Can peat soil be used directly for planting flowers?
Article introduction: The content of green plant flower planting, such as whether peat soil can be used directly for planting flowers and the difference between peat soil and grass-peat soil. Next, the editor will introduce to the netizens.
Some flower friends are repelled by peat soil, thinking that it is not environmentally friendly to use it for flower cultivation, and turn to use coconut bran. Neither of them is soil, but a substrate for growing flowers and vegetables, both of which have excellent water retention ability and are very loose and breathable. What are the differences between these two substrates for flower cultivation?
The one on the left above is peat soil, and the one on the right is coconut bran (fine coconut bran)
1. About peat soil
Peat soil has been used in gardening and flower cultivation for a long time, especially for sowing or pot plants, and can also be used as a soil improver for gardens, to reduce the weight of the soil, increase moisture retention, and increase soil breathability.
Peat soil is harvested from swamps. If it is mined continuously for a long time, it will lead to the destruction of swamps and also cause the carbon in swamps to be released into the atmosphere (peat soil has a strong carbon storage capacity, and digging can lead to carbon emissions, which may exacerbate global warming). It is considered a non-sustainable production substrate.
Sphagnum moss decomposes into peat soil in swamps over hundreds of years. Most peat is distributed in the northernmost part of the Northern Hemisphere, including Russia, Canada, and other European countries, which are the largest producers of peat soil. Completely decomposed peat soil has almost no residues of other plants or materials.
2. About coconut bran
Coconut bran comes from the coconut fiber on the surface of coconut shells. Before coconuts are sold, the coconut shells can be soaked and softened, and the coconut fibers can be extracted to make mats, brushes, mattresses, etc.
Of course, coconut fiber can also be made into coconut bran, which generally needs to be crushed, washed with fresh water to remove sodium salts, chlorides, and potassium salts, and then dried and sieved. After that, it can be pressed into blocks or sheets to become coconut bricks.
3. The pros and cons of coconut bran and peat soil:
Coconut bran is better than peat soil in some aspects. Peat soil is difficult to absorb water when it is completely dry. However, coconut bran is very easy to absorb water when used for planting flowers, and it dries faster than peat soil.
Can peat soil be used directly for planting flowers?
Both coconut bran and peat soil have strong water retention abilities, and coconut bran dries faster, especially the surface of the soil, which can prevent the growth of fungi and small black flies.
4. The advantages of peat soil
Of course, peat soil is superior to coconut bran in many aspects. For example, peat soil is slightly acidic, and if naturally harvested, its pH value is between 3.0 and 4.5.
The peat soil we buy usually has some sawdust, limestone, etc., added to raise the pH value (suitable for plant growth), and the pH value of the peat soil we can buy is generally between 5.0 and 6.5 (slightly acidic), which is especially suitable for planting acid-loving plants, including common ones like jasmine, gardenia, roses, osmanthus, camellias, and azaleas.
If you are growing pot-grown blueberries, using peat soil directly is a good choice, and you can add some pine bark, coal slag, or other granular soil to increase soil ventilation and drainage.
5. The pros and cons of coconut bran
The quality of coconut bran available on the market varies. Some have high salt content, which can easily damage the roots of plants when used for cultivation. If you are growing acid-loving plants, you also need to adjust the soil pH first. Some high-quality coconut bran can control the pH value between 5.8 and 6.9.
Most of the coconut bran bought from the market needs to be soaked in clean water before use.
Flower friends usually buy coconut bricks (compressed coconut bran), which will slowly expand after being soaked in clean water. The better the quality of the coconut brick, the greater the expansion coefficient, with some expanding to 7 to 9 times the original volume. If the quality is poor, the volume can only expand two or three times after soaking.
High-quality fine coconut bran usually has some fine fibers
Also, lower-quality coconut bran may have more salt residue, and many are processed with seawater. It is generally recommended to wash with clean water two or three times.
The above is coarse coconut shell
Some flower friends think it is麻烦 to soak and wash coconut bricks, so they can buy one or two large planting bags, put the coconut bricks in them, and soak and wash them.
Of course, there is an even cheaper and more convenient method, which is to keep the usual plastic bags or burlap bags to wash and soak coconut bran, which is also a good choice.