Anthurium soil mixes? Can 5-1-1 work?
Larry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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Russ1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agoRelated Discussions
5-1-1 soil mix for gardenia
Comments (6)While it's good to have your media pH right where it's supposed to be (somewhere around 5.5 - 6.0), a little lower or higher for a few, it isn't as important as it is in (mineral) soils that depend largely on mineralization for the nutrient supply. If you're supplying the nutrients in a soluble fertilizer, and the pH range is reasonable, the plant will get the nutrients. Where pH does come to play is where particular plants have difficulty limiting their uptake of certain nutrients or elements. We see this in plants that are particularly susceptible to issues with fluoride, so we need to keep pH above a certain threshold. Another example is Pelargoniams, which have issues with their Fe:Mn relationship that requires monitoring of both the media and irrigation water pH for production. I think you probably need to supply more info before we can make an informed decision about what the issue might be. Fertilizer type? How much lime? Watering habits (first suspect)? Light levels/temperature? ...... Al...See More5-1-1 Mix and handling 2 dissimilar soils in one pot
Comments (3)Dee, I think you may be misunderstanding a couple things about 5:1:1. The 5:1:1 doesn't *need* to dry out in order to have oxygen...that's the whole point. The particles are coarse enough that there's always space for air to diffuse into the soil. In addition, the bottom of the pot will not be saturated with water (or at least very minimally so), as is common with retail potting soils. So don't worry too much about watering every day - if the root ball is dry, you need to water. Unless the root ball is staying dry even when you *do* water, a potting mix that quickly drains is rarely a bad thing. How did you remove the old potting mix? The most common way is to thoroughly soak the root ball in water, and then use a stream of water to forcefully rinse it away, perhaps with the aid of a bent fork or screwdriver (root hook). What I've learned from this forum is that you don't need to be particularly gentle, and that for most kinds of plants, heavily pruning old, woody roots is very good for their long term health. However, in the very short term, heavy root pruning can cause problems for the plant in getting enough water to the leaves to maintain turgidity. Water is moving out of the leaves into the air faster than the roots can supply it. When leaves are wilted, they can't photosynthesize. As I understand it, for woody plants, pruning the top growth to "match" the roots is not as important as commonly thought. But for softer plants like many houseplants, leaving all of the top growth can make it impossible for roots to supply enough water right after repotting. This is especially true because humidity is usually relatively low indoors. You can help your plant out by keeping it in the shade until it recovers, removing the largest, oldest leaves, and providing it with high humidity just until it is no longer wilting. Humidity can be increased by using a "humidity tent". You can make a simple one using any kind of boxy frame with clear plastic or saran wrap all around it. If you already have a large bell jar or terrarium, that's essentially perfect. You'll be delighted at how quickly this works! Misting and using a humidity "tray" (water and pebbles underneath the plant) is generally a useless gesture, as it has no significant effect on the humidity level. Do NOT put a plant that has a humidity tent in full sun, as it will "cook" the plant. A struggling new transplant should be in the shade anyway. Also, resist the urge to fertilize before the plant has had a chance to recover. Good luck!...See MoreWhat is 5:1:1 soil mix?
Comments (12)ToC almost had it right. The 5:1:1 mix is 5 parts of pine bark fines and one part each of perlite and sphagnum peat moss. Dry, it looks like what you see in the middle of this picture. The bark you see at 6 and 9 o'clock are what I use for the 5:1:1 mix. Actually, the gritty mix is better for houseplants than the 5:1:1 mix, but either work exceptionally well & offer an oxygen rich and well aerated root environment. The gritty mix is one part each of screened Turface, crushed granite, and screened pine or fir bark. You can see the fir bark at the top of the picture above, and the gritty mix is pictured below. I grow all my houseplants in the gritty mix. You'll find a LOT more information at the thread ToC linked you to. If you have questions, ask them wherever you want - at the soil thread or at either of your threads & I'm sure you'll get good answers. Take care. Al...See MoreExperiment: 5:1:1 mix vs coconut vs universal soil vs garden soil
Comments (92)Gudang, a lot of people here on this forum started with a heavy dense soil mix, often with compost and other soil components - because that is what is commonly available. Then they noticed that their plants are start to suffer at one point and came here for advise. Al (Tapla) has relentlessly taught the concept for better soil mix, fertilizing, pruning, repotting and many other topics. Most made an effort to follow in his foot steps and found his teachings to be invaluable and succeeded in keeping their plants flourishing. In short, he has a lot of credibility here. Not only that they have subsequently helped others because they understood the concept that no book can offer. Whereas you have yet to offer sound advice with evidence of success. First you have to build and establish your credibility - show your work and explain not only what but also how and why. For example, terms like less porous and more porous does not make any sense - more or less compared to what?...See MoreLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19) thanked Russ1023 (central Fla)Danielle N
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoGreenLarry
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19) thanked Russ1023 (central Fla)Danielle N
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoDanielle N
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agoLarry (Los Angeles, 10a, Sunset Zone 19)
7 years agoRuss1023 (central Fla)
7 years agopetrushka (7b)
7 years ago
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Russ1023 (central Fla)