Various succulent soil mixing formulas
Let me tell you about the introduction of succulent plants, various succulent soil mixing formulas, and the specific details are as follows:
Every beginner in succulent cultivation always wants to find the most perfect or ideal soil mixture for succulents. In fact, there is no such thing as the perfect soil mixture; only the one that suits you best is fine. As long as it is loose, breathable, well-draining, has a certain granular structure, and is sterile, it is generally suitable for the growth of succulents. Of course, different species of succulents may have slightly different requirements for the soil mixture, but as long as the general principles are mastered, there usually won't be any major problems. The following are several soil mixing formulas from many succulent enthusiasts, hoping you can find one that suits you and improve it in practice to create the most suitable soil mixture for your succulents.
No matter which planting material is chosen or how it is mixed, it must meet the basic requirements of the plant and consider various situations flexibly.
No. 1 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
1. Prepare according to the cultivation site: For example, the soil for ground planting and pot planting is different. Ground planting should consider drainage more, and should add materials with strong drainage, such as gravel. For pot planting, it is necessary to supplement organic matter appropriately on the principle of keeping the soil loose and breathable. If planted on a south-facing balcony, it is also necessary to consider the characteristics of dryness and sufficient sunlight, and add some substrates with strong water retention, such as vermiculite and coconut bran.
2. Prepare according to different types: Different types may require different soil mixtures. For example, epiphytic types need a certain amount of humus, while some terrestrial types from poor soil origins with underdeveloped roots do not require as much humus. Not only do different families require different soils, but even different genera within the same family have different soil requirements. Take the Chinese aloe and卧牛 from the Liliaceae family as examples. The former belongs to the Aloe genus, is robust, grows fast, and can be supplemented with plenty of base fertilizer at the bottom of the pot. The latter is a plant of the Haworthia genus, grows slowly, and basically does not require base fertilizer.
3. Prepare according to different cultivation regions: The climate in the north is dry, which requires the soil to have a certain moisture retention capacity; the south has abundant rainfall and high humidity, which requires the soil to have better drainage and aeration.
4. Prepare according to different growth stages: In the seedling stage, the roots are not well-developed, so the organic matter content should be slightly less, with the soil mainly consisting of light materials mixed with some fine sand, then gradually increasing the organic matter content.
No. 2 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Soil preparation is not something that can be explained clearly with a few simple principles, but here are some references:
1.植金石8 parts + Xian soil 2 parts + a little shell powder (suitable for cultivating Lithops).
2. Coarse sand 10 parts + wood chips 2 parts + base fertilizer 1 part + garden soil 1 part (suitable for ground planting).
3. Decomposed leaf soil 1 part + peat 1 part + coarse sand 2 parts + light material 1 part + a little base fertilizer (suitable for epiphytic types).
4. Pond stone 3 parts + Xian soil 2 parts + light material 1 part + peat 1 part (suitable for cultivating hard-leafed species of Sempervivum).
5. Garden soil 2 parts + decomposed leaf soil 1 part + coarse sand 4 parts + light material 1 part + rice husk ash half part (suitable for ordinary terrestrial types).
No. 3 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Cultivation materials include珍珠岩, peat, wood ash, 1-2mm coal slag particles, red jade, Lu沼, fine river sand, vermiculite. The more variety, the better.
1. First, use large stones as the base layer, as everyone knows;
2. Fill the gaps with perlite;
3. Start layering, remember, for each layer of particles, a layer of peat should be used to fill the gaps;
4. Each layer should be super thin, just enough to cover the next one. Layer by layer, do not be lazy and make a layer thicker.
This method uses the镶嵌性 of the medium, mainly using a lot of peat and 1-2mm coal slag particles. Coal slag particles are the best medium for Lithops to take root, and peat can provide nutrients in the coal slag particles. The镶嵌性 makes the medium凝结 after wetting, with different layers making the individual particles no longer individual but a whole, "can't get angry." The main roots are thick and strong, and the fine roots are good!
