{"id":521,"date":"2019-04-24T18:44:32","date_gmt":"2019-04-24T18:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/?p=521"},"modified":"2019-04-24T18:44:32","modified_gmt":"2019-04-24T18:44:32","slug":"orchid-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/orchid-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"Orchid Soil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2><strong>Orchid Soil: Best Potting Soil For Orchids<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If we go to a garden center to\u00a0<strong>buy orchid substrate<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0<strong>orchid<\/strong>\u00a0soil, the only available one may be the typical pine bark, in the best case with some mixture with coconut bark or similar.\u00a0<br> Although it is a\u00a0<strong>suitable<\/strong>\u00a0substrate\u00a0<strong>for all types of epiphytic orchids,<\/strong>\u00a0the composition is so simple (a single component) that it remains a bit poor to ensure perfect growth of an orchid.\u00a0<br> And &#8230; I mean epiphytic orchids, I&#8217;m not mentioning that\u00a0<strong>terrestrial or semi-terrestrial orchids<\/strong>\u00a0will have completely different needs and they will need a suitable substrate for their way of life.<br> Obviously, if we do not know what kind of orchid we have the first thing we should do is find out, for that you have the section:\u00a0<strong>types of orchids<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0<br> Once we are clear about the type of orchid, it is time to know which substrate is best for your growth, before proceeding with your\u00a0transplant\u00a0.\u00a0<br> I&#8217;ll show you the\u00a0<strong>different types of orchid substrates<\/strong>\u00a0you can use, and some personalized recipes that will make your orchids grow and flourish in a more exuberant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tabler Of Contents <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>1&nbsp;Choose the right orchid substrate<\/li><li>2&nbsp;Components for making a home substrate for orchids<ul><li>2.1&nbsp;Pine bark<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.orquideass.com\/cuidado-de-las-orquideas\/sustrato-para-orquideas\/#Corcho\">2<\/a>.2&nbsp;Cork<\/li><li>2.3&nbsp;White peat<\/li><li>2.4&nbsp;Charcoal<\/li><li>2.5&nbsp;Meranti<\/li><li>2.6&nbsp;Glume of rice<\/li><li>2.7&nbsp;Beech and fir leaves<\/li><li>2.8&nbsp;Vermiculita<\/li><li>2.9&nbsp;Seramis<\/li><li>2.10&nbsp;Agriperl<\/li><li>2.11&nbsp;Polystyrene<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>3&nbsp;Substrate recipes for different types of orchids<ul><li>3.1&nbsp;Substrate for epiphytic orchids<\/li><li>3.2&nbsp;Substrate for terrestrial and semi-terrestrial orchids<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Choose the right orchid substrate<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most orchids grow epiphytes,\ndo not really need a substrate for their growth, although we put them in a\npot.&nbsp;<br>\nOther orchids, on the other hand, if they need a more consistent\nsubstrate.&nbsp;<br>\nWhat we can be sure of, is that&nbsp;<strong>we can not use a normal\ngarden substrate for orchids.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>\nIts roots need the air to circulate easily, so they can dry\nquickly.&nbsp;We must remember that&nbsp;<strong>the thicker the substrate, the\ncloser we come to reproducing the natural habitat of orchids.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>\nOn sale there are specific preparations for orchids, which are\nmostly organic and provide a spongy substrate, light and at the same time\ncapable of retaining water and nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Components to make a home substrate for orchids<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to create your own substrate formulation, the one that is going to provide you with&nbsp;<strong>the most beautiful and&nbsp;flowering&nbsp;orchids,<\/strong>&nbsp;I can give you some guidelines, with materials that have proven to work very well in the cultivation of orchids.&nbsp;<br> There are some plant materials that have been used as a substrate for orchids, such as&nbsp;<strong>the roots of fern and moss (sphagnum)<\/strong>&nbsp;, which currently can no longer be used for environmental protection.&nbsp;<br> However, others are easy to find and are fully current as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pine bark<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally you&nbsp;<strong>have to\nuse Mediterranean pine bark<\/strong>&nbsp;, which has less resin than others.&nbsp;<br>\nIt is a suitable material as a basis for a good substrate of\norchids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mixture of pine bark and white\npeat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cork<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is an alternative to pine\nbark, as a base material.&nbsp;As a drawback, its durability is much lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>White peat<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a substrate for\norchids,&nbsp;<strong>the mission of the white peat is to store water.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>\nIt must contain little salt, and have a strong structure.