Potting soil
Potting soil called a manufactured for hobby gardeners and plant lovers humus- rich substrate. This is to ensure the rapid and healthy growth of the plants used. Before trading submitted the corresponding finished products available, like molehills were used for this purpose because of the loose substrate.
Commercially available potting soil is made of peat, lime, fertilizers and additives culture substrate in the rule. The manufacturers are increasingly also compost, wood fiber, bark and because of the rising price pressure, recycled material from various sources. Potting soils, where the peat is wholly or partially replaced by other substances, according to advertised as " peat-free " or " torfreduziert ". This is against the background of the problematic from an environmental perspective peat .. However, it must be considered that the alternative aggregates are not sufficient in terms of quantity, to ensure a complete substitute for peat as a hobby. Especially since the qualities are not always in accordance with good and by the competition of renewable energies also many Torfersatzstoffe in energy recovery migrate ( combustion). Manufacturers offer of "Universal potting " a variety of specifically targeting to specific areas of application products and services. These differ in the type and amount of the aggregates and in the Düngerabmischung. Potting soils usually contain a balanced NPK fertilizer of primary care, which must be gradually replaced by fertilizer applications. It is also true in the potting soil that cost a little more the more significant items in the rule.
Potting soils, especially peat- based mixtures, sometimes not contain enough trace elements. By adding Urgesteinsmehl this deficiency can be compensated.
A common practice is to mix universal potting soil with up to about 50 percent sand, so as to obtain at favorable prices growing media for drought- loving plants ( cacti, succulents ) or generally to improve water drainage. For this method, sands are with little cohesive components.
A distinction of these potting soils are cultivation soils and rhododendron earth. The cultivation and sowing the earth are finely mixed and have a low dose of fertilizer supply, improved drainage and carefully selected raw materials, as seedlings and saplings are more sensitive than turn pot plants. Rhododendrons, azaleas and other peatland plants need acidic soil. Rhododendrenerde for this purpose is neutralized less - say, the pH is lower.
Soil for orchids is usually a mixture of bark, wood fibers and other plant fibers as well as a small part peat, with a high proportion of coarse material is included. Fine-grained components contain very little information, resulting in soil for orchids is fundamentally different from the other potting soils.
Potting soil is not usually sold by weight but by volume. This is to avoid that the provider extends the amount of product by a higher water content. The density of universal potting soil is 400 ... 500 kg/m3.
Pictures
Soil for orchids