Creating soil for good growth of orchids. What should be the soil for planting and growing orchids

Those who first encountered cannot understand how they can grow without land and often make the mistake of buying them an ordinary earth mixture.

But the roots of this plant definitely need free access to air, otherwise it will die. Therefore, before bringing this queen of the tropics into the house, you need to carefully study her “taste preferences”.

What should be the soil for orchids, substrate requirements

The bark should be easily torn off by hand from the trunk. Oak bark is a little more difficult, but it is more beneficial for the plant - it has more nutrients.

Important! The bark cannot be taken from a growing tree, only from a dry, fallen specimen or a beautiful, not rotten stump.

needed to retain moisture and as an additional. It also has the ability to absorb excess harmful salts and has a bactericidal effect. Collecting his occupation is quite difficult, as it grows in forest pits, where you can easily fall into, so it's easier to buy a bag in the store.

needed in the substrate to adjust the water balance, as well as a natural antiseptic. But you need to add it a little, because over time it accumulates salts, and this is harmful for the plant. It is not recommended to simply collect it in extinct fires, since it is not known what else burned there besides logs. It is better to kindle a fire yourself from birch firewood and then take coals from there.

fern root has a unique composition, which contains almost all the trace elements necessary for an orchid.

As additional components for the preparation of the soil can be used: pine cones, earth, shell or coconut, expanded clay or foam.
Pine cones are divided into scales and added along with the bark. Expanded clay or polystyrene is used as drainage to avoid moisture stagnation. It is better to take land for orchids where it is strewn with needles or leaves and not at all. in large numbers.

Important! Before transplanting, phalaenopsis must be watered so as not to damage the roots when removed from the pot. Roots must be washed in warm water, thus clearing the remains of the old soil.

How to make soil for orchids, ready-made composition options

Having carefully studied required composition for orchids and having prepared all the components, you can start cooking it. Options soil mixture may be different.

If there are several flowers in the house, you can experiment and make your own mixture for each. This will help determine optimal composition. How did you like the ground? tropical beauty can be understood by the frequency of flowering and the number of flowers - the more of them, the more successful. for an orchid at home is prepared immediately before planting. Garbage and branches are removed from the ground, coal is crushed into small pieces, the bark is disassembled into chips and poured with boiling water.

Moss should be soaked in water for 24 hours, and pieces of fern roots should be showered to get rid of insects. Any drainage must be laid at the bottom.

It can be not only expanded clay or polystyrene, but also broken brick, small gravel, shell. Then you can start preparing the soil for, having thought about the composition for cooking with your own hands in advance. Here are some ready-made options:

Universal is a mixture of one part charcoal and five parts of oak or pine bark, as it is suitable for both. This option provides good air circulation and does not accumulate moisture.
A composition that is well suited to growing in blocks,

Habitat replacement process for indoor plants is stress. Orchids are no exception.

That's why often do not transplant, once every 2-3 years is enough. For this period:

As is known, the main component of the substrate for orchids is tree bark. Which, as a result of frequent contact with water, swells and decomposes. Subsequently, the substrate becomes dense, air circulation stops. Accordingly, the roots do not receive the proper amount of oxygen.

For full development, an exotic flower needs soil acidity at a level of 5.5-6.5 pH. If this indicator differs from the norm, then the orchid will not be able to fully absorb iron, and its green foliage will turn yellow.

Watering with poor quality water also leads to negative consequences.- mineral salts accumulate in the soil, so the roots of the plant cannot continue to perform vital functions.

Why is it important to choose the right soil for transplanting?

It's no secret that the natural habitat of orchids is an impenetrable, tropical forest. As a place of residence, they choose the trunks of powerful trees. Clinging to aerial roots for their irregularities, epiphytes get necessary elements and moisture from the air and rain. This specificity of exotic should be taken into account when choosing a soil.

Properly selected composition of the substrate is a guarantee of future flowering and plant health.

Criteria to be met by the correct composition

What land does an orchid need for transplantation? When choosing a substrate, you need to pay attention to the following qualities:

Representatives of the Orchid family, which are grown at home, are divided into 2 groups: epiphytic and terrestrial. The difference from each other is not only in the name, appearance but also in the growing environment. That's why, the substrate for terrestrial and epiphytic orchids is significantly different.

