How to mix soil for succulents
Do you know this? When it comes to succulent soil preparation, let's follow the editor to find out together!
Many people fail to grow succulents well because of the soil. We might as well look at the experience of our predecessors in soil mixing. This article is a reorganization of the author's personal experience in soil mixing (the original text has been slightly abridged), and if read carefully, it will be of great benefit.
First of all, it's best to change the soil for the succulents bought from the flower market with pots.
Reason 1: The soil in the flower market has more diseases and pests (decayed leaf soil is better not to use), or it is directly yellow mud (which easily cakes and can suffocate the roots, so this kind of soil should be thrown away!)
Reason 2: Even the soil used for greenhouse production is not suitable for home planting. To make the seedlings grow faster, greenhouses generally use a mixture of peat soil and perlite. (This kind of soil can be used for secondary mixing, do not throw it away) Initially, there is no problem, but after a year of growth, the soil will cake, and the water will not penetrate, resulting in death during the hot summer.
In recent years, many experiments and observations have been done on the soil, and the current soil mixing method has been developed. The principle of soil mixing is simple, the raw materials are easy to find, easy to mix yourself, and suitable for most succulents.
Soil mixing method 1: Peat soil: coarse sand = 1:1 (volume ratio);
Of course, peat soil is not environmentally friendly, and if you are willing to contribute to environmental protection, it can also be adjusted to:
Soil mixing method 2: Mixture (70% peat soil / 30% coconut fiber): coarse sand = 1:1 (volume ratio);
For some varieties with weaker roots or no roots, in order to pursue faster root growth, you can mix 10-20% red jade soil into the overall proportion of this mixed soil ("red jade soil" has the best root growth effect among the soils seen so far, but it should not be used too much, nor should it be used for mulching).
How to mix soil for succulents is very critical. Many succulent enthusiasts have to repair the roots after their plants get sick, or they are inherently fragile and need to be rooted. If the soil has a problem again, the roots cannot grow, and the succulents will be tragic, so you must be serious about the soil!
What changes and benefits does adding "coarse sand" to the soil bring?
Those who often buy succulents from the flower market or greenhouses will find that the soil is generally a mixture of "peat soil and perlite" (very light), and after keeping it at home for a while, it will show signs of decay, unhealthy and water-deficient. It is also very difficult to care for in the summer. This kind of soil allows for quick root growth, but the roots are fragile and small, making the plants look虚胖.
After adding coarse sand, the roots are very strong, with robust roots visible, and the plants become stronger. Good teeth make for a good appetite, not because of fertilizer (many people think that not being able to fatten is due to lack of fertilization, which is a big misconception!)
Let's look at some reference pictures. Here are two different succulents with different soils - Ruby.
Left: Peat soil, coconut fiber, perlite; Right: Peat soil, coconut fiber, perlite, coarse sand
Soil mixture: Peat soil, coconut fiber, perlite, the roots are very fragile and easily break.
Soil mixture: Peat soil, coconut fiber, perlite, coarse sand, the roots are strong and can be clearly seen in the picture.
How about the root growth speed?
The more coarse sand you add, the slower the root growth (large gaps prevent roots from penetrating the soil, and the plant cannot absorb water from the soil, so it becomes thin and weak, so be careful when choosing mulching stones, and do not use large particles for young or weak-rooted succulents).
The above is a comprehensive introduction to how to mix soil for succulents, hoping to bring some knowledge about green plants to green plant enthusiasts.