&nbsp;<strong>In\nno case should be used fine peat or peat substrate<\/strong>&nbsp;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Charcoal<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mission of charcoal is\nto&nbsp;<strong>increase the pH of the mixture.&nbsp;<\/strong>Some varieties of orchids\nneed it.&nbsp;<br>\nAs it is not easy to find charcoal for sale as a substrate, we can\nuse&nbsp;<strong>barbecue charcoal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Meranti<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Meranti are&nbsp;<strong>splinters\nof a type of tree from eastern Asia<\/strong>&nbsp;.&nbsp;This material favors the\ngrowth of the roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Glume of rice<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The glume of rice&nbsp;<strong>is a\nproduct that retains water for a long time<\/strong>&nbsp;, it would be a perfect\nsubstitute for white peat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beech and fir leaves<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>They contain many\nnutritious substances, which favor the growth of orchids<\/strong>&nbsp;.&nbsp;The advantage of this substrate is that\nit is relatively easy to get, we just have to pick up the leaves from the\nground.&nbsp;<br>\nThey should be collected in the fall and be completely\ndry.&nbsp;The risk with this substrate, is the appearance of pathogenic germs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Vermiculita<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vermiculite&nbsp;<strong>is a\ntreated stone that is used in gardening,<\/strong>&nbsp;and whose mission is to\nretain nutritive salts.&nbsp;<br>\nIt should be used sparingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Seramis<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The seramis is very easy to\nfind.&nbsp;<strong>It is clay in granules<\/strong>&nbsp;, and its mission is to improve\nthe ventilation of the substrate.&nbsp;<br>\nIt has very low salt content, and provides a strong structure to\nthe whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The soil intended for your terrestrial orchids should be rich, but with good drainage.&nbsp;Remember to plant them with enough space between them, away from the roots of other plants and away from toxins-releasing plants like bamboo and eucalyptus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In pots specially designed for epiphytic orchids or preferably choose as a base the coconut fiber for its greater durability, resistance to bacteria and fungi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Agriperl<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a treated stone that\nstores water and nutrients.&nbsp;The disadvantage is that it loses its\nstructure over time, and it needs to be replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Polystyrene<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Polystyrene is a completely\nsynthetic material, with a&nbsp;<strong>very strong structure used to fluff the\nsubstrate.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>\nIt is not widely used, because it does not deteriorate after use\nand does not become compost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Substrate recipes for different types of orchids<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The orchids do not support a\nwaterlogging of their roots, it is totally contrary to their way of life in\nnature, where they absorb the water they need from the humidity, and the rains\nthat may occur.&nbsp;<br>\nHowever,&nbsp;<strong>as we deal with epiphytic or terrestrial orchids,\nit is convenient that the substrate has a different formulation.&nbsp;<\/strong>For\nexample:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Substrate for epiphytic orchids<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This type of substrate is especially\nsuitable for orchids such as Phalaenopsis or Cattleya.&nbsp;<br>\nA good substrate, balanced and that will improve its growth may\ncontain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>3\n     parts of pine bark<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>3\n     cork parts<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>1\n     part of white peat<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>1\n     part of seramis<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>2\n     grs.&nbsp;of acid lime per liter of substrate<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Substrate for terrestrial and semi-terrestrial orchids<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This recipe is indicated for\nterrestrial orchids, such as Paphiodelium:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>5\n     parts of pine bark<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>1\n     part charcoal<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>1\n     part of white peat<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>1\n     part vermiculite<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>2\n     grs.&nbsp;of acid lime per liter of substrate<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The recipes that I am offering\nyou,&nbsp;<strong>are a starting point for you to create your own orchid\nsubstrate.