Several Formulas for Orchid Substrate
A detailed introduction to the orchid, a member of the Orchidaceae family, including several formulas for orchid substrates. Let's learn about them together.
By volume ratio:
① Soil-based substrate blending.
First formula: 50%-60% soil-based substrate (30% humus soil or sandy loam, 15% pond mud or peat soil, 5% "aerated sand"); 40%-50% "fairy soil" or artificial granular soil.
Second formula: 60% soil-based substrate; 25% organic substrate; 15% inorganic substrate.
Third formula: 50% rice husk char (when the husks are thoroughly charred, water is immediately poured on them to prevent them from turning into ash, to enhance water permeability and aeration, and to reduce the fire's intensity); 35% humus soil or sandy loam; 15% pine needle leaves. Especially suitable for plants with few roots.
Fourth formula: 30% aerated sand; 40% humus soil; 30% wood shavings or pine needles. Most suitable for the acclimatization and cultivation of mountain orchids.
Fifth formula: 20% sandy loam; 10% "aerated sand"; 10% humus soil; 20% rice husk char; 20% completely combusted coal slag (after leaching to reduce fire toxicity); 20% pine needles or polystyrene foam chips. Has a good effect on the continuing transformation of line art orchids.
② Soilless substrate blending.
Completely inorganic substrate: 30% polystyrene foam chips; 50% brick and tile fragments; 20% perlite or kaolin.
Completely organic substrate: 30% young branches; 30% peanut shells; 30% pine needles; 10% water moss fragments. Good water retention, contains nutrients, suitable for non-professional orchid growers.
Combined formula: 30% polystyrene foam chips; 30% brick and tile fragments; 20% young branches; 10% pine needles; 10% water moss. 50% high-phosphorus stone; 30% foam blocks; 10% pine needles; 10% water moss. 50% coarse river sand; 30% foam blocks; 10% pine needles; 10% water moss.
The above formulas have been proven feasible by orchid friends, but due to the differences in resources and climate from one place to another, specific operations can be adjusted and it's not necessary to adhere strictly to one formula.
The basic components of orchid substrate include orchid base stone, "fairy soil" particles, green stone, pine bark, and coconut bran. Other materials can be added according to the preferences of the orchid grower, such as snake wood, peanut shells, sawdust, wood shavings, pine needles, chestnut leaves, walnut shells, peach (apricot) kernels, etc. The specific proportions also vary from person to person. Orchid friends in Yunnan often use chestnut leaves to account for 50%. It is best to determine this based on the local humidity and climate.
The substrate is the material basis for the survival of orchids with fleshy roots. Mastering the characteristics of orchids and formulating a suitable substrate is a key element for successful orchid cultivation. In orchid-growing areas, orchid friends can easily buy orchid substrates from the market, such as Emei XianTu from Sichuan, (T-W), TangJi LanStone from Guangzhou, ZhiJinShi from Japan, and domestic LanJun soil, all of which can be freely selected. However, for orchid friends without the means to purchase, they are not so fortunate. Therefore, self-preparation of orchid substrates becomes a practical choice for orchid friends and an essential path to improving orchid cultivation skills. Formulating the right substrate is key to successful orchid cultivation. For working-class orchid friends, using local materials to prepare substrates not only saves money but also provides a unique joy. In addition, it is one of the important ways to fully grasp the nature of orchids.
Coal slag: The slag left after coal combustion is a material that is easily obtained and widely used by urban and rural orchid friends, especially the slag from domestic honeycomb coal, which, after screening and removing dust, can become a major component of the substrate for planting orchids. It is water-permeable and breathable, retains water and fertilizer, is light and does not compact, is free of bacteria, and contains a higher phosphorus and potassium content, which is beneficial for root development and artistic transformation of orchid plants.
Brick particles: Some orchid friends crush red or green bricks to make brick particles. You can also directly collect brick fragments from the edges of kilns at brick factories, screen them, and make them into coarse and medium particles for future use. This hard planting material has strong water absorption, drainage, and aeration. The disadvantage is that it dries easily in autumn and winter and contains few nutrients.
Stone chips: Coarse stone chips, the size of peanuts or mung beans, are commonly screened from coarse sand at construction sites for use in wall plastering. They are very suitable as granular material for planting orchids and can also be screened from rivers, removing large cobblestones and fine sand, and retaining coarse and medium particles for future use. The advantage of small stone chips is that they are easy to obtain, easy to water, cool in nature, and quite suitable for orchids, thus causing fewer diseases. It is popular among orchid friends in Zhangzhou and Shunde, Guangdong, to use small碎石 heated and padded with coconut bran to plant orchids, resulting in white orchid roots that meet export standards.
Mountain soil: Mountain soil is formed by the accumulation of plant leaves and stems over the years, becoming decomposed. It is light and porous, has strong aeration, a certain acidity, and is rich in organic matter, generally known as humus soil. It is a planting material favored by orchid friends in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Yunnan, with sufficient fertility, strong seedling growth, and rapid flowering. However, for new orchid friends, it is difficult to control watering, and if not disinfected enough, it can easily cause diseases.
Charred soil: Soil that has been calcined with fire, known as caespitose soil in Fujian and Jiangxi, and soil ash in Guizhou, is commonly used as a base fertilizer for vegetables and crops by farmers. Charred soil is usually alkaline and becomes weakly acidic after being rinsed by rain. Its soil fertility is high after high-temperature calcination and fumigation, rich in phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and loose and breathable.