No. 4 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
A reasonable soil mixture for seedlings is:
Peat soil 60% + sand 20% + granules 20% If river sand is not available, it can be replaced with granules entirely. Granules can be perlite, volcanic rock, honeycomb coal, ceramsite, stone, etc. For mature plants (over 2 years old), the soil mixture is almost the same, but the proportion of sand and granules is increased a bit. Peat soil + sand + granules 1:1:1 is a very suitable ratio. If you want the succulents to grow fatter, you need to change to a deeper and larger pot.
No. 5 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
1. Garden soil, humus soil. The cheapest cultivation substrate, with the advantage of being inexpensive, but too fine and needs to be sifted, and contains eggs and bacteria.
2. Perlite, pumice. Used for aeration, these two can be interchanged, with the more expensive ones having better effects, and there is no need to use cheaper ones.
3. Lan stone,植金石. Also used for aeration and water drainage. Lan stone is more economical, while植金石 has better effects.
4. Ceramsite, broken brick, coal slag. All made of烧结 clay, relatively breathable and water-absorbent, cheap, but hard.
5. Peat, sphagnum moss. Both made of moss or marsh plants, absorb water well, also breathable, but too much can cause rot, and moderate use is good. They can also be specifically used for rooting.
Among them, the amount of 1 and 4 should be less, and the ratio of 2, 3, and 5 can be close.
No. 6 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Sedum soil mixture, I think the proportion of peat soil or草炭土 can be slightly higher, supplemented with humus soil, river sand, perlite, vermiculite, etc. To promote root growth and healthy growth, add an appropriate amount of rice husk charcoal, bone meal, and fungicide to the soil. Watering should be determined by the weather and plant growth conditions, and should be watered when dry and wet. Focus on managing those that are growing well. Most of those that are not growing well are actually in a dormant period, so it's better to manage them less.
Soil mixture: Sieved honeycomb coal slag + garden soil + Xian soil + sand + bone meal + shell powder + eggshell + ceramsite + Lan stone + activated carbon, sifted to remove dust and planted. Full sunlight care, water when dry and wet. Add decomposed chicken manure at the bottom of the pot. The pot should be small, and the soil should be loose. Water every few days after the soil is completely dry, and expose to more sunlight. In the hot summer, water less, as most Sedum species require dormancy or semi-dormancy.
No. 7 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
For Sedum species, a higher proportion of peat or草炭土 is suitable, supplemented with humus soil, river sand, perlite, vermiculite, etc. To promote root growth and healthy growth, add an appropriate amount of rice husk charcoal, bone meal, and fungicide to the soil. Watering should be based on weather and plant growth conditions, and should be watered when dry and wet. Focus on managing those that are growing well. Most of those that are not growing well are actually in a dormant period, so it's better to manage them less.
No. 8 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Self-mixed broadcast planting material feels good after use, and is shared with everyone. The planting material consists of 6 different media: 1. Coal slag; 2. Aoran Duo (a type of volcanic rock); 3. Light stone; 4. Maifan stone; 5. Rice husk carbon (sifted fine particles); 6. Danish Pindstrup peat soil (1-3mm).
No. 9 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
The cheapest is coal slag, peat, and perlite, with a large amount of coal slag + a little peat; coal slag, sand, and humus soil, with a high proportion of coal slag; 2 parts peat + 7 parts coal slag + 1 part rice husk carbon + a little bone meal.
No. 10 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Peat: Perlite: Small granular light stone = 1:1:1, plus a little wood charcoal, plant ash, bone meal, and slow-release fertilizer. The surface mulch soil mixture is as follows, with particle size of 3-6mm —虹彩石:赤玉土:鹿藻土:Columnar peat soil = 1:1:1:1. This mulch soil mixture has both aesthetic and breathable qualities and is recommended to everyone.
