How to keep a house plant alive

Step 4 The kind of soil

Soil from out in the natural environment will not be a good potting soil. The moment the soil is ripped out of the landscape, the natural soil profile is destroyed, and water will not flow through it as it did out in the natural environment. Soil from outside will often compact too much when used as a potting soil, and it will hold water to tightly, leading to overwatering, among other things.

Potting soil found in bags at the store will suffice for most plants.

You can make your own soil-less potting soil as well. Sphagnum peat moss, coconut coir, perlite, vermiculite, and concrete-grade sand, and bits of pine bark are all good to use as ingredients a potting mix. If you want to make some of your own, you are going to want to buy the ingredients in bulk, as it is a lot cheaper than way.

A few recipes include:
1 part Sphagnum peat moss, 1 part vermiculite
1 part coconut coir, 1 part sphagnum peat moss, 1/2 part perlite, and 1/2 part vermiculite
3 parts pine bark, 1 part sand, and 1 part sphagnum peat moss
One that includes soil as well is 1 part soil, 1 part sand, and one part sphagnum peat moss.

Each one of these formulations provide different growing conditions for your plant.

Dry sphagnum peat moss is notoriously difficult to get wet. To combat this problem, just put the sphagnum peat moss, or sphagnum peat moss containing mix in a water-proof container with some water. Shake the container around a while. Warm water will speed up the process.

You can also microwave the container as long as the container is glass, or recyclable number 5. The steam will quickly infiltrate the moss. Just remember to let the mix cool before you put a plant in it.

The soil provides the plant with support, while giving it access to adequate amounts of air, water, and nutrients.

Aeroponics, and hydroponics take advantage of this, and supply the plants with the necessary support, air, water, and nutrients without using any soil, or soil-less medium at all. It is quite interesting....

Comments

[pr1mus285]

More soil stuff... You could use the soil from around your house... but the second you removed it from the ground it would become dirt (soil where it is not supposed to be :-P ). If you choose to use such dirt, be sure to mix with sand (and silt if that is available). The sand will allow for the water to be held less tightly (the clay actually holds the water the most tightly, but then again, it has all of the inorganic CEC) You also want to add some sort of organic matter - Compost or peat would do. This will increase water retention, biological diversity and CEC. There are some interesting experiments with using charcoal too... but, yes soil from your back yard would likely yield unsatisfactory results. So modify the soil to your needs - and learn something in the process -I like Soil Science - you get to poke soil for lab practicals