The key to successful orchid cultivation at home is the right soil. An orchid will not be able to fully develop in ordinary soil; it needs a special multicomponent, loose soil, which can be purchased in a store or made independently. We suggest considering options for self-compilation of the nutritional composition, as well as to study the main criteria for choosing production soil.

Did you know? The symmetry of the orchid flower is similar to the symmetry of the human face oval.

Basic Orchid Care

Orchids are quite demanding in care. Growing them at home, you need to follow a number of rules:

• planting is carried out only in transparent containers with a large number of drainage holes, which can be done not only at the bottom, but also on the side walls;
• watering is carried out once a week - the pot with orchid is placed in a bowl of water for 20 minutes, then returned to its original place;
• spraying is completely excluded, since water entering the outlet threatens the plant with death - rubbing the leaves with a wet swab is allowed;
• the room in which the orchid is located should be well ventilated, and at the same time, be protected from drafts;
• transplantation is carried out as necessary, when the roots fill the entire pot and begin to make their way through the drainage holes, about once every 2-3 years.

Suitable composition and soil requirements

Before transplanting, you need to figure out what the soil should be. What the soil will consist of depends on the nature of the plants. Most orchids are epiphytes. Their roots are involved in the process of photosynthesis and accumulate moisture, then giving it to the ground part. In the wild, they settle in crevices of the bark of large trees, but they don’t receive food from the donor. Such orchids will suit the soil, consisting of oak bark or conifer. A less common type of earthen orchid, prefers light peat soils covered with mosses. For earthy varieties, bark mixed with nutritional supplements and light soil is suitable.Basic soil composition requirements for orchid transplantation:

• high hygroscopicity;
• ease;
• ability to dry in 72 hours after moisturizing;
• high nutritional value;
• the ability to maintain plants upright;
• maximum proximity of the nutritional composition to the natural;
• neutral acidity is in the range of 5–7 pH.

Did you know? The reproductive organs of orchids are similar in color and color to those of pollinating insects. While the bee determines that it is not her relative, the pollen will have time to stick to her body and, together with the insect, will be transferred to another flower.

Applicable substrate components

The composition of the soil for orchids may include the following components:

• vermiculite - it is used as a baking powder for different types of soil, it maintains its structure, preventing the formation of lumps, the material is able to absorb moisture, several times greater than its own moisture, reduces the intensity of salinization and acidity;
• expanded clay - used as drainage, has a high ability to absorb water, the main disadvantage is the ability to accumulate salts contained in liquids;
• Styrofoam - a component of drainage and stability; it allows air to pass through;
• peat - the component has a high moisture capacity, the ability to retain nutrients and not lose its light structure even when wet, the main disadvantage is the increased acidity, which must be constantly adjusted;
• fern rhizomes - have the same properties as wood bark, until recently, the component was the main component of the soil mixture for orchids, but today its deficit forces the use of bark;
• charcoal - its amount should not exceed 5% of the total composition, acts as an antiseptic, preventing the development of rot and a baking powder;
• coconut substrate - a component that does not gather in lumps, perfectly regulates humidity by absorbing water;
• Pine cones - only woody parts of cones are used, close to the cortex in properties, inconvenient in operation;
• coniferous and oak tree bark - helps to evenly distribute moisture, requires preliminary heat treatment to eliminate resins and tannins;
• moss sphagnum - the main element in the preparation of soil mixtures, is highly hygroscopic, contains a large number of micronutrients, and its poor microflora prevents the growth of bacteria;
• natural cork fibers - practically not used due to scarcity;
• Activated carbon - It is often used as an antiseptic for dusting wound surfaces of a plant organism, and is especially relevant for plant transplants.

Important! You can restore the neutral pH of any soil with dolomite flour in just 10 days. It is added at 10–20 g per 1 kg of soil mixture, mixed thoroughly and kept for 10 days in a well-ventilated area.

How to choose the finished soil?

The most high-quality store mixes are:

1. "Flower happiness" by Fasco.
2. "Pokon."
3. "Florin" for an orchid.
4. "JVI."
5. "Effect".

In addition to the above, on the market you can find a huge number of different brands of imported and domestic manufacturers. Choosing the soil for epiphytes, you need to pay attention to the composition.It must include:

• tree bark of different fractions;
• perlite;
• antiseptic;
• micro and macro elements.

• Advantages of purchased soil for orchids:
• reduction of time for transplantation;
• lack of need for soil disinfection.

• Disadvantages of the purchased substrate:
• quality in reality does not always correspond to the declared;
• often instead of large bark fractions, a large amount of wood dust is present in the composition;
• high price.

With self-mixing of the components, the grower gets the opportunity to choose the necessary components in the right amount and reduce the cost of soil.

How to make the soil with your own hands at home

It is very easy to mix the soil for orchids on your own. The main thing is to observe the proportions and processing rules of some components.

Components and Proportions

To produce a substrate that is enough for 2 pots 10 cm high with a diameter of 11 cm, the following components will be required:

• pine bark - 1 kg;
• sphagnum moss can be fresh or dry - 1 l;
• basal fertilizer for orchids - 10–20 g;
• succinic acid - 2 g;
• charcoal - 200 g (can be replaced with 10 tablets of activated carbon).

Important! Bark should be taken only from healthy trees. It is unacceptable to take material from dried conifers in which the fungus progresses and pests parasitize.

Step-by-step instruction

Having collected all the necessary ingredients, we proceed to their processing and mixing:

1. Cut the bark and charcoal into small fractions of 3 × 4 cm and 2 × 3 cm.
2. Pour the prepared bark with charcoal with boiling water, cover with a lid and leave to cool completely.
3. Add fertilizer, succinic acid to the cooled mixture and mix thoroughly.

The soil mixture is ready for use. Sphagnum moss is added during planting.

Video: DIY orchid substrate

Preparation for use and soil laying technology

The soil for orchids should be used immediately after cooling, so that the bark is not much saturated with water. Soil and moss is laid in a pot in layers. You can remove the bark from the water and mix it with moss.

Observing all the instructions and proportions, the soil for planting an orchid is quite easy to do on your own. In this substrate, the plants take root even better than in the purchased one.