Varieties of epiphytic plants:

Dendrobium.
Cattleya.
Lycasts.
Phalaenopsis.
Cumbria.
Zygopetalum.
Masdevallia.

For such flowers, the soil primarily serves as a support, and then a source of nutrition and moisture. It can be concluded that the earth base should not be included in the composition of the soil mixture for epiphytes. It will be enough organic and mineral components.

Substrate options: 1 part charcoal and 5 parts bark.

Sphagnum moss, ash and small pieces of pine bark in proportions 2:1:5. As additional components, dry fern roots can be used, natural baking powder, drainage.

Ground Orchids: Cymbidium and Paphiopedilum. They need enhanced nutrition. The following soil composition is suitable:

leafy humus;
peat;
pine bark;
crushed coal;

You can improve the finished mixture a little more by adding sphagnum moss, cork material cut into plates and part of the soddy land.

Can regular soil be used?

Do not choose ordinary soil as a substrate for exotic plants. After all, the root system needs light and oxygen for the process of photosynthesis. That is, the substrate should consist of light, breathable components. Otherwise, the heavy earth will be a kind of pressure for the roots.

Also, dense soil can lead to disruption of the drainage process, and stagnant water will adversely affect the root system. Orchids will be difficult to fully grow and develop in such conditions.

Do not forget that the habitual habitat of the exotic is loose, light soil or its complete absence. BUT ordinary earth is a dense enough environment in which an orchid simply cannot survive.

Not all types of orchids die in normal soil. For example, varieties Bletilla striata, Pleione, Orchis and Cypripedium grow well and winter in the garden.

How to make the right choice when buying in a store?

The market for orchid substrates is overflowing with various offers.

The stores sell both ready-made mixtures and individual components.. But even well-known manufacturers not always happy with the quality of the goods. Often the soil contains a large amount of peat, which is useful for terrestrial orchids, and is contraindicated for epiphytes. Therefore, before buying, it is important to pay attention to:

The purpose of the substrate, for which varieties of orchids is suitable. Soil for epiphytic exotics is sold under the name "Mix for phalaenopsis", and for terrestrial orchids "Mix for cymbidium".
Supply of components and soil pH.
The nutritional value of the soil.
Recommendations for use.

We offer you to watch a video on how to choose the right substrate for orchids:

How to cook on your own?

If you are not sure about the quality of the finished mixture for orchids, it will be better to prepare it yourself. This method has its positive aspects:

There are many recipes for preparing a substrate for exotic flowers.. It will not be difficult to fulfill them, even for an inexperienced grower. The main thing in the process is to observe the specified proportions of the ingredients.

The main components of the substrate:

pine bark You can use the bark of any tree. Crushed to a size of 2-3 cm.
moss sphagnum, grows in forests, lowlands. Used fresh and dry.
wood ash, the size is needed approximately the same as the bark.
fern roots are used exclusively in dry form.
Expanded clay granules are excellent for drainage.

Various variations of mixtures may contain additional components: coarse sand, pieces of foam, cork, turf or hardwood, gravel, perlite, vermiculite, shell walnut, humus, coconut fiber and others.

We offer you to watch a video on preparing the substrate for orchids:

Step-by-step instruction

Description of the process in detail will eliminate unnecessary errors and add confidence in action. So, how to carry out a transplant with soil replacement:

We offer you to watch a video instruction for transplanting an orchid:

Choosing the soil and making a transplant is not difficult, but so important. The further full development and violent flowering of the orchid depends on this. BUT subsequent proper care and care will ensure a quick adaptation of the beauty.

Orchids are amazingly beautiful flowers, but rather capricious in their care. They require certain conditions of detention. They also need a special soil, which can be purchased at a flower shop in ready-made. But it is quite possible to prepare a substrate suitable for plants with your own hands, although this can turn out to be a somewhat troublesome task.

What soil is suitable for orchids

In maintenance and care, these flowers are fundamentally different from other indoor plants. Plain garden soil doesn't suit them. In such soil, they quickly die. Need special soil for orchids. You can make it yourself by preparing and mixing certain ingredients. But in order for the nutrient medium to optimally suit the plant, you need to know exactly which variety the orchid belongs to.

