Terracotta companions
Do you understand these? Topics about the succulent plant Terracotta companions, Terracotta companions soil matching, next[] the editor will introduce.
Unconsciously, I have been raising Terracotta companions for many years, summarizes a little experience, see many novices ask about Terracotta companions soil matching, just coincide with the recent change of soil for the family Terracotta, write something for the novices to refer to, the soil is the breeding medium, how to match the soil mainly depends on your breeding environment.
1, your overall environment may not be able to change, such as humidity, temperature difference, etc. So you need to first judge what your home environment is like, dry or humid, whether it is ventilated, whether the light is too strong, these are all things to consider.
2, when you have judged your home environment, next is to match the soil. The simple principle is what everyone knows, a little more water retention in dry places, more particles in wet places, but this is also the common knowledge of the public, like what is written in textbooks, widely recognized. And the really cutting-edge knowledge, like the articles published by graduate students, is new research that has not yet been written in textbooks, which is the knowledge of a small group of people. For example, you can also have more particles in dry places and a little water retention in wet places, these can be flexible.
3, when you have decided what kind of soil to use, next is to decide your breeding method, based on your environment and soil matching, whether you need more ventilation, more watering, etc.
Therefore, novices must understand this sequence, make their own judgments, and then decide their own breeding methods. Many impatient people only want to know how to match the soil, let's talk about the big principles later, first take a look at the full picture of my soil matching materials.
In fact, the planting medium has always been divided into several schools. One is influenced by Japan, buying volcanic rock-like planting materials from Japan, emphasizing clean and dust-free, and also permeable; the other is the method of ordinary people in China, using loess, coal slag, and river sand, using whatever is free, and it also grows well. The media I chose for this soil matching are:
Tongsheng Sand: It is said that many people in Japan now use pure Tongsheng Sand, I have never used it before, and I bought it and found that its material seems reliable because it belongs to the kind of surface with a little dust, moderate hardness, can retain water after absorption, and also ventilate during the day, which is very suitable for the root system requirements of Terracotta companions. In fact, I have always followed this idea in my later soil matching, but I have always chosen cheaper domestic Xian soil.
Xian soil: If Japanese Akadama soil is the essence of nature, then Xian soil is China's Akadama soil. It is also granular, absorbent and breathable, does not compact and does not breed bacteria. Its advantage is that it contains more humus than Akadama soil (especially compared to calcined Akadama soil), is more nutritious, and the price is lower, more easily accepted by the public.
Akadama soil: The most familiar granular soil, I use it as a mixture, add a little, hoping for more balanced nutrition, not necessarily to be added, depending on personal preference. Also, there are big differences between Akadama soils, for example, hard ones like (Nihon-sen) and soft ones like (Ryusui), and they need to be treated differently when it comes down to it. Soft ones absorb more water, if you use pure Ryusui Akadama soil, after watering, you will find that the pot is very heavy, and it does not have less water than peat, which also increases the risk of root rot; while hard Akadama soil looks more "sterile" and gives a feeling of insufficient nutrition, so if you want to use pure Akadama soil, it is best to mix it.
Plant stone: Adding it is also to reduce costs, at least where I buy soil, it is cheaper than Tongsheng sand by more than ten dollars a bag. And after adding plant stone, the soil color is richer. Wet plant stone is golden, and it is also good for paving.
Maifan stone: This time I used it to replace river sand, it plays the role of hard medium in the whole soil matching, I think soil matching should have both soft and hard, which is more balanced. The benefits of Maifan stone can be searched by yourself, I added it because I still have several bags at home, and I don't know where to use them if I don't add them.
Below are two auxiliary materials
Slow-release fertilizer: Pure granular nutrition is relatively poor, so it is relatively adding slow-release fertilizer. Ogreen, magic fertilizer, and slow-release fertilizer for vegetable planting can all be used. If you have Jinke-la at home, you can add it. I have also added granular chicken manure for vegetable planting before, and the effect is also very good. That kind of chicken manure is mixed with a lot of soil during the pelleting process, which is even more suitable for Terracotta companions, and even granular peat can be saved.
Rice husk ash/charcoal/activated carbon: It can be added or not, it doesn't hurt to add a little from the perspective of soil balance. The soil of Terracotta companions in their native place is weathered particles and decayed wood, etc., so they like this kind of high-potassium fertilizer planting material. The ratio is actually random, just make it hard and soft, and reasonably distribute the particles.
In the past, I also had to put some peat on it, but now I have changed the way of breeding, so I don't add peat. As I said in the second point above, everyone has their own soil matching ratio and their own breeding methods, as the saying goes, the eight immortals show their own abilities.
The place where I am located is dry all year round, with a large temperature difference, even in summer, there is more than 10℃ of temperature difference. According to general theory, it should choose a soil matching method with better water retention, and I used to raise it like this. But later, with the summary of practical experience, I gradually tend to have more particles, such as this time I didn't add peat. If I follow some of the so-called masters' saying, my environment still has to add peat. Everyone is used to thinking that the north is dry and the south is wet, the north is cold and the south is hot, so the soil in the north should be more water-retaining, and the south should be more water-permeable. But in fact, in the years I lived in Shanghai, I saw that the greenhouse raised Yulujade was mixed with peat and perlite, and nothing else was added. The Yulujade raised in the greenhouse with this method had extremely strong roots, and many people might not believe it if they didn't see it with their own eyes.
The reason is very simple, high air humidity, using water-retaining planting materials, the frequency of watering is naturally less, once a month, or even once every two months is possible. Plants, because they cannot get stable water supply, tend to store the occasional water in their roots, which is also the secret of thick roots. And because the air humidity is high and the peat retains water well, the plants will not be watered for a long time, the planting materials are not completely dry, and the plants will not hurt or rot the roots.
And because the air where I am is dry and the soil particles are many, I can be bolder in "more" watering, the soil is almost dry and then watered, always keeping it moist, so that the plants grow faster. This method is also more suitable for the "hand J" group, saving the plants from being drowned by excessive watering.
The above[] introduces the comprehensive introduction of Terracotta companions soil matching (experience), hoping to bring some green plant related knowledge to green plant enthusiasts.