What type of soil is best for planting plum blossoms in a pot
As the first among China's top ten famous flowers, the quality of bloom and the health of the plant are directly affected by potting cultivation of plum blossoms. Mastering scientific soil mixing formulas and standardized operation procedures can effectively improve the survival rate of transplantation, allowing plum blossoms to bloom with a thousand-yearly elegance in a limited potting soil space.
Analysis of plum cultivation soil formula
Three essential elements for substrate selection
As a typical southern acidic plant, plum blossoms have three core soil requirements: a slightly acidic environment with a pH value of 5.5-6.5, more than 30% porosity to ensure breathability, and a continuous and stable supply of humus. Experimental data shows that using a golden ratio of garden soil: leaf mold soil: river sand = 4:4:2 can increase root vitality by 40%.
Special improvement plan
For alkaline soil and water in the north, it is recommended to add 5g of sulfur powder per liter of substrate to adjust the pH value. In rainy and humid areas, 10% pine bark granules can be mixed in to enhance drainage. For heavily clayey soil, 30% of perlite should be mixed in to improve compaction issues.
Standard for potting plum blossoms
Container selection criteria
Clay pots are the preferred material, with three times the breathability of plastic pots. The pot diameter should be 5-8cm larger than the original soil ball, and a deep cylinder design is more beneficial for the development of straight roots. Before potting, the pot should be soaked in a potassium permanganate solution for disinfection to prevent root rot.
Root treatment techniques
While retaining the complete protective soil, it is necessary to perform the "ditching and arranging roots" treatment on the tangled roots: use a bamboo skewer to open the peripheral roots in a radial pattern, allowing new roots to quickly penetrate the new substrate. The planting depth should maintain a 3cm gap between the original soil mark and the pot edge to avoid "deep burial suffocation."
After planting care
Use the "three settling method" to fill soil: lightly tamp the pot after filling 1/3 of the substrate, allowing the soil to naturally compact. The生根 water should be added with 0.1% indole butyric acid to promote root growth. Use a shading net with a 50% light transmission rate and keep it covered for 10-15 days until new buds sprout.
Key points for management during the slow seedling period
For the first 7 days, follow the "three no principles": no fertilizing, no repositioning, and no loosening of the soil. Keep the air humidity between 60-70%, and use the bagging method to keep the soil moist. From the 8th day, start receiving morning sunlight, increasing 1 hour of sunlight each day. After 20 days, apply diluted 2000 times fulvic acid potassium to supplement nutrition.
With scientific soil formulas and standardized operations, the survival rate of potting plum blossoms can reach over 95%. During cultivation, it is necessary to regularly test the soil EC value, and promptly leach when the substrate salt content exceeds 1.2ms/cm. By properly using these technical points, it is possible to recreate the classical artistic conception of "sparse shadow slanting" in a small pot of soil.