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>\nYou can use all the ingredients or only some,\nwith the precaution that&nbsp;<strong>the epiphytic orchids need a very light\nsubstrate<\/strong>&nbsp;and that retains very little water, while the terrestrial\nand semi-terrestrial orchids, need a substrate that &#8220;yes&#8221; retains\npart of the irrigation water .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><strong>Compost Orchid Soil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Normal compost is not porous\nenough for Orchids.&nbsp;You can buy special compost in any store, but the\neasiest thing is that you do it yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are so many compost formulas for Orchids, as&nbsp;books&nbsp;on the subject, but there is no secret.&nbsp;Among several, there are two &#8220;recipes&#8221; very simple but very efficient and appropriate for both epiphytic and terrestrial orchids.&nbsp;The secret is to achieve a compost that absorbs a lot of water, but that quickly gets rid of the excess.&nbsp;The most important thing is to allow air to circulate freely through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, the fiber of Osmunda L., usually imported from&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;or the tree fern: Cibotium spp .;&nbsp;an extremely porous material, which has been the &#8220;magical&#8221; ingredient of compost for Orchids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is about the dried roots more or less crushed of these ferns.&nbsp;Quite expensive, scarce and also, in danger of extinction.&nbsp;Fortunately, there are other&nbsp;materials&nbsp;that replace them and are easily obtained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pine bark, for example, is\nvery good at keeping the growth medium well aerated.&nbsp;It is combined with\nsphagnum moss and peat, both materials that retain moisture.&nbsp;The more peat\nthe mixture has, the more moisture it will retain;&nbsp;So if you tend to water\nin excess, rather than keep the plant dry, it is best not to be too generous\nwhen it comes to incorporating peat into the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/fl03-1.jpg\" alt=\"orchid soil\" class=\"wp-image-551\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also add some pieces\nof coal, which will help to counteract the natural acidity of the peat and keep\nthe mixture &#8220;sweet&#8221; (green algae on the surface of the compost will\nindicate that it is acidic) and white cemetery stones for good drainage .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no need to add any fertilizer, since Orchids do not support a very rich growth medium.&nbsp;In&nbsp;exchange&nbsp;, it&nbsp;is advisable to&nbsp;apply a foliar fertilizer during the growing season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COMPOST 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>One measure: crushed pine bark<\/li><li>One measure: peat<\/li><li>One measure: vermiculite<\/li><li>One measure: sphagnum moss<\/li><li>Stone ground or white pebbles\nfor cemetery<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>COMPOST 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>One measure: crushed crust<\/li><li>One measure: peat<\/li><li>Carbon bits<\/li><li>Stone ground or white pebbles\nfor cemetery<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orchid Soil: Best Potting Soil For Orchids If we go to a garden center to\u00a0buy orchid substrate\u00a0or\u00a0orchid\u00a0soil, the only available one may be the typical pine bark, in the best<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Orchid Soil - My Garden Guide<\/title>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/orchid-soil\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orchid Soil - My Garden Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Orchid Soil: Best Potting Soil For Orchids If we go to a garden center to\u00a0buy orchid substrate\u00a0or\u00a0orchid\u00a0soil, the only available one may be the typical pine bark, in the best\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/orchid-soil\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" 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Soil\"}}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ebb148e2fe44ee194fcdf67809f731c8\",\"name\":\"Don Burke\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mygardenguide.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/234034b128a4aaaba0ab0f466899423a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/234034b128a4aaaba0ab0f466899423a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Don Burke\"},\"description\":\"I am Don Burke, one of the authors at My Garden Guide.\\u00a0 I am a horticulturist that cultivates, grows, and cares for plants, ranging from shrubs and fruits to flowers. I do it in my own garden and in my nursery. I show you how to take care of your garden and how to perform garden landscaping in an easy way, step by step.I am originally from Sydney and I wrote in local magazines. Later on, I have decided, more than two decades ago, to create my own blog. My area of specialization is related to orchid care, succulent care, and the study of the substrate and the soil. Therefore, you will see many articles dedicated to these disciplines. 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