The composition of the substrate for a houseplant plays a decisive role in its development. Most often, soil for dracaena is acquired in the garden center, but the right substrate can also be prepared at home from improvised means.
What soil does dracaena prefer?
Under natural conditions, it grows in Africa and Southeast Asia, where humus-rich, breathable soils predominate. A similar composition of the earth is for dracaena at home.
Substrate for stimulating flower growth
Essential components and minerals
A balanced soil for dracaena should contain all the necessary trace elements for plant development. The mineral base (clay, peat, sand) includes: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, iron, magnesium, iodine and other substances. The earth is rich in nitrogen, in which organic matter is found in large quantities (animal excrement, decomposed vegetation).
Important! Dracaena, like any plant, can absorb only nutrients dissolved in water. Therefore, it is important that the soil can retain moisture for a long time.
What are all the elements of the soil for?
Each element is involved in the life of the plant to perform a specific function. With a lack of one substance, the entire flower nutrition system collapses. The main elements in the life of this species:
- nitrogen (responsible for growth, especially the vegetative part);
- potassium (needed for the process of protein synthesis that takes place in plant cells);
- phosphorus (participates in the metabolism, facilitates the assimilation of the basic elements of nutrition);
- calcium (stabilizer of plant cells).
Additional trace elements - mandatory components of dracaena soil:
- magnesium, copper and manganese are involved in photosynthesis;
- iron is responsible for breathing;
- boron stimulates the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids;
- sulfur is involved in protein metabolism.
As a rule, fertile soil includes all of these elements in sufficient quantities. The exceptions are poor sands and heavy clay. Soil that meets the requirements of dracaena contains at least 70% of fertile soil.
How to choose land for dracaena
Suitable land for dracaena contains loam at the base, mixed with sand and humus, sometimes peat. The garden shop sells ready-made soil mixtures that are suitable for dracaena, palm trees and ficus.
What soils exist
In addition to a specialized substrate for the plant, you can purchase universal floral soil. Its composition maximally meets the needs of dracaena. What company soil is needed for dracaena? Florists note the good quality of the substrates from Terra Vita, Flora, Fasco, Greenworld.
They are based on humus vermicompost. Additionally, peat and perlite are used. Such soils are already enriched with fertilizers, and do not require additional additives. Disinfecting them is also not required.
You should know! If it is impossible to acquire a specific substrate, any universal one should be taken as a basis. So that he can approach for landing dracaena, the necessary components are introduced into it.
Preparation of soil components for dracaena
If you make a substrate for a flower with your own hands, you need to collect all the components separately and mix before planting. It will be easy for residents of the countryside to find the right components. It is not allowed to apply soil with clay admixture of more than 30% for room dracaena.
In which land to plant dracaena (several options):
- in equal amounts mix: leaf humus, coarse sand, forest land (from oak or linden);
- for 1 part of rotted manure or compost take 1 part of peat, 0.5 part of sand, 1 part of garden soil, 0.5 part of crushed bark of deciduous tree (oak, ash, elm);
- 1 part of sand and humus, 3 parts of forest land, 1 cup of crushed charcoal per 5 l of the mixture;
- 1 part peat, 2 parts humus (vermicompost), 1 part perlite or vermiculite, 0.5 part coconut fiber.
Important! A mandatory component of dracaena flower pot contents is drainage. It represents pebbles 1-3 cm in size. It can be chipped granite, crushed stone, expanded clay or broken brick.
Components of the substrate for the plant
When the base of the soil is ready, mineral fertilizers are added to it. Use granular fertilizers with a full range of trace elements (Bona forte, Fasko, WMD). Being in moist soil, the granules gradually dissolve, feeding the roots of dracaena.
Proper land sterilization
When collecting the soil mixture, there is an acute question of ridding the substrate of pathogens, eggs of harmful insects, weed seeds. At the stage of mixing the constituent products, until the fertilizer is added, the soil is disinfected. There are several sterilization options.
Steaming
Prepared soil is poured into a sieve lined with fabric and set in a pot of boiling water. Hot steam passes through the earth mass, destroying the infection. Soil tillage time 30-40 min. In the process, it must be mixed for uniform heating.
Frying
The substrate is poured onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven. At a temperature of 160-180 ℃ sterilization lasts 20 minutes.
Spill fungicide
Against pathogens, flower growers use potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Maxim. An aqueous solution of these substances is abundantly moistened with soil.
Steaming land to kill pests
The main mistakes in soil preparation
A flower grower preparing the soil for dracaena with his own hands should pay close attention to the quality of each product introduced into the mixture. Forest land can be taken in the near-trunk zone of oak, elm, birch, alder. It is enough to scrub the fallen leaves and collect the top 5-7 cm of loose soil. Do not pick up soil from areas located near roads, landfills. Humus from manure and plant debris should be 3-4 years old.
Peat is suitable for medium acidity, well rotted. Outwardly, it looks like a friable brown-black dry mass. Red peat with undecomposed slices is not good. The sand is suitable for large, non-industrial, without admixture of clay. Instead, you can buy vermiculite in the store. When adding charcoal, make sure that the product of burning polyethylene does not get into the pot.
Additional Information! The soil structure necessary for a flower is friable, moderately moist. When squeezed in a fist, it should form a lump that easily collapses when dropped.
Correct soil texture
What to do with the old land?
A flower transplant with a complete replacement of the soil is carried out annually, while it is actively growing. An adult tree is reloaded in a new pot every 3 years, sprinkling fresh soil. The land in which dracaena grew has a low content of organic matter and other chemicals and can carry infection. It should be placed in a compost heap or, after thorough sterilization, reused.
Transplanting soil
For recycling, the old soil is added as a loosening component to the new substrate. The proportion of old soil should not exceed 30% of the total mass of the substrate.
When starting a flower transplant, you need to know exactly what kind of land is needed for dracaena. After all, this is the key to a long life of the plant and its attractive appearance.
