Self-made concrete plant material

Nowadays, there are a lot of orchid plants. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, there are traditional orchid mud for sale. At the Qingshiqiao Flower Market in Chengdu, there are "Laka grains" that are produced with patented technology introduced from Switzerland. Immortal soil in Mount Emei in Sichuan, Tangji orchid stone and pine and cypress orchid stone in Taiwan, and imported snake wood can be bought in large and small flower markets everywhere. Interested orchid lovers do not want to buy some to try, it is said that the effect of raising orchids is very good. For those salaried orchid friends who have no purchase conditions ("Laka granules" are only available in Chengdu, Deyang and other specialty stores), it is better to prepare their own orchid plant materials. Buying land has the advantage of buying land, self-control has the pleasure of self-control, and raising orchids is to draw the word "happy".

Three principles should be followed in the preparation of orchid plant materials, that is, convenient material acquisition, simple production and low price. According to the orchid cultivation practice of myself and others, the author finally successfully made the concrete plant material after several repeated experiments.

Mix old or other soil (saline-alkali soil cannot be used), sawdust or broken dead leaves, finely crushed lai seed cake or bean cake, sesame oil dregs (available in farmers' markets and small grain stores, and inexpensive), and mix them in a volume ratio of 10 ∶ (7 ∶) ∶ (3%). Then put the mixture into a tank or plastic bucket, stir with a stick while adding water, and at the same time drop a little household seasoning vinegar until it is muddy, then place it in a corner and let it ferment naturally. A few months later, take out the mixture from the tank or bucket and expose it to the sun. After drying, smash and sieve, the granular soil is placed in the bag according to size, and the fine soil is left for the next batch to be retted again. At this point, the concrete has been prepared.

The raw material of concrete is convenient, the production process is simple, and the price is not expensive. Calculate the cost carefully (excluding labor costs) Sanhe soil orchid plant is about one or two cents per kilogram. This is something that everyone can afford. The only drawback is that it takes too long to prepare. Objectively speaking, if there is storage space, it is good to prepare for a long time. If it can be exposed to the sun in summer and frozen in winter, the soil quality of the plant material will be better improved. It must be better to use such plant material to raise orchids. Most of the soil used by the famous orchid farmers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas was accumulated for a year or two before it was used.

The preparation process of mixed soil plant material is summarized: mixed → retting to produce → exposure → sieving. The made Sanhe soil is fertile, loose, slightly acidic and has good drainage and air permeability. It feels very light when held in hand. Put people in the water, first float on the surface of the water, after absorbing enough water, sink people to the bottom. It is still full-grained at the bottom in January and February. From the practice of orchid cultivation for many years, Sanhe soil should be regarded as a kind of economical and practical orchid planting material. (Jiangsu-Tong Ligen)