Spent mushroom soil: Also known as shiitake soil, it is the waste material from the cultivation of edible fungi and tea tree mushrooms and is also good planting material for orchids. It is loose and fertile but high in bacteria content and should be strongly disinfected, otherwise it can easily cause soft rot disease.
Dry cow dung: Commonly used as farm manure in rural areas, after fully decomposing and sunning for a week to kill bacteria and destroy eggs, it can be used as an additive for orchid substrates, which not only loosens the soil but also adds fertility without injuring the roots.
Sawdust: Obtainable from furniture factories and wood processing plants, it has good water absorption, contains certain minerals and organic matter, and is better used after stacking and composting. Cedar and mixed wood are suitable, while pine sawdust contains oil components and is not recommended.
Bark blocks: The bark is loose and light, retains water and fertilizer. Especially willow bark is best, as it is moisture-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and contains natural salicylic acid (aspirin), which promotes root growth and leaf photosynthesis in orchids. Adding willow bark to orchid planting results in vigorous plant growth. At the same time, aspirin has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and preservative effects, effectively preventing root rot.
Decayed wood blocks: Easily obtained when collecting orchids in the mountains. Decayed wood is rich in organic matter, absorbs water and retains fertilizer, keeps warm,散热透气, and is a superior medium for planting orchids. Mixed with coarse particles, it can be used to line the bottom of the pot and does not need to be changed for two to three years.
Charcoal: Lightweight and low in density, with super water absorption, and after calcination, wood materials are rich in phosphorus and potassium components, making them an excellent choice for mixed padding materials and good for eliminating waterlogging in the pot.
Polystyrene foam: Modern people's household appliances and daily necessities are often packaged with foam materials. Many urban orchid friends make foam into granules for use as orchid planting materials, and the trial effect is good. Foam for planting orchids has the advantages of no waterlogging, good heat preservation, excellent permeability, clean without diseases, and high germination rate. The disadvantage is that it does not absorb water and has no nutrients. It can be selected as padding material for lining the pot or used as granular material to replace red brick particles. In addition, volcanic stone, grass charcoal soil, sugarcane slag, coconut bran, etc., are also good planting materials for orchids, but they are not easily obtained by most orchid friends. There is no planting material that is perfect in all aspects; while having certain advantages, there are always some shortcomings. Practice has proven that a single medium is difficult to meet the growth needs of orchids, only by reasonably mixing according to the type of orchid, coordinating benefits and mutual complementarity, can an ideal substrate be formulated.
First, the main ingredient is granular material: Loose and breathable is the most basic requirement for orchid planting material. Traditionally, orchid cultivation has focused on mountain soil, but modern orchid cultivation practice has shown that selecting granular materials is easier to meet the needs of orchid ventilation and water permeability. Granular materials easily absorb and retain moisture to meet the water supply needs of orchids. Especially coarse particles are indispensable for lining the bottom of the pot and are a good solution to eliminate waterlogging. The disadvantage of granular materials is the lack of fertilizer and nutrient elements, but now various special orchid fertilizers have largely made up for this defect of granular materials. Bone meal can be mixed into the planting material to increase fertility, or slow-release fertilizers such as ZhiKang and Aokang can be applied after the orchids have established themselves. Other supplements like GuoLanYeBao, LanJunWang, GaoKai喷施 and root irrigation are also very effective. There is a wide selection of granular materials, and the mentioned coarse coal slag, broken brick particles, small stone chips, and calcined soil are all good granular materials. By complementing other materials according to the characteristics of various granules, a good planting material for raising strong seedlings can be formulated. It should be noted that coal slag, brick particles, and other materials calcined with fire should be soaked for three days and water changed daily to remove "fire toxicity" before blending.
Second, pay attention to the combination of hard and soft materials and the balance of yin and yang: With coarse granular hard materials, it is also necessary to properly mix some soft materials to achieve the effect of yin-yang balance. Relatively speaking, red brick particles, coal slag, and calcined soil are hard materials with strong fire and yang properties. Materials like sawdust, bark blocks, and decayed wood are soft materials, more yin in nature. Generally speaking, when these two types are reasonably mixed in a certain proportion, a clever orchid planting material is formed. As for how to mix them, it requires orchid friends to carefully experience and meticulously ponder during the blending process. It can be said that the process of formulating planting materials is the process of fully understanding the nature of orchids.
Third, the reasonable use of mud materials: Wild orchids live deep in mountains and forests, spending their lives with mountain soil, which can be said to be the closest friend of orchids. Therefore, mountain soil has become the main planting material for traditional orchid cultivation and is still chosen by some experienced orchid growers today, with mountain soil-grown orchids being strong and full of vitality. However, for modern orchid cultivation, especially for new orchid friends, the difficulty in controlling moisture is the main reason why people are reluctant to use mountain soil for orchid cultivation. Mountain soil collected from primeval forests needs to be exposed to the sun for three to five days, or longer if possible, then sieved, impurities removed, fine soil discarded, and coarse and medium particles retained for blending. If there is no mountain soil, using calcined soil or mushroom soil as a substitute can also maintain the "muddy" nature of the planting material.
Finally, in accordance with the "three-in-one" model of granular material, mud material, and soft additive, several planting material formulas are recommended for orchid friends to choose from.
1. River pebbles or fine stone chips 30%, coconut bran 30%, calcined soil 30%, bark 10%
2. Coal slag 30%, river pebbles or fine stone chips 30%, mountain soil particles 30%, sawdust 10%
3. Coal slag 30%, red brick particles 30%, mountain soil particles 30%, dry cow dung 10%
Above is a comprehensive method for several orchid substrate formulas, hoping to solve your green plant problems by throwing a brick to attract jade.