Soil for dracaena - what is needed and how to choose
Content:
The composition of the indoor plant substrate plays a decisive role in its development. Most often, the soil for dracaena is purchased in the garden center, but the correct substrate can be prepared at home from improvised means.
What soil does Dracaena prefer?
Under natural conditions, it grows in Africa and Southeast Asia, where humus-rich, breathable soils prevail. A land similar in composition is made up for dracaena at home.
Substrate for stimulating flower growth
Essential ingredients and minerals
A balanced soil for dracaena should contain all the necessary trace elements for plant development. The mineral base (clay, peat, sand) includes: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, iron, magnesium, iodine and other substances. The soil is rich in nitrogen, in which there is a large amount of organic matter (animal excrement, decomposed vegetation).
What are all soil elements for?
Each element is involved in the life of a plant to perform a specific function. With a shortage of one substance, the entire nutritional system of the flower collapses. The main elements in the life of this species:
- nitrogen (responsible for growth, especially of the vegetative part);
- potassium (needed for the process of protein synthesis that takes place in plant cells);
- phosphorus (participates in metabolism, facilitates the assimilation of basic nutrients);
- calcium (stabilizer of plant cells).
Additional trace elements are mandatory components of dracaena soil:
- magnesium, copper and manganese are involved in photosynthesis;
- iron is responsible for breathing;
- boron stimulates the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates, amino acids;
- sulfur is involved in protein metabolism.
As a rule, fertile soil contains all of these elements in sufficient quantities. The exception is poor sands and heavy clay. The soil that meets the requirements of dracaena contains at least 70% of fertile soil.
How to choose a land for dracaena
Suitable soil for dracaena is based on loam, mixed with sand and humus, sometimes peat. The garden shop sells ready-made potting mixes that are suitable for dracaena, palm trees and ficus.
What soils exist
In addition to a specialized plant substrate, you can purchase a universal flower soil. Its composition meets the needs of dracaena as much as possible. What kind of primer is needed for dracaena? Florists note the good quality of substrates from Terra Vita, Flora, Fasco, Greenworld.
They are based on vermicompost humus. Additionally, peat and perlite are used. Such soils are already enriched with fertilizers and do not require additional additives. It is also not required to disinfect them.
Preparation of soil constituents for dracaena
If you compose a substrate for a flower with your own hands, you must collect all the components separately and mix before planting. It will be easy for rural residents to find the right ingredients.It is not allowed to use soil with an admixture of more than 30% clay for room dracaena.
In which land to plant dracaena (several options):
- mix in equal amounts: leaf humus, coarse sand, forest land (from under oak or linden);
- for 1 part of rotted manure or compost, take 1 part of peat, 0.5 part of sand, 1 part of garden land, 0.5 part of chopped deciduous tree bark (oak, ash, elm);
- 1 part of sand and humus, 3 parts of forest land, 1 glass of crushed charcoal per 5 liters of the mixture;
- 1 part peat, 2 parts humus (biohumus), 1 part perlite or vermiculite, 0.5 part coconut fiber.
Plant substrate components
When the soil base is ready, mineral fertilizers are added to it. They use granular fertilizers with a full range of microelements (Bona forte, Fasco, OMU). Being in moist soil, the granules gradually dissolve, nourishing the roots of the dracaena.
Proper sterilization of the earth
When collecting the soil mixture, there is an acute issue of ridding the substrate of pathogens, eggs of harmful insects, weed seeds. At the stage of mixing the constituent products, before the addition of fertilizers, the soil is disinfected. There are several sterilization options.
Steaming
The prepared soil is poured into a sieve lined with a cloth and placed in a pot of boiling water. Hot steam passes through the earth mass, destroying the infection. Soil processing time is 30-40 minutes. In the process, it must be stirred for uniform heating.
Roasting
The substrate is poured onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven. At a temperature of 160-180 ℃, sterilization lasts 20 minutes.
Spillage with fungicide
Florists use potassium permanganate, Fitosporin, Maxim against pathogens. The soil is abundantly moistened with an aqueous solution of these substances.
Steaming soil to kill pests
Major mistakes in soil preparation
A flower grower who prepares soil for dracaena with his own hands must pay close attention to the quality of each product introduced into the mixture. Forest land can be taken in the near-trunk zone of oak, elm, birch, alder. It is enough to scrape off the fallen leaves and collect the top 5-7 cm of loose soil. Do not collect soil from areas located near roads, landfills. Humus from manure and plant residues should be 3-4 years old.
Peat is suitable for medium acidity, well rotted. Outwardly, it looks like a crumbly brown-black dry mass. Red peat containing undecomposed pieces is not suitable. The sand is coarse, not industrial, without clay. Instead, you can purchase vermiculite at the store. When adding charcoal, make sure that no polyethylene combustion product gets into the pot.
Correct soil consistency
What to do with the old land?
A flower transplant with a complete soil replacement is carried out annually, while it is actively growing. An adult tree is transferred into a new pot every 3 years, adding fresh soil. The land in which dracaena grew has a low content of organic matter and other chemicals and can carry infection. It should be placed in a compost heap or, after careful sterilization, reused.
Adding soil when replanting
For reuse, the old soil is added as a loosening agent to the new substrate. The proportion of old soil should not exceed 30% of the total mass of the substrate.
When starting to transplant a flower, you need to know exactly what kind of land is needed for dracaena.After all, this is the key to the long life of the plant and its attractive appearance.
