For the plants, planting media exists at many roles. This material is the resting place for the plant so it can stand upright. In it also contains nutrients, water and air needed by plants.
Each type of planting media has storing nutrients capacity, water and air that are different. Likewise with the plants, each type needs different living conditions. Here are nine practical guides to choose the planting media.
1. Know the type and nature
There are many types of growth media that can be bought. Each type has a shape, size and different nature. Flake-shaped planting media is capable of storing longer water and in large quantities, for example humus bamboo. Conversely, cylindrical planting media and spherical is easy to remove water, such as the roots of ferns and coco fiber. While the spherical planting media such as sand and soil. Grain size also determines the ability of the object is to save water. The smaller the diameter, the greater the ability to store water.
2. Adjust to the type of plants
Each species plants need different types of planting media. Dry plants areas such as Cactus, Adenium, Euphorbia, and Pachipodium should be planted using a planting media that is porous and easy to dispose of water. Such plants are characterized by the number of few leaves and small size. Conversely, the type of plants that like damp conditions should be planted using a planting media that can store water properly. This flora is characterized by the wide size of the leaves, such as Aglaonema, Philodendron and Anthurium.
3. Note the environmental conditions
Selection of the planting medium must also be adapted to environmental conditions. When the weather is hot and dry, it is advisable to choose the type of planting media that has a strong ability to store water. Conversely, if the weather conditions is often foggy and damp, it is advisable to choose a porous planting media that easy to drain the water.
4. Identify the plant growth
Generally, young plants that still in the seedbed not need a supply of nutrients from the outside because it still has reserves of food. At that time, you can simply use sand, fern roots or coco peat as a planting media. Planting media with a mixture of nutrient-rich fertilizer are served after the first original leaves have grown.
5. Indoor vs. outdoor
Plants that are placed outside the room need more water supply than in plants placed in the room. Therefore, the plants outdoors establish a photosynthesis process faster than the indoors plants. In addition, wind and solar intensity outside the room make the evaporation rate is faster than in the room. Thus, plants are placed outdoors should be planted using planting media that capable of storing water in large quantities and in a long time.
6. In accordance with the type of pot
Plastic pots have pores less than earthenware pots, so that the plastic pots can hold moisture better than the planting media with earthenware pots. But, the number of small pores make the aeration in the plastic pots aeration is not as good in earthenware pots. When you choose a plastic pot, it is suggested that planting media used are the type that easily drain the water and porous. While planting media for earthenware pot selected that has the ability to store water for long periods.
7. Consider the potential for disease
Planting media that were mixed with manure or contain nutrients usually easier to invite germs. Mixed planting media with the most vulnerable manure invite germs cause of root rot. The planting media are suitable used to grow plants that like dry conditions, such as Adenium, Pachipodium, and Euphorbia.
8. Life Time
Don’t forget to also consider the remaining life. Planting media with soft texture and contain nutrients are usually easier to mold and decay, while the planting media that harder generally had durable textured. When you use a short-lived planting media, you must be having repotting compared to using long-lived plant media.
9. Synthetic or natural
You also can choose synthetic media. This planting media such is more clean and germ-free compared with natural planting medium. An example of synthetic media is gel media. This thing was widely applied in hydroponics system. Synthetic planting media certainly had more expensive price when compared with natural planting media. You also must be diligent to add nutrient with right dose into this planting media.
