Make your own potting mix for garden
Greetings to All
Hello friends,
Today I am writing about making own potting mix.
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Every plant needs soil to grow properly and naturally. The roots of the tree are underground. It is through this root that the tree grows properly. So the growth of plants is completely dependent on the soil. For those of us who live in the city and want to start a rooftop garden, we want a lightweight, nutrient-dense, well-draining soil. It is not correct to just bring soil from outside and plant a tree in it and the tree will grow.
A potting mix is a media for plant growth that can provide plant nutrients and prevent various diseases and weeds. Let's discuss what this potting mix is, why it is needed, how to make it at home.
Potting mix is a very important growing medium for potted plants in the roof garden or backyard. James Cudley and his team at Cornell University in 1960 developed a mix called Cornell Mix, which is very popular as a potting mix. Potting mix ingredients in different countries may vary according to local sources. For example: In America potting mix is mainly made by mixing peat moss, compost, perlite, vermiculite etc. In our country potting mix can be made using cocopeat or cocodust instead of peat moss and crushed brick pieces instead of perlite-vermiculite. As such prepared soil ensures the growth of plants, there is no fear of death of plants due to good drainage.
Why is potting mix necessary? |
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Source
Applying fertilizers along with soil is very costly. But if you adopt this process at home, the cost is relatively less. Seedlings grow in less time. This process involves some form of inorganic material which is completely safe for plants. For those of us who garden in urban areas, roof gardens or backyards or balconies, the tub must be light when tending to plants. Since the potting mix is light in weight, the weight of the tub is less, so the plant tub can be moved from one place to another very easily. The potting mix is made of completely organic ingredients which is undoubtedly eco-friendly for the environment. Potting mix provides nutrients to the plant for a long time, so there is no need to change the soil. Helps seeds germinate easily. Protects against various water borne diseases (such as root rot, root rot etc.), soil borne diseases (such as seedling drop, seedling rot etc.).
Potting mix ingredients |
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Cocopeat or Cocodust: It is used as a soil substitute. Sometimes peat moss is used instead of cocopeat. Cocopeat is mainly made from coconut husks. 5 kg/500 g are available as large blocks of lightweight cocopeat that look like square bricks.
Vermicompost: Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer used to increase fertility. Earthworms eat one-month-old dung or discarded parts of curries, fruit peels, plant leaves, animal dung, poultry droppings, chopped straw, and excrete a chemical substance from the earthworm's body that makes fertilizer. It is either called earthworm compost or vermicompost. This fertilizer can be used in all types of crops. It is one of the most widely used organic fertilizers in the world, an environmentally friendly fertilizer.
Perlite: Looks like white pebbles. Vermiculite or brick powder or small stone chips can be used instead. Perlite comes primarily from volcanic rock. It is also called volcanic rock or volcanic glass. It is extracted from volcanic lava. It is then divided into small pieces and heated to 850°-900° Celsius. As a result, small air pockets are created, which causes it to be 15 times larger than its actual size. Therefore, it can be easily crushed with fingers.
Method of preparation of potting mix |
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First step: Take a block of cocopeat in a large plastic container and soak it in small pieces with hot water. As a result, the cocopeat will absorb all the water and grow from small to big. It should be shaken by hand.
Second step: Mix cocopeat powder and vermicompost in a separate and big pot or bucket. Before mixing the vermicompost, the compost must be sieved so that there are no lumps.
Third step: Then add perlite to it.
Fourth step: Mix the ingredients very well wearing gloves.
Be careful in preparing the potting mix
a) Face mask should be worn when working with organic or organic materials.
b) Gloves should be worn while mixing the ingredients.
c) Glasses should be worn to protect the eyes.
d) Spray bottle should be used for dusty material.
e) Avoid making potting mix in stormy weather.
f) Wash your hands thoroughly after work.
This concludes my post.
Hope you enjoy it.
See you in the next publication.
Regards
@mrsokal ✍️