Composition suitable soil for orchids will depend on which of the two groups this or that plant belongs to:

flowers that grow on trees in nature - their aerial roots do not require a rich nutrient medium, but the soil must be loose and well-permeable to moisture;
orchids growing in the ground - even if they root system and is located in the soil, but in composition it is quite different from the soil used for planting other indoor flowers.

In indoor floriculture, varieties of orchids from growing on trees are more common. The substrate for them can be taken purchased, already completely ready for planting, or partially changed depending on the needs of the flower. But to be sure of the safety of the soil for orchids, you can do it yourself.

What is in the substrate

The basis of the soil for these colors is:

Bark - Pine or oak bark is more commonly used. But it can also be taken from larch or aspen. The bark does not need to be cut from the tree, it should be easy to separate from the trunk, be dry and free of signs of mold. And it is better to remove it from a tree that has fallen at least a year ago.

Attention! Fresh bark for the substrate is not used, since any disease can be brought along with it.

Charcoal - it can be taken from a burnt birch, oak or beech trunk. And in order to be sure that there are no impurities that can be harmful to the plant, it is better to burn a suitable log yourself.
Moss - Sphagnum is best, you can buy it or bring it from the forest.
Expanded clay, pumice, pieces of foam - are used for drainage when planting orchids.

When compiling the soil for orchids, other parts are also used. Nut skins, coconut fibers, sunflower seed husks are added to the substrate - this is a good baking powder of organic origin. You can also add pieces of fern root by digging up a healthy and fairly large specimen of this plant in the summer.

And to protect the flower from the development of fungal diseases and to loosen the substrate, small pieces of minerals such as perlite or vermiculite are added.

When preparing the soil, sand (white river or coarse quartz), peat and leafy soil are also used, which can be prepared independently during the warm period. They are used for the substrate of certain orchid varieties. Fallen leaves are also not added for all species.

Advice. Fallen leaves are taken from trees such as oak, aspen, apple tree. And to protect the substrate from the appearance of mold, it is good to add peach leaves to it.

Ground Component Processing

All components of the substrate harvested in the forest or in the swamp must be properly processed before use. All components must be thoroughly washed clean water and then dry. The bark and moss must also be boiled or calcined in the oven, then dried, and after a few days repeat this procedure.

Boiling water treatment is also desirable for other components. And many flower growers advise moss to be additionally treated with insecticides. After such treatments, bark, moss and everything else can be safely used to prepare soil for planting.

Soil preparation

The simplest soil recipe might be as little as 5 parts bark and 1 part charcoal. But it can not be called the best option for plants. It will be optimal for most orchids if the soil also includes moss (1 or 2 parts) and expanded clay or crushed pumice for drainage.

Orchid transplant

Other components can be used for the substrate depending on the needs of the flower, adding them to the soil if necessary. It is important that all parts are disinfected, dried well and thoroughly mixed. It is also necessary to disinfect the container for planting the plant.

Orchid can not be called ordinary indoor flower, because it requires a special approach when growing. The soil for it also needs to be prepared very carefully. And although such a procedure is somewhat troublesome, many flower growers always prefer to prepare the substrate on their own. For those who do this for the first time, it is better to first watch the entire preparation process step by step on a video or photo.

Substrate for orchids: video

Orchids are amazingly beautiful flowers, but rather capricious in their care. They require certain conditions of detention. They also need a special soil, which can be purchased ready-made at a flower shop. But it is quite possible to prepare a substrate suitable for plants with your own hands, although this can turn out to be a somewhat troublesome task.

What soil is suitable for orchids

In maintenance and care, these flowers are fundamentally different from other indoor plants. Ordinary garden soil does not suit them. In such soil, they quickly die. Need a special primer for. You can make it yourself by preparing and mixing certain ingredients. But in order for the nutrient medium to optimally suit the plant, you need to know exactly which variety the orchid belongs to.

