What should be the earth for indoor flowers - acidic or alkaline

The land for indoor flowers is a necessary environment for their existence. But the soil contains different substances and has different properties, respectively, and is selected depending on the type of flowers. That is why it is necessary to know what quality soil a particular plant needs, how to maintain its nutritional value for several years. Understanding all the nuances, you can prepare the soil mixture with your own hands.

The better the soil prepared at home

Many people prefer to buy soil for indoor plants in stores. But you can also compose it yourself. In this case, the mixture will have the following advantages:

• the ability to comply with the exact recipe, adding exactly as many substances as required by a particular type of plant;
• adaptation of seedlings to a new composition is much faster;
• allows you to save money.

The recipe for the soil mixture at home

Despite the advantages, there are also disadvantages. There is a high probability of infection of an indoor flower with fungi or diseases. To avoid this, it is necessary to pre-treat the constituents of the soil.

How to properly prepare the soil mixture

An alternative to purchased soil mixture is DIY soil for indoor plants. Natural soil has excellent qualities for the development of indoor plants, but requires some preparation. It is necessary to understand the requirements for the care of your favorite flower, planting features and make a mixture with your own hands.

Main components

Soil for indoor flowers consists of three main components: earth, sand and peat. Each of the listed ingredients has a specific function:

• peat is responsible for the acidity level;
• sand loosens the soil, thereby reducing its density.

In addition, other components are introduced into the composition of the soil, the amount of which depends on which plant will be planted in it. For instance:

• vermiculite and agroperlite are responsible for aeration;
• dolomite flour will reduce acidity;
• saprogel and vermicompost enrich the soil mixture with microelements;
• bark loosens the soil and prevents it from overheating.

The components of the mixture must be mixed in the correct proportion.

How to disinfect soil for indoor plants

Ready mixes sold in stores are specially treated to avoid the occurrence of diseases or pests. If the land for home flowers was prepared with your own hands, then they carry out disinfection measures on their own.

Bacteria and fungus are destroyed with phytosporin. When exposed to it, pathogenic microflora is destroyed, and the soil is enriched with beneficial microorganisms that it contains.

Thermal soil treatment

The mixture can be disinfected by raising the temperature. To do this, you must either warm it up in the oven, or freeze it on the balcony in winter. The last method does not give a 100% guarantee. Weeds and larvae of harmful insects can remain in the soil. Heating in the oven is more reliable, but time consuming. The soil is spread on a baking sheet, sprayed with water and heated in the oven to 120 ° C.Hold for at least 1 hour. Throughout the entire time, the soil is constantly mixed. The disadvantage of this method is the fact that, together with the pests, a number of beneficial bacteria are destroyed - the soil mixture loses half of its properties.

The main types of soil

The soil for each houseplant must meet certain requirements. That is why experienced florists do not recommend using a universal type of soil. Some plants prefer loose soil, others thrive only in a nutrient medium. Based on this, it is necessary to figure out what types of earthen mixture are.

Light, medium and heavy earth mixes

According to its composition, the substrate is divided into several types:

• lungs;
• medium;
• heavy.

The light mixture contains 40% peat, 15% garden land, 5% leaf or sod land, 40% sand. In addition, it is necessary to add additional components: agroperlite, vermiculite, charcoal, fine expanded clay. The light mixture is ideal for the following houseplants:

• desert cacti;
• succulents with thickened leaves.

For rooting cuttings with a weak root system in a pot, light mixtures are also used, but during growth it is necessary to periodically additionally fertilize.

For a medium mixture, the following components are required:

• peat - 30%;
• garden land - 25%;
• leaf or sod land - 15%;
• humus - 5%;
• sand - 25%;
• vermiculite and charcoal as additional components.

Medium soil mixtures are classified as universal. Suitable for palm, some types of succulents, ornamental deciduous types of indoor plants.

To obtain heavy soil mixtures, you need to take 35% of the peat, 25% of soda earth, 20% of leafy or sod land, 10% of sand, 10% of humus. From additional components add wood bark, pine needles, sphagnum, charcoal. Heavy soil mixtures are prepared for the following types of domestic plants:

• tropical palm;
• lianas;
• ferns;
• azaleas;
• begonias;
• fuchsia;
• tropical cacti.

Also, large plants with a well-developed root system are planted in heavy soil.

Most of the ingredients in mixtures can also be prepared by yourself.

Humus earth

Compost or humus soil is obtained from animal manure. Horses and cows usually provide good material. It is placed in a compost pit or simply on a heap, well covered with a darkened oilcloth and kept in this state for 2 years. Then the resulting raw material is sieved.

Sod land

To get sod land, you need to spend 2 years. In the spring and summer, meadow or field sod is cut. Then, in a certain place, they are stacked in stacks in layers with manure. After a certain time, the earth is sieved and placed in dense bags. If there is no sod land, then when collecting the soil mixture, it can be replaced with a mole or vegetable garden enriched with fertilizers.

Coniferous land

Coniferous soil can be collected in a pine or fir forest. Bottom layers are suitable. At home, coniferous soil is prepared in this way:

• collect fallen coniferous needles;
• lay them in a compost pit in layers with peat and sand (layers 15-20 cm thick);
• withstand about 2 years.

Coniferous land

Leaf land

For leafy land, you need to collect fallen leaves of different tree species. Especially appreciated from apple, ash, linden. It is not recommended to take leaves of oak, willow, poplar, chestnut. The collected leaves are poured into compost pits, sprinkled with slaked lime.

Sand

Sand is mainly used as drainage material.With its help, oxygen is provided to the root system of the plant. It is an indispensable element of any type of soil mixture. For domestic plants, it is recommended to take river-type sand, but pre-washed well.

Peat

Peat is usually purchased from flower shops. It is prepared and packaged in production. No additional activities are required with him. Peat, imported to summer cottages as fertilizers, as a component of soil mixture for planting indoor flowers is not suitable. It must be kept for some time. Only after it turns into a homogeneous and free-flowing substance, it is used for substrates.

Peat for green spaces is used well weathered and decomposed

Soil acidity

The suitability of the substrate for indoor plants is characterized by such an indicator as acidity. The essence of this parameter is as follows - displaying the content of hydrogen ions (pH). For neutral or alkaline soil, the pH corresponds to 7. Readings below mean acidification of the soil, and an increase in pH - an increase in alkalinity.

Florists should know which indoor flowers love acidic soil. The list is provided below:

• azalea;
• ferns;
• hydrangea;
• camellia;
• monstera;
• anthurium.

Measurement of soil acidity

In addition, you should know which trees and bushes like acidic soil. These include viburnum, blueberry, rhododendron, raspberry, buckthorn, Japanese quince.

Slightly acidified, almost neutral prefer:

• asparagus;
• amaryllis;
• begonia;
• pelargonium;
• tradescantia and many others.

Plants - lovers of alkaline soils:

• rose flower;
• chrysanthemum;
• cineraria.

How to make acidic soil at home

There are several ways to increase the acidity of the soil at home. The choice depends on the texture of the soil. Light and loose mixtures can be acidified by introducing a significant part of organic matter. For example, compost, sphagnum moss or common mullein. The disadvantage of this method is the presence of a huge amount of organic matter to obtain significant changes in pH.

For heavy and dense soils, other methods must be used, since organic matter will further increase the alkali content. In this case, it is necessary to acidify the soil in any of the following ways:

• adding sulfur;
• the introduction of ferrous sulfate;
• use of urea or other products containing ammonia.

Having picked up all the components for preparing the substrate at home, you can get the optimal soil for indoor plants. They, in turn, will thank you with good foliage development and abundant flowering.