How to Make Universal Flower Growing Soil with Pine Needle Mulch
You may not be familiar with the experience of making universal flower growing soil with pine needle mulch in terms of green plant maintenance. Next, the site editor will introduce it to the netizens.
How to Make Universal Flower Growing Soil with Pine Needle Mulch
Pine needle mulch is a good material for growing flowers and can be added to the growing soil as a soil amendment. Pine needles are rich in humus and have the advantages of being lightweight, good air permeability, smooth drainage, and slightly acidic. Therefore, after accumulating them for a period, they can be used as materials for preparing slightly acidic growing soil, but the soil mixing ratio should be around 30%. It is especially suitable for growing acid-loving flowers like azaleas, kaffir lilies, and cyclamen, as well as indoor ornamental leaf plants.
How to Prepare Flower Growing Soil with Pine Needles
Some flower enthusiasts have asked: Pine needle mulch is called the "universal soil for growing flowers." How can we make pine needle mulch by ourselves?
Pine needle mulch is soft, has good air permeability, good water drainage, lightweight, and is rich in humus.
Generally, the fermented pine needle mulch is mixed with other soils in a certain proportion and can be used as a material for preparing acidic or slightly acidic growing soil.
It can improve the soil structure, making the soil looser and more permeable, and ensures smooth drainage without waterlogging, which is beneficial for the root respiration and vigorous growth of plants. So, how can we make pine needle mulch by ourselves? What issues should we pay attention to?
Collecting and Fermenting Pine Needle Mulch Materials
Collecting Pine NeedlesIn rural mountains or under the pine and cedar trees in urban parks and roadside green belts, you can find a thick layer of accumulated pine needles.
Remove the top layer of fresh fallen pine needles and select the ones below that have started to decompose and turn black. Then, mix them with 20% to 30% of the surface soil and put them in a woven bag to be taken back for sieving to remove stones and other impurities.
Collecting Garden Soil for Soil Mixing"Garden soil" refers to the sandy loam on the surface of vegetable gardens, orchards, flower nurseries, or nurseries that have grown leguminous plants. Garden soil has certain fertility and is one of the main raw materials for preparing pine needle mulch.
However, garden soil tends to compact and has poor water permeability. It needs to be mixed with pine needle mulch and others to achieve the effect of loose and permeable soil. The pH value of garden soil varies by region, generally ranging from 7.0 to 7.5 in the north and 5.5 to 6.5 in the south.
Specific Fermentation MethodAfter collecting the materials, mix them and use the "stacking fermentation method" to decompose the pine needles.
If conditions permit, enthusiasts can dig a rectangular soil pit about 50 centimeters deep in the courtyard, mix the collected pine needle mulch and garden soil with a spade, and then place them in the pit.
Or, after mixing, put them in a plastic bucket or a larger container, then pour in rice washing water or add organic fertilizer fermentation agents; finally, cover the top with a thin layer of garden soil and turn the stacked soil once each in late spring and midsummer.
In climates warm enough, most of this pine needle mulch can decompose thoroughly by deep autumn, at which point it can be dug up and sieved for use.
Issues to ConsiderWhen stacking and fermenting pine needle soil, the following two points should be noted: First, do not pack the soil stack too tightly to allow air to penetrate, which can accelerate the decomposition and maturation of the pine needles; second, do not make the pine needle mulch too wet.
If the stacked pine needle mulch is too wet, due to poor air permeability, it is prone to harmful fungi such as mold, which can affect the quality of the pine needle mulch.
The above [] introduces the experience of making universal flower growing soil with pine needle mulch. I hope this article can provide you with some help!