The composition of a suitable soil for orchids will depend on which of the two groups a particular plant belongs to:

flowers that grow on trees in nature - their aerial roots do not require a rich nutrient medium, but the soil must be loose and well-permeable to moisture;
orchids growing in the ground - although their root system is located in the soil, it is quite different in composition from the soil used to plant other indoor flowers.

What is in the substrate

The basis of the soil for these colors is:

Bark - Pine or oak bark is more commonly used. But it can also be taken from larch or aspen. The bark does not need to be cut from the tree, it should be easy to separate from the trunk, be dry and free of signs of mold. And it is better to remove it from a tree that has fallen at least a year ago.

Attention! Fresh bark for the substrate is not used, since any disease can be brought along with it.

Charcoal - it can be taken from a burnt birch, oak or beech trunk. And in order to be sure that there are no impurities that can be harmful to the plant, it is better to burn a suitable log yourself.
Moss - Sphagnum is best, you can buy it or bring it from the forest.
Expanded clay, pumice, pieces of foam - are used for drainage when planting orchids.

And to protect the flower from the development of fungal diseases and to loosen the substrate, small pieces of minerals such as perlite or vermiculite are added.

Advice. Fallen leaves are taken from trees such as oak, aspen, apple tree. And to protect the substrate from the appearance of mold, it is good to add peach leaves to it.

Ground Component Processing

All components of the substrate harvested in the forest or in the swamp must be properly processed before use. All components must be thoroughly rinsed in clean water and then dried. The bark and moss must also be boiled or calcined in the oven, then dried, and after a few days repeat this procedure.

Soil preparation

Orchid transplant

An orchid cannot be called an ordinary indoor flower, because it requires a special approach when growing. The soil for it also needs to be prepared very carefully. And although such a procedure is somewhat troublesome, many flower growers always prefer to prepare the substrate on their own. For those who do this for the first time, it is better to first watch the entire preparation process step by step on a video or photo.

Substrate for orchids: video

Thanks to the velamen coating, they keep it in themselves for a long time. In its structure, this layer (velamen) is a sponge, so it cannot stay in moist soil for a long time. In order for the roots to dry quickly after, they need good air access. That is why a special substrate is needed for planting these plants.

We will try to answer the question of what kind of soil (soil) is needed for an orchid, as well as how to make a substrate for orchids with our own hands in this article.

Orchids can grow on various soils with great breathability. Their composition can be varied, they can be multicomponent, or they can simply contain tree bark. It depends on the accompanying growing conditions of the plant: the frequency of watering, the quality of top dressing, the degree of illumination, humidity and air temperature.

Substrate components

As you know, bark is added to the composition of the earth for orchids at home. Let us consider in more detail what kind of bark is needed for an orchid.

For the preparation of the substrate as the main component (base) pine and oak bark is well suited for orchids.

Also suitable for orchids is the bark of spruce, birch and larch. Pine bark for orchids can be purchased at a specialized store, and you can also prepare it yourself by finding a fallen dry pine tree in the forest.

But which bark is best for orchids? So, for example, oak bark contains more nutrients than pine, which reduces the amount of top dressing.

The substrate for orchids is best composed using the following additional organic and inorganic components:

The simplest composition of soil for orchids includes the following components:

pine (oak) bark - 5 parts;
moss - 2 parts;
dry foliage - 0.5 parts;
charcoal - 0.5 parts.

This substrate can be taken as a basis, and then, having studied the characteristics of a particular type of orchid, vary the number of additional components.

How to use moss for orchids, see the video:

soil for orchids

In order for an orchid to please you for a long time, you need to know the answer to one of the important questions: “in what soil should an orchid be planted?

For planting, a substrate for epiphytes with high moisture capacity is suitable.

But what is the best soil for orchids?
To improve their nutrition, you can prepare a special earthen mixture. To do this, the following components must be added to the composition of the earth for orchids:

sod land - 3 parts;
peat - 3 parts;
sand - 1 part;
perlite - 0.5 parts;
charcoal - 0.5 parts.

Pay attention to which land (soil) to plant an orchid: before you need to add a small amount of organic fertilizer to the resulting soil.

Soil for orchids, how to cook at home, see the video:

Is it possible to plant an orchid in ordinary soil?

