Under natural conditions, the root system of plants occupies a large space. With potting culture, the plant is forced to develop its root system in the soil of small volume. Therefore, this soil, as a rule, should be especially nutritious. One of the conditions for growing indoor plants is the ability to make the necessary earthen mixture.
Green meadow where you can gain turf land.
It is enough to cut the turf, and sift the accumulated land from the roots of meadow plants.Indoor plants do not grow equally in alkaline or acidic soils. Some plants require slightly acidic soils; others prefer acidic soils; still others grow well on slightly alkaline, neutral or slightly acidic soils; fourth only on alkaline soils.
There are plants that require lime in the soil in large quantities (heliotrope, calceolaria). On the contrary, on azaleas, heather, camellias, excess lime acts extremely unfavorably. It should also be taken into account that for young plants, as a rule, they prepare a soil mixture lighter than for old ones.
What soil is needed for flowers
Soil mixtures must satisfy the following conditions: contain nutrients in quantities required by the plant; do not retain excess water; pass air to the roots; have the acidity required for the plant; be disinfected from pests and pathogens.
For growing indoor plants, turf, leaf, manure-humus and peat land are used, and it is also necessary to have clean river sand, moss (sphagnum) and bark and other components may be needed:
- Sod soil from clay soils belongs to heavy lands; leafy, sod from sandy loam soils and manure-humus - to the lungs. Sod land is very nutritious. It is obtained from roasting chopped layers of turf piled up, grass to grass, with layers of cow manure. Usually one year is enough for overheating of the turf (pH 5-6). Turf earth is used in a mixture with other lands and sand. Light sod soil can be improved by adding clay to it, and heavy soil by adding sand.
- Leafy land - the upper layer of soil under deciduous trees: birches, lindens, ash, beeches. Very loose, air and water permeable, but not very nutritious. This land is also obtained from roasting the old leaf collected in a heap in autumn and spring (except for oak and chestnut), which is periodically shoveled and watered with Baikal preparations EM-1 or analogues for faster fermentation. 1-2 years is enough to obtain sheet land. This land is not as nutritious as sod, but looser, lighter (pH 5-6). Leaf humus (earth) can be used neat to plant many houseplants.
- Humus land or compost - rich in nutrients, not used in its pure form. It also turns out spent greenhouse manure as a result of its decomposition within 2-3 years (pH about 8). We bought a manure machine, laid it for storage in the garden, earthworms will work on it in three to four years, excess nitrogen is eliminated, and humus can be used to compile soils.
Sand from the sandbox near the house is not suitable for flowers: it is small, sticks together, and may contain impurities. The river sand is crumbly, coarse, but it must be washed.
Pine bark can be cut from pine trees in the forest. The bark pieces are then boiled for 30 minutes. In this case, the resin settles on the walls of the pan, and the bark becomes soft, and it can be cut with a knife.
Zeolite pellets can be purchased in cat litter such as Pussy Cat (blue bag), Badger Effect, Badger Standard, etc. Washed can be sifted from small crumbs.- Peat land, characterized by friability and ease, is used to improve other lands, it is easy to provide balanced mineral nutrition of plants on peat mixtures. It turns out from peat, decomposed for at least one year. Peat is taken on horseback or dark transitional (pH 3.5-5.5), low-lying fine-structured peat (pH 6 or more) should not be taken. The quality of the selected peat depends on how good the soil mixture will be. Almost all peat-based substrates with mineral additives are commercially available. The top peat is immediately visible there - fibrous reddish pieces, lowland or transitional peat dark and not fibrous. If there is a lot of top peat in the soil mixture, after drying it is very poorly and unevenly wetted, if there is too much lowland peat - on the contrary, it holds water for a long time and breathes poorly, so it is better when the proportions of both types of peat are optimal, in approximately the same amounts. Ferns, aroids, philodendrons, etc. grow well in clean peat land. Peat land is good for sowing seeds and growing rooted cuttings.
- Coniferous land is the lower layer of the bedding of coniferous forests, it is better to collect in pine forest (you need to remove the upper layer of not rotted needles and collect the upper surface layer 5-10 cm). This land is characterized by friability, nutrient poverty and acid response (pH 4-5).
- Bark - conifers (pines, larch, spruce) is used as a baking powder in soil mixtures, as a basis for orchids, marantists, ferns, aroid and other plants. Bark is crushed into fractions 1-1.5 cm (pH 4-4.5). In its pure form, the bark is used for planting orchids and some bromeliads. At the same time, you can prepare the bark yourself - you need pieces of bark 2-4 cm in size, no less, up to 5 cm, about 2 cm thick, which must be boiled in boiling water for at least 30 minutes to get rid of the resin (choose the bark without resin drips).
