How to mix potting soil for flowers? A detailed guide to making leaf mold
Most flowering plants prefer sandy loam rich in organic matter with good permeability, and generally require moderate acidity and alkalinity. This kind of soil is not very common in nature and is relatively hard to find. So to grow flowers well, you generally need to mix potting soil by hand.
How to make leaf mold potting soil. Leaf mold potting soil is one of the most commonly used potting soils in our country. In autumn, we can use broadleaf tree fallen leaves, stems and leaves of herbaceous plants, sawdust and horse manure, layered, to make leaf mold potting soil. The usual ratio is 50% broadleaf tree fallen leaves (based on compacted volume), 30% sawdust, and 20% horse manure, piled in layers, then covered with a 10 cm thick layer of garden soil, and left to ferment and rot. When piling, you can run the pile east-west, 1 m high and 1 m wide, with the length adapted to local conditions, splashing thoroughly with clear water as you build the pile. If horse manure is not available, you can also use half fallen leaves and half sawdust, but in this case you need to splash it with dilute human manure and urine or slop water. Likewise, you can dig a 1 m deep fertilizer pit to compost it.
In the spring of the following year, turn and crush the rotted leaves, then by volume ratio use 40% leaf mold compost soil, 40% plain sandy soil, and 20% stove ash soil; mix evenly, then pile it again for a period, taking care to keep it moist, and turn and crush it as many times as possible so that the nutrients and the soil are fully blended, and it is ready to use.
How to make peat potting soil: 40% peat soil, 40% plain sandy soil, 20% horse manure or leaf mold compost, mix evenly and pile, keep moist, and turn and crush frequently. If horse manure is not available, you can also splash dilute human manure and urine, and after full fermentation and decomposition, it can be used.
How to make natural humus potting soil: according to the humus content and the degree of stickiness or looseness of mountain forest humus soil, mix in roadside piled soil or river mud and dilute human manure and urine, then pile it for a period, and once it is fully fermented and decomposed, it can be used.
As for the piling time of various potting soils, generally it can be used for flowers in the same year, but for delicate flowers or when used as cutting soil, it needs to be used the following year.
Generally, before using potting soil, we need to sieve it while damp into a granular state, and some also need to be mixed with an appropriate amount of insecticidal and sterilizing pesticide.