As you know, the technology of growing orchids is significantly different from the methods of caring for ordinary houseplants. Since the root system of this beautiful decorative room culture has a special structure, it is supposed to be planted in a special soil.
Of course, on sale today you can also find specially formulated mixtures for orchids. For example, recently a substrate of a special variety "Ceramis" has appeared in stores. For orchids, this flower, according to many lovers of indoor plants, is just perfect.
What is soil
Ordinary garden soil is not suitable for orchids, primarily because it contains a very large amount of nitrogen components. Such soil for this ornamental culture is considered "heavy". Unfortunately, not a single species of orchids survives on ordinary soil.
In many varieties of these indoor flowers, roots in the wild hang from tree trunks and saturate other parts with oxygen. Therefore, forsuch orchids, the garden soil will also be too dense.
Self-priming for orchids lovers of indoor plants are usually prepared from bark and moss. Pots for this decorative culture use transparent ones. As a result, the roots of such plants, as in the wild, are illuminated by the sun and have access to oxygen. The new Seramis substrate has exactly the same properties.
Many companies produce such soil. But in our country, mainly Seramis for Pokon orchids (Netherlands) is sold. The substrate of this brand, judging by the reviews, is of fairly high quality.
What are the varieties
When buying such a soil, of course, first of all, you should pay attention to what type of indoor plants it is intended for. Seramis formulations are on sale today, designed for both conventional ornamental crops and orchids themselves.
The last type of soil, in turn, is also divided into two large groups. If you wish, you can buy either a simple Seramis for orchids, or a more expensive one, additionally saturated with various kinds of mineral additives that are very useful for such plants.
Composition
The main component of this substrate is the usual environmentally friendly clay containing a huge amount of minerals. From it, when preparing soil for Seramis orchids, porous granules of different fractions are made. In addition, the composition of such a substrate usually includes larch or pine tree bark (resinless). This material before mixing into the soilis also crushed in such a way that particles of different sizes are eventually obtained.
Seramis for orchids may additionally include fertilizers containing:
- nitrogen;
- potassium;
- phosphorus.
Features
In terms of its properties, the Seramis soil resembles expanded clay compositions well-known to many orchid lovers. The granules of this substrate easily absorb water, hold it, and subsequently give it to orchids as needed. Since the particles of such soil differ in different sizes, absolutely all the roots of the plant have access to life-giving moisture: small, medium and large.
That is, the composition of "Ceramis" is such that the plant always receives the nutrients necessary for development and does not get wet. Since the granules in such soil do not adjoin each other too tightly, the roots of orchids, as in the natural environment, get the opportunity to "breathe" and transfer oxygen to the tissues of the stem, leaves, flowers, etc.
Seramis for orchids: positive reviews
One of the main advantages of this soil, lovers of ornamental plants consider that it is able to maintain its properties for a long time. Experienced flower growers do not recommend, for example, even throwing out the old mixture of this variety from the pot when transplanting an orchid. They advise simply pouring this substrate into a new container for the plant and adding a small amount of the same soil.
As lovers of decorative indoor crops note, Seramis does not have to be changed, including when the orchid that grew in it before died from a disease. In this case, the soil is placed in an oven and calcined for 30 minutes. After such disinfection, the substrate no longer poses any danger to plants.
Reviews about Seramis soil for orchids on the Web are good, including in terms of its own properties. As many netizens note, such flowers grow and develop on it very well. Even those orchids that have withered and sluggish on other types of soil, when transferred to this substrate, depart, grow new roots and leaves and begin to bloom. Changes can be seen within a few days.
To the absolute advantages of this soil, among other things, lovers of ornamental crops also include:
- eliminating the possibility of leaking pots;
- significant reduction in mold and root rot.
In containers with orchids when grown on Seramis, it is not even necessary to make drainage holes. Moisture in such a substrate never stagnates. In addition, it is distributed over the pot as evenly as possible.
According to its characteristics, as already mentioned, this soil resembles expanded clay. However, Seramis is able to retain moisture three times longer. That is, even if it is necessary to leave for a rather long period, the owners of the orchid may notworry about it drying up.
Opinion of flower growers: are there any disadvantages
There are practically no minuses for Seramis for orchids, judging by the reviews of houseplant lovers. The only drawback of such a substrate, many flower growers consider only its high cost. This soil is brought to Russia from Europe.
On an industrial scale, orchids for sale are grown in our country, including at Seramis. This partly explains the high cost of such ornamental crops in flower shops.
What plants are suitable for
Some flower growers believe that this soil can be used exclusively for phalaenopsis. However, there are many reviews on the Internet about successful cultivation on a mixture of this variety and, for example, types of orchids such as:
- Cattleya.
- Wanda.
- Dendrobium.
- Miltonia.
How to plant correctly
To the undoubted advantages of the Seramis primer, many lovers of indoor flowers also refer to ease of use. It is allowed to fill with such a substrate both clay and transparent plastic or glass pots.
Replanting orchids in Seramis is done approximately as follows:
- carefully pull the flower out of the old soil (which does not need to be watered first);
- examine the roots of the plant and remove dead ones;
- all other parts of the orchid are examined for the same purpose;
- dry the roots of the plant for 8 hours;
- disinfect a new pot and put the substrate in it;
- plant an orchid at Seramis.
When planting a flower, you need, among other things, to ensure that the ratio of its roots and substrate is approximately 2/1. Of course, it is not necessary to sprinkle the aerial roots of the plant with soil.
Tamping "Ceramis" for orchids should not be planted. But, of course, the plant should not hang out in a new pot.
Orchid care
Taking care of your capricious pet when growing it on Sermis will actually be very easy. The first watering of orchids in such soil is carried out approximately 4-5 days after transplantation. For humidification, warm water is used. In order for the flower to take root better, some mineral fertilizers are added to the water.
The frequency of further watering of an orchid in Seramis depends on the air temperature in the room in which it is grown. If this indicator is equal to 20-22 ° C, it will be necessary to moisten the substrate under the flower, most likely, once every 20 days. At a temperature of 25 ° C, watering is usually carried out once every 14 days.
Many indoor flower lovers advise when growing orchids, including at Seramis, be sure to install a special moisture indicator in the pot. Its blue color will further indicate normalwater balance in the substrate. As soon as the indicator changes color to red, the orchid in Seramis will need to be watered.
Helpful advice
Ceramis is really very expensive. Therefore, many lovers of indoor plants for planting orchids mix it with cheaper expanded clay. At the same time, the proportions are observed as moss / bark. Expanded clay is more solid in structure. In such compositions, he will play the role of "bark". Of course, for orchids in this case, you should not buy building expanded clay, but designed specifically for growing indoor flowers.