The soil for an orchid at home requires a special one: ordinary land is completely unsuitable for planting an orchid. It cannot provide the level of breathability and moisture absorption that it requires. The roots of the plant need the soil to dry out very quickly, otherwise they will begin to rot, and the orchid will quickly die.

So, what land is needed for an orchid?

For planting, specially prepared land for orchids is used, taking into account the specific characteristics of the plant.

Landing in a block

In addition to planting in mesh containers and pots with big amount drainage holes, there is another common way - landing on blocks.

The material for creating blocks to which the plant is attached can be: a piece of wood or pine (oak) bark, vine, the root of the forest fern. This is done in the following order:

After selection suitable material it is given the desired shape.
A hole is made in the prepared block, into which a strong wire or wire is inserted, which will serve as a fastener when hanging the orchid.
The attachment points of the plant are marked, it is desirable that its foliage hangs down, in order to avoid the accumulation of water in the core.
The plant is attached to a support using wire or fishing line, moss is placed under the root to ensure sufficient moisture. If the air in the room is too dry, then the roots should be covered from above with bark, sphagnum or coconut fiber..
Some types of orchids are recommended to be planted on a block using a substrate. In this case, a small amount of soil is attached to the block of shallow metal mesh and the roots of the plant are placed in it.
For planting young orchids, it is recommended to use foam blocks.

This type of planting allows you to create conditions for the plant that are closest to natural growth.

See planting an orchid in a bark block in the video:

How to make a substrate with your own hands?

In order to make the composition with your own hands, first of all you need to find out what kind of substrate is required for a particular type of orchid and decide on how it will be grown.

Mesh containers and blocks. Most epiphytes are suitable for a composition that includes: pine (oak) bark, sphagnum and charcoal in equal proportions.
with drainage holes and containers made of bark. As a basis for them, bark mixed with charcoal is suitable. The top of the landing must be laid out with moss.

Let's take a closer look at how to prepare soil for orchids with your own hands.
Depending on the substrate with which moisture capacity is required for a particular type of plant, additional moisture-absorbing components can be added to these compositions.

For example, to make soil for an orchid with your own hands, you can use the following components:

epiphytic species: pine (oak) bark - 3 parts; cork tree bark - 3 parts, peat - 1 part, moss - 1 part, expanded clay - 1 part;
terrestrial species: pine (oak) bark, peat - 1 part, moss - 1 part, expanded clay - 1 part, charcoal - 1 part.

Before planting, you need to add to the mixture liquid fertilizer for orchids according to the instructions.

How to make a substrate for an orchid with your own hands, see the video:

Pine bark for orchids

When harvesting pine bark on your own, you need to find a fallen tree in the forest. dry wood or dry.

The bark on them should lag behind the trunk, but not rot. You can not take the bark from living pines, as it contains a large amount of resinous substances. It is not necessary to use too old trees for collection, as the bark on them turns almost into humus.

The best option for harvesting can be pine trees that were cut down no more than about a year ago.. Once harvested, the bark must be properly prepared to form the substrate.

Let's take a closer look at how to prepare pine bark for orchids:

The material must be cleaned of debris and resin residues, break too large pieces.
Boil the bark for twenty minutes, drain the water. After three days, the procedure must be repeated.
Immediately after the second boiling, the cooled wet bark is cut into squares with pruners. right size. For young orchids - 1 centimeter, for adult specimens - 2 centimeters.
The finished material is thoroughly dried. Such bark, packed in paper or cloth bags, can be stored for a very long time.
Instead of boiling, you can use steaming or baking in the oven (about 70 degrees) for fifteen minutes.

Such treatment is required to destroy insects, their eggs and larvae, as well as to reduce the amount of resinous substances.

Dry bark should be soaked in water for three hours before composing the substrate, because dry bark will not absorb moisture. There is nothing to worry about if mold has formed on the material during storage. This is a natural process and the bark remains usable.

The orchid is not an ordinary plant for indoor breeding. Therefore, the soil for an orchid at home must be chosen correctly so that it feels comfortable in your home and delights with its exotic flowers.

We hope that in our article we have answered questions about how to make soil for orchids with our own hands, as well as what kind of bark can be used for orchids. Good luck!

Pine bark for orchids, how to use, see the video: