To grow indoor plants, flower growers often buy ready-made mixtures. For planting flowers other than ordinary earth and soil with the addition of peat, you can use a coconut substrate. What is its peculiarity, and for which plants it can be used, we will tell in this article.
Coconut substrate for flowers
Coconut substrate is a mixture of fibers and dust obtained after processing peel of nuts. Due to the fact that this is a completely natural product, it is perfectly suitable for growing various plants in it. The substrate is sold in crumbly condition and pressed (in the form of disks, bricks or briquettes).
Why on the coconut substrate grow plants so well? This is due to its physical properties and chemical composition.
Features of coconut substrate as soil
The distinctive features of coconut substrate include:
- Increased lignin content contributes to the fact that the substrate is slow enough to decompose , it is good to multiply useful bacteria that contribute to the development of the root system.
- It contains a little chlorine, soda and nitrogen, while calcium, phosphorus and potassium are abundant.
- Its acidity (pH 5.8 - 6.0) is optimal for growing plants. They do not have chlorosis, and there is no problem with digesting iron.
- Such a substrate perfectly retains water (almost 8 times its mass). The moisture on it is distributed evenly, which provides access to it of all roots. At the same time, the top layer always remains drier, which does not allow developing fungal diseases on the plant. The porous structure not only provides water retention, but also air access, so it will not be necessary to do drainage in the pot.
- Its structure does not change with mixing, that is, it does not settle like peat.
Coconut substrate is used in pure form or adding 30-50% to the ground. It can grow plants for 7-8 years without regeneration. There are no specific recommendations for disposal of used material.
How to use coconut substrate?
Coconut substrate can be used to grow cucumber seedlings or tomatoes , as well as most indoor flowers (dracaena, roses , hibiscus, hoyi, adenium, violets). But not every florist knows how to properly prepare a coconut substrate for planting plants in it.
First it must be soaked. To do this, put a compacted briquette in a bucket, and then pour hot or warm water.
After you plant the plant in a coconut substrate, it must be fertilized. To use at this moment it is necessary nitrogen-containing preparations (ammonium or calcium nitrate) or complex fertilizers, but only with a small content of potassium. In the future, make fertilizing should be in accordance with the needs of the plant itself.
Due to the fact that the root system of plants develops well in the coconut substrate, more people use it when transplanting or multiplying their home colors. Also, it gets spread in the cultivation of vegetable and berry crops, because on the coconut notes earlier and higher yields, which can not but rejoice.