The pros and cons of using coal cinders to grow orchids, these points you need to know

Many friends like to use coal cinders to grow orchids. Some say it works well, others say it does not work well, so is using coal cinders to grow orchids good or not?

Coal cinders are actually the slag lumps and slag ash left after coal is burned, and this kind of coal cinder is quite common in factories or in villages. What is commonly used for growing orchids is the coal cinder from brick firing; you pick out the lumpy black powdery slag and bury it at the bottom of the orchid pot. It retains water, breathes well and can also hold fertilizer, so many friends like to use coal cinders for growing.

However, the downside of using coal cinders for orchids is that coal cinders have far too little organic matter, and when placed at the bottom of the pot they easily stay wet and are hard to dry out, which easily causes root rot, so the amount used must not be too large. If you have chosen to use coal cinders to grow orchids, then do not worry; remember to move them to a ventilated place to get some air, and during their growing season you still have to give them some orchid-specific nutrient solution, which can promote leaf growth and flower bud formation, and only then will the orchids bloom more and more as you grow them.

For friends who use coal cinders to grow orchids, it is suggested that at the next repotting you change the potting soil according to the ratio of coal cinders, pine needles, and leaf mold at 1:2:2, using them mixed together, so that the potting soil is not likely to become waterlogged. At the same time, coal cinders themselves also contain certain harmful substances, and using too much will cause the plant's content of those substances to exceed the standard, defeating the purpose.

No single potting medium can possibly contain all the nutrients orchids need. After orchids are grown with coal cinders, you have to fertilize more diligently than with other potting media to ensure the orchids' growth. For example, after orchids finish blooming, you must promptly give them some general-purpose nutrient solution to nourish the roots. Orchids that have bloomed have lost a great deal of vitality, and at this time timely fertilizer supplementation is beneficial to the growth of orchid roots and the sprouting of orchid shoots, and only then will the plant be stronger.

Growing orchids with coal cinders has both advantages and disadvantages; the key is how everyone grows them. If you usually habitually use this method to grow orchids, then pay attention to these methods in the article, but it is still better to use it less often in ordinary times; if you cannot control this degree well, the orchids will also grow poorly.