- Moss (sphagnum) gives the ground a looseness, lightness and hygroscopicity. Moss is pre-dried and finely cut - if you add uncut, it will gather in a lump, will not mix with the ground. Moss is also used to cover the trunks of plants that form aerial roots, and cover pots and soil so that they do not dry out. Moss is one of the main components of the soil mixture for epiphytic plants (pH about 4). The addition of moss-sphagnum to the soil increases the moisture capacity of the substrate, if watered too often there is a high probability of acidification, waterlogging of the soil.
- River coarse sand gives soil mixtures looseness and porosity. For use in soil mixtures, the largest river sand is taken, washed well and poured with boiling water. Particle sizes should be from 3 to 5 mm - this is actually pebbles, all grains of sand that are smaller are thrown away.
- Coconut fiber and substrate are used in ground form, in the form of fibers or briquettes. Coconut improves soil breathability, does not rot. These fibers or substrates can be added to the soil for ferns, bromeliads and terrestrial orchids in amounts of up to 20%. Ground into small crumbs, dried and briquetted with the need for subsequent moistening, coconut fibers are sold as a substitute for peat, as they also retain water well. Coconut fiber and coconut substrate can have different acidity - there is a neutral reaction, there are slightly acidic and alkaline, read the information on the package.
- Fern roots are one of the main components in the substrate composition for epiphytic orchids. It is added in an amount of 30% of the total substrate volume. But it is almost impossible to get this component, so they replace it with pine bark.
- Pearlite is elastic silica in the form of very light white or gray granules. Due to its small mass, perlite is most often used in finished soil mixtures, instead of sand in an amount of 10-20%.
- Vermiculite is a mineral from the hydromica group. Vermiculite has a high water absorption coefficient of 400-530%, while easily absorbing water and easily giving away. They use it instead of sand to expel seeds or root cuttings. Cuttings rooted in vermiculite breathe in their roots, and do not rot as in the ground, because there are air layers between the lumps and plates of wet vermiculite.
- Expanded clay is obtained from clay by burning in form of balls with porous structure with size of 0.5 to 3 cm in diameter. Expanded clay holds water very weakly, so it is used mainly for drainage, or as an integral part of the soil for growing on hydroponics.
- Zeolite pellets are crystalline minerals that are used as a filler for cat toilets. But they also found application in floriculture. They are an adsorbent, retain water, but the soil does not stick together with the addition of zeolite crumb. Before use in land substrates, it must be thoroughly washed in running water. Read more about this substrate component: Zeolite for plants
- Charcoal has antiseptic properties. It is added to water where cuttings take root. Charcoal does not allow water to rot, and powdered charcoal can be added to a substrate intended for plants with thick roots (especially orchids and cacti) to avoid rot if the soil is waterlogged.
When compiling soil mixtures for indoor plants, its acidity must be taken into account. To increase the acidity of the soil, coniferous land and pine bark, peat, sphagnum moss are used. Sod and leafy earth in most cases have a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. If the soil is obtained with a very low acidity pH <5.5, then to plant some plants, you need to shift the indicator to the alkaline side, close to neutral, then liming is used. In other words, "the soil is deoxidized" - chalk, lime or ready-made preparations are used for garden plants, for example, the deoxidizer "Lime - Gumi with boron" (consumption rate: 500 g per 2.5 sq. M of soil). For domestic plants, a reduction in acidity is usually not required, but if the soil is composed of very acidic components, then lime is added at a rate of about 10 g per bucket of earth.
You can easily check the acidity of the soil at home using a litmus test.
- Acidic soils (pH = 4.5-5.5) require, for example, azaleas, hydrangeas, calla, camellia, monster, rhododendron, fuchsia, anthurium, ferns.
- Slightly acidic soils (pH = 5.5-6.5) need, for example, asparagus, abutylene, amaryllis, aralia, begonia, calceolaria, pelargonium, primrose, tradescantia, ficus elastica.
- Neutral soils (pH = 6.5-7) require, for example, levkoi, roses, saxifragus, chrysanthemums, cineraria.
Corey stick out of the drainage pot, but quite a bit, most likely they just reach for moisture, but there are not many of them inside the pot.
here the roots grew very strong, curled into a ring at the bottom of the pot, because the drainage holes were small.
