What Soil Is Best for Growing Orchids? A Detailed Guide to Soil Mixing Methods

When growing orchids, you need a potting soil with strong permeability and relatively high fertility. If you are growing epiphytic orchids, it is recommended to use a soil made by mixing equal parts of garden soil and rotted tree bark. If you are growing terrestrial orchids, it is recommended to use a potting soil made by evenly mixing six parts leaf mold, three parts red soil, and one part fine river sand.

1. Requirements for the Growing Soil

1. Strong permeability: Permeability here has two meanings. The first refers to drainage capacity. Orchid roots are relatively delicate and are quite afraid of waterlogging. If the potting soil drains poorly, it can easily become waterlogged. The second refers to air permeability. Because its root system needs a certain amount of air to grow normally, if the potting soil is compacted and has too few gaps, the roots can easily shrivel.

2. Relatively high fertility: It has a very high demand for nutrients. Therefore, you cannot use overly barren potting soil to grow it, otherwise it will easily grow poorly. You should use soil that is richer in nutrients and also relatively high in humus content to grow it, so that it can obtain enough nutrients for growth.

2. Mixing Methods

1. You can prepare some clean garden soil and an equal amount of rotted tree bark, and mix them evenly to make the required potting soil. This soil is relatively suitable for epiphytic orchids.

2. You can use a potting soil made by evenly mixing six parts leaf mold, three parts red soil, and one part fine river sand. This soil is relatively suitable for terrestrial orchids.