most other plants.
Soil for potted flowers - price
When choosingsoil for potted flowersfollow its composition. A substrate with high quality parameters, having an appropriate structure, will guarantee the stable growth of the root system of our plants. Therefore, when buying soil for potted flowers, we should not always be guided by the lowest price. It is worth investing in a good base of a proven brand, but let's not reject cheaper counterparts.Let's check the composition of the land and choose the richest one.
Note!Do not buy the cheapest soil for potted flowers of unknown origin in shops, and even more so in bazaars. Unfortunately, such soil can be produced on the basis of exhausted post-greenhouse substrate, in which pathogens may be present. Therefore, one should always check the origin of a given flower soil.
The price of potting soildepends on the capacity of the package, as well as the content of fertilizers and other additives enriching the substrate. For 5 L of soil for green plants, ferns or cacti, we will pay about PLN 4. If we have a lot of potted flowers, which, for example, will be transplanted, it is worth buying a larger 50 L bag for about PLN 15.The price of land for orchidsseems to be the highest, because for some brands we will pay even PLN 15 for 5 L. The prices of specialist substrates for citrus or bonsai trees are similar - here we will pay about 20 for a 10 liter bag zloty.
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MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
