What is Garden Soil
Gardeners often encounter issues such as compacted garden soil and waterlogging in courtyard flower cultivation. Mastering soil improvement methods can make plants grow healthier. As a basic cultivation medium, garden soil can enhance its aeration and water retention through scientific proportioning to meet the growth needs of different flowers.
Analysis of Garden Soil Characteristics
Common Composition of Substrate Ingredients
Vegetable garden soil accumulates organic matter over years of cultivation, with humus content around 15%-20% and pH values mostly neutral to slightly acidic. It has a high clay content, which is excellent for nutrient retention but poor in drainage, easily causing root rot in plants with fragile roots such as succulents.
Balancing Water Retention and Air Permeability
High-quality cultivation soil should have an aggregate structure. The focus of garden soil improvement is on adjusting the soil's three-phase ratio. Adding 30% perlite can increase porosity, while mixing coarse coconut bran can extend the water retention time, maintaining the optimal air-liquid ratio at 1:1.
Steps for Improving Garden Soil
Selection Standards for Granular Media
It is recommended to mix 3-5mm vermiculite with basalt, which can increase permeability and is rich in trace elements. Sawdust needs to be fully decomposed to prevent root burning, and carbonized rice husks can be used to adjust the pH, with the recommended ratio controlled within 40% of the total substrate.
Building a Microbial Environment
Add 200g of Bacillus subtilis powder per cubic meter of substrate, and combined with EM bacteria solution, a beneficial microbial community can be established. The sun exposure method is more environmentally friendly for sterilization, and high-temperature treatment needs to maintain above 60°C for 5 hours to completely inactivate pathogens.
Tips for Maintaining Improved Garden Soil
The mixed substrate after improvement should be regularly supplemented with organic fertilizers, with earthworm dung fertilizer added monthly in spring and autumn to maintain fertility. Spreading pine bark on the surface can slow down water evaporation, and mixing bamboo charcoal granules before the rainy season can prevent waterlogging and root rot.
Through scientific proportioning and regular maintenance, improved garden soil can meet the growth needs of common flowers such as roses and hydrangeas. It is recommended to adjust the medium ratio according to the plant characteristics, such as increasing the particle content to 50% for succulents and mixing bark substrate for orchids.