Cultivation soil differs significantly from potting soil in its composition. It offers the ideal conditions for growing seeds and young plants.
Plants grow best when their needs are met. This starts with the planting. Seeds and young plants have different needs than mature plants.
Hobby gardeners should rely on a special substrate when growing to create ideal growth conditions. The following article explains the importance of potting soil and describes its composition and properties.
Why should potting soil be used?
Plants are like humans. These plants also have different nutrient requirements in their different life phases. Cultivation in conventional potting soil does not necessarily have to fail completely, but losses are to be expected.
Pot promotes root growth
After germination, rooting is the most important aspect of growing plants. Root growth begins and the roots stretch out their feelers for nutrients.
Nutrient-rich potting soil makes it easy for the young plants. If sufficient nutrients are available, the growth of the roots can be reduced or even stopped completely. The hobby gardener is not doing his plants any favors with this. They lag behind, flower poorly, or don't survive the winter because they couldn't develop a stable root system.
Seedlings and cuttings require far fewer nutrients than vigorous, mature plants. This is where the potting soil comes into play. This special substrate is tailored to the needs of the young plants and contains fewer nutrients than potting soil. The soil is particularly fine-pored so that the fine roots can develop.
Cultivation soil protects against pests and diseases
Seedlings are susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, growing soil is usually sterile and therefore germ-free. Likewise, no seeds or roots of other plants are included. This means that no more seeds can germinate, which would later hinder the growth of the young plants.
The small oneNutrient concentration helps the young plants to develop a stable and widely branched root system. This means that the plants in potting soil grow faster and appear stronger and he althier than if they were grown in potting soil.
How should potting soil be?
When buying potting soil, you should make sure that this substrate has the correct name. Conventional potting soil is also sold as potting soil or potting soil.
The following terms are also common for the required potting soil:
- Sowing soil
- Picker soil
- Propagating Soil
There are no major differences between these earths. You can assume that the potting soil is of high quality if:
- contains few nutrients
- free from mineral s alts is
- has a loose and fine-pored consistency
- not appear too dry and lumpy
- does not contain too much moisture
- is aseptic
The fine roots cannot stretch out in a substrate that has been compacted by too much moisture. Likewise, this floor is a breeding ground for germs and mold.
What are the differences between potting soil and potting soil?
Potting soil and potting soil have different compositions. This meets the different nutrient requirements between seedlings and mature plants.
Potting Soil
Potting soil has a high nutrient density. A high proportion of nitrogen is just as beneficial for mature plants as mineral s alts are necessary for growth.
Cultivation soil
Cultivation soil has a particularly low nutrient concentration. Nitrogen and s alts would damage the young plants and inhibit their growth. While potting soil has a denser structure, potting soil should appear particularly loose, fresh and crumbly. This prevents waterlogging and the young plants can develop their roots without encountering obstacles.
Potting soil is not sterile and often contains seeds and other plant parts. It is important for potting soil not to have any germs. When growing, cuttings are often covered with a hood. As a result, mold can form quickly.
Mould in the potting soil - what now?
Cultivating soil should not contain any germs. Nevertheless, many hobby gardeners complain about moldy seed soil. The causes for this are manifold. The substrate is often sold in garden centers in thestored outdoors. The bags are not completely airtight and germs and spores penetrated quickly.
Even if the potting soil is not completely used up immediately and is stored openly, sterility is no longer guaranteed. Unfortunately, if you have decided on an inexpensive product, it cannot always be assumed that it is sterile potting soil.
The following measures help to prevent mold growth:
- do not buy potting soil that was stored outside of the market
- Buy the substrate in smaller quantities and use it immediately
- use only high quality potting soil
- Air covered seedlings daily
The most common cause of mold growth is not airing the cover. Due to the lack of air exchange and the moisture it contains, fungi have an easy time and can also settle on previously germ-free soil.
If there is mold growth, the plants are watered a little less and aired out daily if possible. Then the mold usually disappears by itself. You can also help out and simply scrape the mold spores off the substrate.
Tip: Covering the substrate with sand can prevent mold growth.
How to prepare the seeds accordingly:
→ Seed dressing:
Soaking seeds in dressing for a few hours before use can prevent fungal diseases.
Tip: A pickle can easily be made from garlic cloves. To do this, the cloves of a tuber are crushed with a knife and hot water is poured over them. This brew should steep overnight. The next day, the seeds are poured over it and removed again after three to four hours. After the seeds have dried, they can be used as usual.
→ Pre-soak seeds:
Most bedding and balcony plant seeds can be pre-soaked in water. Soaking in milk has also proven effective for tomato, pumpkin or zucchini plants.
Tip: Potting soil can also be sterilized in the oven. The earth is heated for 30 minutes at 140 degrees circulating air. In the microwave, set the wattage to the highest setting and heat the substrate for ten minutes.
Make your own potting soil - is that possible?
If larger quantities are needed, it is advantageous to make the potting soil yourself.
You will need:
- 1/3 garden soil
- 1/3 sand
- 1/3 Compost
All componentsare carefully mixed together. To ensure that the soil is fine-grained and loose, the mixture should be sieved well before use.
Warning: Peat is often recommended for the production of potting soil. However, this is not advisable from an ecological point of view. The extraction of peat destroys bogs and thus important habitats for microorganisms.
Produce organic potting soil according to specific nutrient requirements
If you want to produce your own potting soil, you can respond individually to the needs of the plants you want to grow. So the demands of heavy feeders, medium feeders and weak feeders are different.
The following overview lists the corresponding plants and assigns them the recommended composition of the potting soil:
| Plant Group | Representative | required potting soil |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Eater | • Geraniums • Sunflowers • Chrysanthemums • Potatoes • Strawberries • Carrots | • 30% sphagnum moss • 30% compost • 20% garden soil • 10% sand • 10% bark humus |
| Medium Eater | • Rhododendrons • Roses • Dahlias • Berries • Salads • Tomatoes | • 50% coco hum or wood fibre • 20% compost • 15% sand • 15% bark humus |
| Weak Eaters | • Begonias
• Azaleas | • 50% coconut humus • 20% garden soil • 15% sand • 15% bark humus |
Terminology of the substances used
Sphagnum Moss
Sphagnum moss is used in potting soil as an alternative to moss. These specially cultivated mosses improve the water storage capacity of the substrate. Peat moss is becoming more and more established as a renewable substitute for peat.
Coco Hum
This growing medium consists of the dried fibers of the coconut. The water can be kept very well in the ground by this material. The high proportion of air promotes root growth and the material also prevents mold growth.
You can get this raw material in stores in the form of small bricks, which swell up when you add warm water and increase their volume up to sixfold.
Wood Fibres
Wood fibers have similar properties to coconut fibers. In any case, the material should come from untreated wood.
Compost
Compost from our ownGarden provides the growing soil with the necessary nutrients. This gives young plants the appropriate dose of magnesium, potassium, phosphorus or nitrogen.
Bark Humus
If the bark of coniferous wood is composted, bark humus is produced. This humus is very suitable for loosening up the soil and stabilizing the substrate at the same time.
Sand
By adding sand, the structure of the soil is improved. Sand keeps the substrate loose and can prevent waterlogging.