The green color indicates the optimal acidity of the soil, at which the absorption of nutrients from the soil occurs.When preparing plants for transplantation, you must first determine its need. Transplantation is used when:
- earthen lump completely braided and pierced by roots;
- roots rotted;
- the ground in the pot is acidic, although the earthen lump is not braided with roots;
- signs of general weakness of the plant appeared, indicating the depletion of the land;
- the roots of the plant made their way through the drainage hole (as shown in the photo).
To find out the need for transplantation, a highly watered plant is knocked out of the pot. The plant is knocked over in the palm of the left hand with the right hand, passing the stems between the fingers, and the pot is removed. If the pot can't be removed, try tapping it. If during the examination it turns out that the transplant is not needed, then the earthen lump is tightly put back into the pot.
How to transplant flowers
The following types of transfers are distinguished by the amount of land being replaced:
- Complete transplantation - when all the old land is removed, it is done with the complete unsuitability of the land and its loss of all nutrients.
- Incomplete transplantation - when most or less of the earthen coma remains in the roots.
- Renewal of the upper layer of the earth - when part of the earth is replaced by humus earth, since during watering there is a leaching of nutrients from the upper layer.
Plant transshipment is a technique close to transplantation, with the difference that a lump of land should remain mostly intact, and the plant is transplanted into a larger pot. This technique is suitable for young herbaceous, fast-growing plants that exceed the spring-summer period several times. Transshipment, unlike complete transplantation, does not cause a slowdown in plant growth. In young plants, it is not necessary to allow the formation of a felt-like layer of roots, but to carry out transshipment when the roots have not yet filled the entire pot. Transshipment is also applied to plants that do not tolerate transplantation well due to possible root damage.
Sometimes, when transplanting Dutch plants, you can see such a basket braiding its roots near the base (plants were grown in greenhouses from seeds). You should not try to remove or cut it, otherwise you can damage the roots growing from it.Transplantation, as a rule, is carried out in the spring from March to May. Tender plants are transplanted a little later. Plants that bloom in spring are transplanted at the end of flowering. If you replant the plant at the time of flowering or the formation of buds, then it can drop both flowers and buds. In summer, after spring flowering, conifers are transplanted. Plants that were in warm rooms are transplanted later than those that were in cool rooms. Bulbous ones are transplanted at the end of the rest period.
When transplanting plants, after the plant has been removed from the pot, carefully clean the ground from the roots with your hands or stick and unravel the intertwined roots, trying not to damage them. The root felt is removed with a sharp knife. All decayed roots, if any, are also removed. Cuts of thick, juicy roots are sprinkled with crushed charcoal to prevent decay.
Even if the pot has good holes, drainage doesn't hurt.A good drainage is arranged at the bottom of the pot: one or more shards are placed on the drainage hole, hump up, expanded clay is 2-3 cm high, and pieces of foam can also be used as drainage. Good drainage has not yet prevented any plant, even if it says somewhere that the plant does not need drainage, do not be lazy and still do the drainage. At the top of the drainage, earth is filled in, into which pieces of charcoal are added, and the plant is lowered, so that the root neck is at the level of the edges of the dishes or just below, but not covered with earth.
The gaps between the pot and the roots are covered with earth, which is pushed with a stick. A slight tap on the wall of the pot also helps the ground to fit tighter in the pot.
When transplanting plants with thick or lightly branched roots, it is not recommended to prune them, since such roots do not tolerate pruning and damage. Acacias, some conifers, orchids, bulbous and many other plants with weak root systems cannot stand root pruning. Plants such as cyclamen, calathea or spatiphyllum also require careful treatment when transplanting.
The entire transplant procedure should not be stretched for a long time, since the roots of a plant taken out of a pot quickly dry up and get injured. In general, it is better to prepare for the transplant in advance - choose the right tool, pick up and treat pots, water for watering, charcoal, drainage, sticks for tying the plant, root formation stimulator, spoon for pouring earth, scissors, etc., i.e. everything that may be needed not to rush around the apartment during the transplant process, when all hands are in the ground.
Plants should not be replanted in hot weather. When transplanted, plants are well watered and sprayed. But in the following days (a week or two) watering is limited. (Cacti after transplantation do not water at all for 6-7 days.) In addition, after transplantation, the plant is shaded and protected from drafts.
If rotten roots are found during the transplant, they are removed with a knife, the old earth is thoroughly dusted off from the roots, the roots are washed with water. The slices are dusted with charcoal and the plant is planted in fresh ground. If most of the roots are removed, then the plant is transplanted into a pot smaller than the previous one. Such plants, which had decayed roots, are especially carefully watered after transplantation.