Land for indoor flowers is a necessary environment for their existence. But the soil contains different substances and has different properties, respectively, and is selected depending on the type of flowers. That is why it is necessary to know what quality a soil needs for a particular plant, how to maintain its nutritional value for several years. Understanding all the nuances, you can prepare the soil mixture with your own hands.
The better the soil prepared at home
Many people prefer to buy soil for indoor plants in stores. But you can compose it yourself. In this case, the mixture will have the following advantages:
- the ability to comply with the exact recipe, adding just as many substances as a certain type of plant requires;
- adaptation of seedlings to a new composition is much faster;
- allows you to save money.
Formulation of soil mixture at home
Despite the advantages, there are also disadvantages. A high likelihood of infection of the indoor flower with fungi or diseases. To avoid this, it is necessary to pre-treat the components of the soil.
How to prepare the soil mixture
An alternative to purchased soil is DIY land for indoor plants. Natural soil has excellent qualities for the development of indoor plants, but requires some preparation. You need to understand the requirements for the care of your favorite flower, the characteristics of planting and make a mixture with your own hands.
Main components
Soil for indoor flowers consists of three main components: earth, sand and peat. Each of the listed ingredients has a specific function:
- peat is responsible for the level of acidity;
- sand loosens the soil, thereby reducing its density.
In addition, other components are added to the soil, the amount of which depends on what plant will be planted in it. For example:
- vermiculite and agroperlite are responsible for aeration;
- dolomite flour will reduce acidity;
- saprogel and vermicompost enrich the soil with trace elements;
- tree bark loosens the soil and does not allow it to overheat.
The components of the mixture must be mixed in the correct proportion.
How to disinfect soil for indoor plants
Ready mixes sold in stores undergo special treatment to prevent the occurrence of diseases or pests. If the land for home flowers was prepared with your own hands, then carry out activities to disinfect it yourself.
Bacteria and fungus are destroyed with the help of the drug phytosporin. When it is exposed, pathogenic microflora is destroyed, and the soil is enriched with useful microorganisms that it contains.
For your information! Gamair and alarin are analogues of phytosporin.
Thermal soil treatment
You can disinfect the mixture by raising the temperature. To do this, you must either warm it in the oven, or freeze it on the balcony in winter. The latter method does not give a 100% guarantee. Weeds and larvae of harmful insects may remain in the soil. Heating in the oven is more reliable, but time consuming. The soil is spread on a baking sheet, sprayed with water and heated in the oven to 120 ° C. Hold for at least 1 hour. Throughout the time, the soil is constantly mixed. The disadvantage of this method is the fact that, together with pests, a number of beneficial bacteria are also destroyed - the soil mixture loses half of its properties.
The main types of soil
The soil for each houseplant must meet certain requirements. That is why experienced flower growers do not recommend the use of universal type soil. Some plants prefer loose soil, others feel great only in a nutrient medium. Based on this, it is necessary to understand what types of earthen mixture are.
Light, medium and heavy earth mixtures
The composition of the substrate is divided into several types:
- lungs;
- medium;
- heavy.
The composition of the light mixture includes 40% peat, 15% garden soil, 5% leaf or sod land, 40% sand. In addition, it is necessary to add additional components: agroperlite, vermiculite, charcoal, expanded clay small fractions. The light mixture is ideal for the following indoor plants:
- desert cacti;
- succulents with thickened leaves.
Light root mixtures are also used to root cuttings in a pot with a weak root system, but during growth it is necessary to fertilize additionally periodically.
For an average mixture, the following components are required:
- peat - 30%;
- garden land - 25%;
- leaf or turf land - 15%;
- humus - 5%;
- sand - 25%;
- vermiculite and charcoal as additional components.
Medium mixes are considered universal. Suitable for palm, some types of succulents, decorative and deciduous species of indoor plants.
Note! In case of doubt about the selection of soil for your flower, it is better to loosen it a little, adding the appropriate components.
To obtain heavy land mixtures, you need to take 35% of the peat, 25% - soda land, 20% leaf or sod land, 10% - sand, 10% - humus. Of the additional components, bark of wood, pine needles, sphagnum, charcoal are added. Heavy soil mixtures are prepared for the following types of domestic plants:
- tropical palm;
- creepers;
- ferns;
- azaleas;
- begonias;
- fuchsias;
- tropical cacti.
