Mixing soil for flowers is simple: do these 4 things well and anything will thrive in the pot
This is day 921 of Blue Demon's daily original article
Excerpt from the "30 Days from Zero to Flower-Growing Expert" series
Yesterday Blue Demon talked about the two most commonly used substrates for mixing potting soil for container flowers, but besides these two main growing substrates, we also need to pair them with some granular materials that increase air permeability, so that we can mix a perfect, loose and breathable potting soil.
For granular substrates used to increase the air permeability of potting soil, the ones we use most commonly are perlite and vermiculite. For heavier, more clayey potting soil, we generally use expanded clay pebbles to increase its air permeability.So what common characteristics do these three share, and how do they differ?1. Perlite:
Perlite is a white granular material with a honeycomb-like internal structure, made from perlite ore sand that is preheated and then expanded by instant high-temperature roasting. It has very good air permeability and water permeability. Perlite is very light in texture and is often used in gardening mixed with substrates such as peat to grow plants. Perlite is easily crushed. Therefore, when choosing, you should try to choose large-particle perlite.2. Vermiculite:
Vermiculite is a mineral, fertilizer-free and non-toxic, with very good water retention and air permeability, and is also a commonly used substrate in horticultural cultivation. Vermiculite is also very light in texture, absorbs water and retains it well, and also breaks easily, so it is recommended to use large-particle vermiculite, generally 3-8mm in diameter is better.3. Expanded clay pebbles:
Expanded clay pebbles have been used in gardening for quite a long time. Many people in the countryside who grow flowers with garden soil use expanded clay pebbles to increase the air permeability of potting soil. Nowadays most are used as a top dressing, spread on the surface of the flower pot to cover the potting soil, which is more attractive and clean. Compared with perlite and vermiculite, expanded clay pebbles are harder in texture and not so easily crushed, but the particles are relatively large, and in modern gardening they are mostly not used for mixing soil.
Because modern cultivation mostly uses peat, relatively speaking the combination of peat with expanded clay pebbles is rather odd.So when we mix potting soil, how should we handle the ratio of each substrate?Actually, the ratio for mixing potting soil is not fixed, and the substrates used are not fixed either.
We only need to grasp one general principle for mixing soil. For all container flowers we use, we require the potting soil to have:Loose, breathable, water-retaining, fertilizer-retainingHaving these 4 characteristics at the same time basically meets the requirements for mixing potting soil. There is no need to agonize over whether to use peat, coconut coir blocks, garden soil, or leaf mold - whatever you have on hand can be used.
Relatively speaking, the soil mix for herbaceous flowers requires the soil to be a bit looser and more breathable, while the soil mix for woody flowers can be a bit heavier and more clayey. Overall, Blue Demon suggests that when mixing soil, you achieve fiber : granules : organic matter = 1:1:1. Follow this ratio and you can say 80% of flowers will be fine.
Regarding potting soil mixing, to put it simply, you just need to understand and apply what Blue Demon says:Achieve fiber : granules : organic matter = 1:1:1and you can mix it well. If you want to understand the potting soil mixing methods in more detail, you are welcometo join the study of [30 Days, Helping You Go from Zero to Flower-Growing Expert]
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