Your flowers never thrive? The problem might be the soil

Soil Aeration Problems

If a potted plant you bought develops compacted soil and many hard clumps not long after, it usually causes yellowing leaves, and in severe cases, root damage. Many flower lovers assume it is a lack of water and increase watering frequency, which leads to poor root aeration and the death of the plant.

Tip: In fact, when this situation occurs, do not water blindly. Instead, you should reduce watering, use a tool to loosen the surface soil, and choose a time with good weather to repot.

Soil Fertility Problems

Some plants can survive in poor soil, such as cacti, ferns and succulents. However, most potted plants bought at flower markets need sufficient fertility, while the soil provided by flower shops has limited fertility, or none at all, so flower lovers must mix in base fertilizer themselves and apply subsequent topdressing to supplement the soil's fertility.

Improvement methods: 1. Manually loosen the soil

2. Apply organic fertilizer, preferably homemade well-rotted cake fertilizer, livestock manure, leaf mold fertilizer, etc.

3. Apply soil loosening agents appropriately, better less than more, and do not overapply.

Soil pH Problems

Generally, plants like neutral or slightly acidic soil. Soil rich in organic matter is mostly slightly acidic, while poor soil is mostly alkaline.

For example, rhododendron, gardenia, ferns, orchid family plants, Milan tree and jasmine like acidic soil, while dianthus, cacti, sweet pea, nandina and boxwood like slightly alkaline soil.

Improvement methods: When the soil is too acidic, you can appropriately mix some lime powder or plant ash into the potting soil; to reduce alkalinity, you can add an appropriate amount of sulfur, aluminum sulfate, ferrous sulfate, humus fertilizer, etc.

Tip: If you want to grow flowers well, you must first clearly understand the pH preference of the flowers you are growing!

For a small amount of soil, you can increase the mixing proportion of leaf mold or peat in it to achieve conditions suitable for plant growth.

Materials for Potting Mix

1. Leaf mold and river sand

Leaf mold is made by mixing various plant leaves and weeds with garden soil, adding water and human feces and urine, and fermenting it.

Mountain soil is a natural humus soil formed by decaying leaves. It is characterized by being loose and breathable, and acidic, suitable for growing flowers that like acidic soil, such as orchids, gardenia, rhododendron and mountain lotus.

For river sand, ordinary coarse sand can be used, and it is a basic material for potting mix. Mixing in a certain proportion of river sand helps soil aeration and drainage.

2. Peat and plant ash

Peat is rich in organic matter and acidic, suitable for planting acid-tolerant plants. It has an antiseptic effect, is not prone to mold, can stimulate cuttings to root, and can be used mixed or alone.

Plant ash is rich in potassium, and adding it to potting mix can make it drain well and be loose and breathable.

Sawdust can be mixed into potting mix and can change the soil's looseness and water absorption.

Moss, after being dried in the sun, can be mixed into potting mix, making the soil loose and giving it good drainage and aeration.

Soil Mixing Methods

For growing flowers, nutrient soil is generally mixed with ordinary cultivation soil, and of course some sawdust or vermiculite is added. Adding appropriate vermiculite, akadama soil, river sand, coal cinders and perlite to soil can increase the soil's water permeability, which is good for drainage and root growth.

For general herbaceous flowers such as scarlet sage, chrysanthemum, begonia and coleus, a ratio of 30% leaf mold + 50% garden soil + 20% river sand can be used.

For woody flowers such as rhododendron, jasmine, bougainvillea, orange jessamine and Chinese rose, a ratio of 40% leaf mold + 50% garden soil + 10% river sand can be used.

For general seed sowing, a ratio of 50% leaf mold + 30% garden soil + 20% river sand can be used.

For greenhouse flowers such as wax begonia, primrose, snapdragon, Christmas cactus, lisianthus and cineraria, a ratio of 40% leaf mold + 40% garden soil + 20% river sand can be used.

Tips

Organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer should be used appropriately, and can change the poor fertility of the soil. Of course, you should follow the principle of frequent application of thin fertilizer.

A common soil in daily life is muddy beyond recognition when wet, and compacted and hard when dry. It not only has no nutrients, but its soil texture is unsuitable for growing flowers; it also contains a large amount of construction waste. Growing flowers in such soil leads to poor plant growth, and combined with improper daily care, the plants very easily die.

Therefore, flower lovers should be cautious when buying and using soil at ordinary times, otherwise it is very easy to make a big mistake!

After introducing so many soil problems, have you had a sudden realization?

Go quickly and take a look at the soil of your plants!