orchid is a traditional precious flower in China. It is known as the "Four Gentlemen of " together with plum blossoms, chrysanthemums and bamboo . It has a cultivation history in my country for more than 2,000 years. Autumn is the season for orchids to be launched. Many flower lovers often don’t know what kind of soil to plant after buying orchids.
The root system of orchids is fleshy roots and has extremely strict requirements on soil. The general nutritional soil sold on the market is only suitable for planting ordinary flowers and cannot be used for planting orchids. Planting orchids requires special soil, which is called "planting materials". Most planting materials are relatively expensive, but you can also collect them for use by yourself. Here are 3 free and easy-to-get orchid planting materials for you.
pine bark
When we buy orchid planting materials on the market, we often see pieces of pine bark selling. The bark of the pine tree has a light texture, with a ravine surface, which has good breathability and water permeability. Putting it in a flower pot can make the planting material loose, breathable, and not easily rot. The bark of pine trees also contains elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can provide some nutrition for orchid plants. In addition to being used to grow orchids, plants such as Phalaenopsis and Catlan are not traditional orchids but are still Orchidaceae . Pine bark can also be used to match soil.
The bark picked up from the pine forest contains oil, insect eggs and debris and cannot be used directly. The collected bark should be cooked in the pot for 30 to 40 minutes first, and the pine oil inside should be cooked to kill insect eggs and bacteria. Then put the pine bark in a plastic bag and place it in a warm place. It can only be used to grow orchids after fermenting for 2 to 3 months. The proportion of pine bark in planting materials can be higher, usually accounting for 40% to 60% of the total planting materials.
peanut shell
peanuts are nuts we often eat, and their shells are also good planting materials for orchids. They can be easily collected without spending money. Peanut shells contain a lot of plant fibers, which can make the planting material more loose and breathable, and facilitate orchid rooting. The main thing to note is that peanut shells containing salt or other seasonings cannot be used, as salt will cause serious damage to the root system of the orchid, which is very important.
The method of treating peanut shells is similar to that of treating pine bark. Collect the salt-free peanut shells into plastic bags.
Add a small amount of clean water to the plastic bag to keep the peanut shell slightly moist. (Some orchid friends will add a small amount of urea to increase the fermentation speed. If not, you can not add it)
Place the plastic bag in a warm place and ferment for 2 to 3 months. The fermented peanut shell will turn black and it will be crushed with a light pinch, and then it can be used to grow orchids. The proportion of peanut shells in orchid planting materials is usually between 10% and 20%.
red brick particles
red bricks are red bricks used to build houses, made of red soil or yellow soil. The bricks are covered with countless small pores, which are good for breathability and can absorb water and moisturizing. Knock the red bricks into pieces and mix them with orchid planting materials instead of some orchid stones, which can save money and have a good effect.
In addition, red brick particles can also be used as orchid paving stones, and evenly spread the red crushed particles on the surface of the pot soil, which can moisturize , moisten the stems, and prevent weeds and pests.
The production of red brick particles is also very simple. As long as we collect a few old bricks, use a hammer to knock them into small pieces, the pieces are about the size of soybeans, and mix them into the planting material. The proportion of red brick particles in orchid planting materials is usually between 20% and 40%.