No. 11 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
3mm Lan stone + peat 2:1 for any succulent plant.
No. 12 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Soil: breathable and water-retaining, finding a balance, not积水, breathable. The formula I usually use (Jinan) is peat, perlite, vermiculite, light stone 1:1:1:1, and the ratio is not strict. If these things are not available, you can use翠筠靓土 mixed with small granular Lan stone or植金石 or other granular materials. Liangtu is a composite medium, but it is too water-retaining for succulents, so add some granules to balance it. Be cautious when buying those two bags of nutrient soil, as the quality is not guaranteed.
No. 13 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
Coal slag is a commonly used ingredient, but almost all slag contains sulfur. Succulents are not allergic to sulfur, which has the effect of sterilizing and killing insects. From years of planting comparisons, plants grown with coal slag are more resistant and less likely to get root rot and root scale insects. The best coal slag is the one that has been thoroughly combusted, whether it contains uncombusted coal or not, and honeycomb coal slag is second. There is a lot of soil in honeycomb coal slag, which should be crushed and sifted before use. Soak the coal slag in water before use to remove dust and alkalinity. For more information on coal slag, see the advantages and disadvantages of using coal slag to grow succulents and the whole process of using coal slag to grow Lithops.
Using eggshells, with a proportion of 1/4, works very well. Eggshells are a good breathable and water-retaining planting material, useful for increasing soil aeration, and can also increase calcium content. Eggshells should be crushed to 2-3mm.
Generally, garden soil accounts for about 1/4, and sand accounts for about 1/3. But garden soil and sand have fine dust, as well as brick particles, vermiculite, perlite, Lan stone, and slag, all of which must be sifted to remove fine dust and washed repeatedly before use.
The components of the planting material do not necessarily have to follow the list provided by experts, and they do not have to be single. The more variety and complexity, the better. For example, brick particles, vermiculite, perlite, Lan stone, and slag, if you have them all, use them all, controlling the total amount to about 1/3. Also, materials like eggshells, clamshells, bone meal, old lime, carbonized rice husk, etc., all of which contain calcium, can be used in various ways, controlling the total amount to about 10-20%. Different planting materials have different physical functions and different nutrient contents, so using a variety is definitely better than a single component.
No matter which ingredient is used, it should be exposed to the sun for several days before use.
Add more non-soil fillers to the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer, arrange water-absorbent particles in several layers, with the largest at the bottom. After arranging the drainage materials, add coarse-grained materials first, then fine-grained materials, place the plant, and while adding soil, slightly lift the plant to make the roots spread out. Do not fill the soil too full at once, press the soil evenly around the pot edge, and finally tap the pot a few times to make the soil flat.
No. 14 enthusiast's succulent soil mixture:
The soil mixture ratio is: Peat soil 10%-20% + Sand 20% + Granules 60%-80%
The ratio does not need to be too strict, just increase the proportion of granules in the soil, but I don't recommend using granules entirely. I feel that having a little soil and some nutrients is better for the succulents, just a personal opinion.
About the problems that may occur with too large granules:
If the granular medium is too large, it does not retain water, and the fine peat settles at the bottom of the pot, causing the pot to become polarized, with the upper layer of granules not retaining water, the roots struggling to attach, and the watering frequency is low, leading to repeated root growth and inability to absorb nutrients, the plant continuously consumes nutrients, and the leaves wither one by one.
When the granules increase, the water loss is faster, the absorption capacity of the succulents decreases, and the plants will consume their own leaves to obtain nutrients. Therefore, the lowermost leaves will gradually dry up and fall off, and over time, the plant will grow into a small tree trunk, and because the lower leaves continue to fall off, the shape will gradually resemble a coconut tree, yes, that's how it is.
The solutions to this problem are two-fold: one is to adjust the medium, and the other is to water more.
The above[] introduces various succulent soil mixing formulas in detail, hoping everyone will like it!