Also, large plants with a well-developed root system are planted in heavy soil.
Most components in mixtures can also be prepared on their own.
Humus land
Compost or humus is obtained from animal manure. Usually horses and cows provide good material. It is placed in a compost pit or simply on a pile, well covered with a darkened oilcloth and kept in this condition for 2 years. Then the resulting raw material is sieved.
Note! If the humus is of high quality, then in structure it is loose, homogeneous. There are no lumps in it and, all the more, the smell inherent in manure.
Turf land
To obtain turf land, it is necessary to spend 2 years. In the spring-summer period, meadow or field turf is cut. Then in a certain place stacked in piles in layers with manure. After a certain time, the earth is sieved and packed in tight bags. If there is no sod land, then when collecting the soil mixture it can be replaced with mole or garden enriched with fertilizers.
Coniferous land
Coniferous land can be typed in a pine or fir forest. Bottom layers fit. At home, coniferous land is prepared in this way:
- collect fallen conifer needles;
- lay them in a compost pit in layers with peat and sand (layers 15–20 cm thick);
- withstand about 2 years.
Coniferous land
Sheet earth
For leafy land, it is necessary to collect fallen leaves of different tree species. Especially appreciated from apple trees, ash, linden. It is not recommended to take the leaves of oak, willow, poplar, chestnut. The collected leaves are poured into compost pits, sprinkled with slaked lime.
Sand
Sand is mainly used as drainage material. With its help, oxygen is provided to the root system of the plant. This is an obligatory element of any type of soil mixture. For domestic plants, it is recommended to take river-type sand, but previously well-washed.
Peat
Peat is usually purchased at flower shops. It is prepared and packaged in production. No additional activities are required. Peat, imported to summer cottages as fertilizers, as a component of the soil mixture for planting indoor flowers is not suitable. It must be kept for some time. Only after it turns into a homogeneous and granular substance, it is used for substrates.
Peat for green spaces use well-weathered and decomposed
Soil acidity
The suitability of the substrate for indoor plants is characterized by such an indicator as acidity. The essence of this parameter is as follows - display of the content of hydrogen ions (pH). For a neutral or alkaline soil, the pH is 7. The lower values indicate acidification of the soil, and an increase in pH means an increase in alkalinity.
Important! Purchased mixtures always indicate the acidity of the substrate. Mostly indoor plants prefer neutral and slightly acidic soils. But there are also instances that love a more acidic environment.
Florists need to know which indoor flowers love acid soil. The list is provided below:
- azalea;
- ferns;
- hydrangea;
- camellia;
- monstera;
- Anthurium.
Soil Acidity Measurement
In addition, you should know which trees and bushes love acidic soil. These include viburnum, blueberries, rhododendron, raspberries, buckthorn, Japanese quince.
Slightly acidified, almost neutral prefer:
- asparagus;
- amaryllis;
- begonia;
- pelargonium;
- tradescantia and many others.
Plants - lovers of alkaline soils:
- rose flower;
- chrysanthemum;
- cineraria.
How to make acidic soil at home
There are several ways to increase the acidity of the soil at home. The choice depends on the mechanical composition of the soil. Light and loose mixtures can be acidified by adding a significant part of the organic matter. For example, compost, sphagnum moss or ordinary mullein. The disadvantage of this method is the presence of a huge amount of organics to obtain significant changes in pH.
For heavy and dense soils, other methods must be used, since organics will further increase the alkali content. In this case, it is necessary to acidify the soil in any of the following ways:
- sulfur addition;
- the introduction of iron sulfate;
- the use of urea or other means containing ammonia.
Important! You can increase the acidity with lemon or sorrel, or rather with the acid that they contain. Before acidifying the soil with citric acid, it is necessary to dilute it in liquids in the correct proportion: add 15 g of acid per 1 liter of water.
Having picked up all the components for preparing the substrate at home, you can get the optimal soil for home plants. They, in turn, will thank good foliage development and abundant flowering.
