What soil should be used for Phalaenopsis cuttings? Substrate selection tips

Phalaenopsis is mostly propagated into small potted seedlings by cuttings, and you can use either the flower spike or collect branches as cuttings. And as long as we can provide it with a suitable growing environment, it is usually quite easy for the cuttings to survive. But the substrate used for cuttings must be chosen well.

In fact, when we take cuttings of Phalaenopsis, we can use either soil or other media. If soil is used for cuttings, peat soil is generally recommended; if other media are used, they can be crushed wood shavings or small pieces of bark, and these can often all be used as a cutting substrate for Phalaenopsis.

But some gardening friends like to use sphagnum moss as the cutting substrate, and as long as it is handled properly, the cuttings can also survive. However, for beginner gardening friends, sphagnum moss is generally not recommended as a cutting medium. Because sphagnum moss has too strong a water-retention capacity, after watering it is usually difficult for the water to be quickly consumed and evaporated.

In this case, when the temperature of the cutting environment is relatively high, it is very easy to cause bacterial infection, which leads to rot at the base of the cuttings, and thus causes the cutting to fail. If sphagnum moss really must be used to take cuttings of Phalaenopsis, it is generally recommended to add some bark to the sphagnum moss, and not to use pure sphagnum moss for cuttings.

Also, the frequency of spraying water on the substrate to keep it moist should not be too high. The frequency and amount of water must be strictly controlled to ensure that the water in the substrate can be consumed regularly. If the substrate is too wet, it will greatly affect the survival of the cuttings. At the same time, in order to avoid infection by harmful bacteria, it is recommended to add a little fungicide to the water when watering.

However, no matter which medium is used as the cutting substrate for Phalaenopsis, after the cuttings take root, they will not root deeply into the substrate. Its roots often grow in the shallower parts of these media, or even become exposed. Therefore, after the cuttings take root and sprout, they should be transplanted into pots and planted in time, which is more conducive to their growth.