How to mix orchid potting medium? Practical recipes to share

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1. Basic characteristics the potting medium should have:

1. Slightly acidic, clean.

2. Good air permeability, hydrophobicity, relatively coarse.

3. Has the effect of retaining moisture.

4. Contains certain nutrient chemical elements.

Generally, potting media that meet the above conditions all need to be blended; if it is a single potting medium, it is often difficult to fulfill the requirements.

2. Broad proportions of potting media:

1. The first type: soil-type potting medium accounts for about 50% of the total potting medium, plant-based potting medium accounts for about 20% of the total potting medium, and inorganic potting medium accounts for about 30% of the total potting medium. This type of potting medium is a broad-spectrum potting medium recipe; if you do not change the potting medium, it can be used for 2 years or even longer, and it is suitable for most orchids.

2. The second type: inorganic potting medium accounts for about 80% of the total potting medium, and organic potting medium accounts for about 20%. This type of potting medium is suitable for variegated-leaf orchids and is also a broad-spectrum potting medium recipe. However, the soil must be changed every year.

3. The third type: plant-based potting medium accounts for about 80% of the total potting medium, soil-type potting medium accounts for about 10% of the total potting medium, and inorganic potting medium accounts for about 10% of the total potting medium. This type of potting medium recipe is generally suitable for heavy-water management, with no worry about whether watering is very well timed. The disadvantage is that it is not very suitable for Chun Jian and Hui Lan. The soil must also be changed every year.

3. Soil-type potting media:

1. Humus soil: a traditional potting medium, but it easily carries insects and fungi, and its structure is too fine. The advantages are that it contains much humus, is loose, and is economical.

2. Pond mud: good cohesiveness and contains many nutrients. But it often has bacteria, and for orchids it is also somewhat too fertile, so small shoots easily stall.

3. Peat soil: because it is formed from decomposed trees, grass, and so on, it contains a large amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. After processing, adding a small amount to the potting medium can increase the orchid's disease resistance.

4. Gas sand soil: contains rich elements and has a relatively good effect on variegated-leaf orchids.

5. Xian soil: rich in nutrients, good in granule formation, and both air permeability and hydrophobic effect are good. It is one of the quite good potting media now.

6. Burned soil: made from natural clay fired at high temperature; its granules are hollow, and the surface has many fine pores and is round and neat. Therefore, water absorption and water retention are good.

7. Grass peat: also called grass coal, or Yuexi soil. It is the product of plants in marshes after biological decomposition. But there are too many impurities, so it must be washed many times.

4. Inorganic potting media:

1. Plastic granules: good air permeability and hydrophobicity, no bacteria, economical and practical. I generally use them as the bottom layer. Of course, they can also be added to the potting medium recipe at a proportion of about 5%, but not more, because they have no nutrients at all.

2. Sand and stone granules: such as perlite, river sand, weathered stone, volcanic stone, etc. Besides being economical, they also all contain certain elements needed by flowers, and their air permeability and hydrophobicity are relatively good.

3. Artificial construction-type granules: such as crushed brick granules, ceramic granules, kiln soil granules, coal cinder granules, etc. If processed and soaked to remove fire, they can be said to be very economical potting media, and they also contain many elements.

4. Others: such as Zhijinshi, etc., but not too much, otherwise when the soil dries quickly, it will in turn absorb water from orchid roots.

5. Plant-based potting media:

1. It can be said this way: the waste materials of most plants can all be used. For example, charcoal, melon seed shells, peanut shells, Chinese medicine dregs, snake wood, sphagnum moss, pine leaves, fine plant roots, sugarcane bagasse, various hard nut shells, wood shavings, branches and bark, coconut coir, grain and rice bran, oak leaves and Qinggang leaves, etc.

2. But they must be processed by rinsing, disinfection, and drying by stir-frying or sun-drying. Otherwise, due to the action of water and fertilizer under temperature, changes will occur, and rotting and fermentation will damage the roots, and they also easily attract diseases and pests.

6. Recommended recipes:

1. Chun Jian recipe: 40% inorganic potting medium + 40% soil-type potting medium + 20% plant-based potting medium

2. Chun Lan and Jian Lan recipe 1: 30% small stones + 40% Songliwang potting medium in equal halves + 5% red brick granules + 15% leaves + 5% snake wood + 5% charcoal

3. Chun Lan and Jian Lan recipe 2: 20% small stones + 40% Songliwang potting medium + 20% leaves + 15% volcanic stone and burned hollow soil + 5% snake wood

4. Chun Lan and Jian Lan recipe 3: 30% small stones + 40% Songliwang potting medium + 10% snake wood + 15% leaves + 5% charcoal

5. Broad-spectrum recipe 1: 10% medium granules of burned soil, 25% small granules of burned soil, 10% medium granules of Xian soil, 25% small granules of Xian soil, 20% oak leaves, 10% grass peat, plus Songliwang potting medium. Near the pseudobulb, place a layer of grass peat, active soil, and Zhixiang, then place a layer of small granules of burned soil. (Suitable for most orchids such as Chun Lan)

Summary: The concept of potting medium is roughly these. Everyone should make some corresponding adjustments according to their own situation and climate. Rigidly copying is not workable. But what beginners should note is that they should use at most one year to choose their own 1 or 2 recipes, and then change little. Do not learn from A today because he says his recipe is good, and then learn from B tomorrow because the roots B grows make your heart move.

Ordinary people say the key to growing roots is the potting medium, but I believe that growing roots = growing orchids, and the key lies in fertilizer, water, and environment. Have you not seen that some orchid friends use potting media that are "very simple or even low-grade," yet the orchids they grow are still very good. Therefore, care accounts for 70%, and potting medium accounts for 30%.

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