One of the most complex plants in today's care has become something of a fashionable trend amongst flower growers. Many people admire the beauty of this flower, but because of the difficulty in nursing, they deny themselves the pleasure to grow it on the window. One of the main points is the competent choice of substrate for the phalaenopsis orchid species. If you plan to acquire this plant, then the question of what substrate is needed for orchids is very relevant for you.
Substrate for the phalaenopsis orchid
Today in the store of plants you will be offered both a natural and an artificial variant. The composition of the artificial substrate for orchids includes mineral fibers or synthetic fillers: expanded clay, minivat and even expanded polystyrene. But this option is chosen very rarely, giving preference to natural components.
The composition of natural or natural substrate for orchids usually includes plant components. But these materials must decay very slowly, otherwise active release of salts begins, which will ruin the plant's condition. As a rule, it is crushed bark, sphagnum moss, coal and peat are added as antiseptics. As can be seen from the composition, it is not a problem to make a substrate for orchids by oneself, if possible to get all these components.
How to make a substrate for orchids?
The most venturesome florists, even the substrate for orchids, try to prepare themselves and experiment with ingredients.
Ideally, the substrate of such a substrate consists of pine bark. If you have a nearby park or pine forest, there are always trees with falling pieces of bark. So for the particularly scrupulous in terms of ecology, the good news is: you will not do anything harmful to the tree. You do not have parks in the city, look for sawmills or furniture shops, where almost certainly there is an opportunity to get this valuable base. It is best to take the top pieces of bark, without dark areas and resin, always clean.
The next stage of preparation of a substrate for orchids by oneself consists in its disinfection, namely boiling. About fifteen minutes is enough.
Next, take the dried pieces of bark and mix them with moss sphagnum and charcoal. If you have about nine liters of bark, there is enough half a kilogram of moss and thirty tablets of activated carbon. We chop the moss, coal with jerks and mix it all.