How to Prepare Soil for Growing梅花 (Plum Blossoms)
An article about how to prepare soil for growing plum blossoms and a detailed explanation of the soil mixing methods for planting plum trees, the specific contents are as follows:
Plum blossoms are adaptable to various soils, with no strict requirements for soil pH or fertility. They only require well-draining and loose soil, avoiding alkaline and heavy clay soils. For potted plum trees, the soil should be fertile, and peat soil is not recommended. Let's discuss the soil mixing methods for plum blossoms.
I. Soil Mixing Methods
1. Selection of Planting Materials
Plum trees can tolerate poor soil, requiring well-draining and loose soil. The soil mixture can be enhanced with vermiculite and perlite to increase aeration, as well as碎煤渣 (crushed coal slag) and volcanic rock for good drainage.
Due to the limited soil environment in pots, the stability is poorer, and potted plum trees have less adaptability than those planted in the ground. The soil mixing scheme should be selected based on growth habits and plant conditions. It is best to plant them in well-draining, fertile soil with a higher proportion of granular materials, slightly acidic loam. Therefore, the mixture should also include rich humus garden soil, composted soil, or leaf mold.
2. Materials Not to Use
Peat soil has slow water evaporation in the summer, and plum trees are not tolerant to waterlogging, which can cause leaf drop and root rot. Therefore, peat soil should not be used, and the mixture should not contain pine needles or other materials that easily decompose and rot. Leaf mold soil can decompose during the rainy season, causing high pot soil temperature and root damage, so it is not suitable. Also, avoid soils with high alkalinity or a high content of clay.
II. Soil Mixing Formulas
1. Standard Soil Mixture
Potted plum trees require fertile soil. If leaf mold soil is used, it must be mixed with other materials. A mixture of leaf mold soil, composted soil, and river sand in a ratio of 2:2:1 can be used. Alternatively, leaf mold soil can be mixed with coarse river sand, garden soil, and well-rotted base fertilizer.
2. Soil for Cutting Beds
An appropriate mixture for cutting beds can be prepared by mixing garden soil and composted soil in a 1:1 ratio. Place a layer of crushed wood shavings at the bottom of the pot, occupying 1/5 of the pot's volume. For growing plants, a mixture of pond mud and rice husk ash can be used.
3. Soil for Potting or Repotting
Soil for potting or repotting must be disinfected and sterilized, and an adequate amount of base fertilizer should be applied, usually organic fertilizers such as animal manure, with well-rotted cow dung being an option. The soil mixture ratio is 5:2:2:1 of loam, sandy soil, humus soil, and organic fertilizer.
4. Soil for Transplanting
If transplanting a plum tree seedling or a mature seedling, pruning and root pruning should be done before potting. First, cover the roots with yellow sand until the wounds on the plum stake heal, then use a mixture of yellow soil and honeycomb coal slag as the planting medium.
The above shares on how to prepare soil for growing plum blossoms and detailed explanations of the soil mixing methods for planting plum trees are for reference by netizens.