Chinese evergreen plants are plants that are native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia. They have the beauty of lush green foliage and unique patterns on each leaf. Chinese evergreen plants can adapt to many different living conditions in terms of light and humidity, although the quality of life is low. However, soil quality is still one of the most important factors and has a core influence on the growth of Chinese evergreen plants.
What type of soil is best for the growth of Chinese evergreen plants? How to create the best soil mix for this plant? How will plants behave when living in an unsuitable soil environment? If you are interested in the issues of Chinese evergreen soil, do not miss the useful information below.
Soil For Chinese Evergreen: What Factors Do You Need To Pay Attention To?
Soil quality is one of the most important factors for plant growth. Choosing the right soil will stimulate the growth of Chinese evergreen plants and maintain the health of the plants. On the contrary, if you choose the wrong type of soil, plants will grow stunted, with weak health, wilted leaves, and no flowers, and gradually die. Here are some factors that determine the quality of the soil.
Nutrient-rich soil: Plants will absorb nutrients in the soil, so nutrient-rich soil is an important factor in stimulating plant growth. Nutrients will be gradually lost in the soil and need to be replenished regularly. So the quality of the soil will degrade over time if you do not regularly fertilize and improve.
Good drainage: Plants all need water and moisture in the soil to stay alive. However, soil that is too wet and poorly drained is the leading cause of waterlogging. Prolonged waterlogging will lead to stunted growth and root rot.
Moist and fertile soil: Chinese evergreen plants will thrive in moist soil rather than dry soil. This plant is native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, so it prefers moist soil. You should choose ingredients that can retain moisture in the soil to maintain moisture in the soil for plants.
Soil needs openings for air circulation: The root system of plants needs to be able to exchange air in the soil. Roots need oxygen to exchange gases and maintain health. If the soil is too compact due to the presence of clay or too sticky due to excessive moisture, the oxygen exchange of the root system will be inhibited.
Best Soil For Chinese Evergreen
Chinese evergreen plants love slightly moist, well-drained soil. The ideal pH in potting soil is between 5.5 and 6.5. Soil pH levels have a great influence on soil structure, microbial growth, toxicity, and plant nutrient availability. Let’s learn about the main ingredients in the soil to create the best soil mix for Chinese evergreen plants.
Common Components Of A Soil Mixture
Clay: This soil has very fine mineral particles and does not contain much organic matter. Therefore, the soil will contain low nutrient content, poor aeration, and drainage capacity.
Soil containing sand: Soil that contains sand particles of irregular shape and large size. The advantage is good drainage and good ventilation. The downside is that it can’t hold moisture for a long time and water is easily evaporated quickly in the sand.
Mud: Mud is a mixture of dust, minerals, and sand particles. This mixture has good moisture retention but poor drainage, easily causing waterlogging if too wet.
Peat: A mixture of partially decomposed organic matter such as grass, leaves, and shells from fruits.
Additive Ingredients For Soil Mix
Organic fertilizers: This type of substance is one of the main sources of nutrients for plants. This mixture is a combination of plants and animals in different decomposed forms. They are rich in nutrients and are easily and quickly absorbed by plants.
Coir: The outer shell of the coconut is porous and can retain moisture well for plants. Gardeners often use coir to cover the surface of the soil to keep the soil moist.
Vermiculite: This is a mineral that moisturizes and aerates the potting mix. Vermiculite also adds other mineral nutrients such as magnesium, aluminum, and iron to the potting soil.
Grass clippings: Grass clippings or debris from pine bark, and bark work to maintain moisture in the soil mixture. In addition, when they decompose, they also produce a rich amount of organic matter for Chinese evergreen plants.
Perlite: A type of glass of volcanic origin. Its purpose is to keep the soil loose and well-drained. At the same time, perlite also works to create openings to circulate air and remove excess water.
Gravel: Gravel works to help the root system penetrate deep into areas that lack water. In addition, adding gravel to the pot also helps with good air circulation and drainage.
The Best Recipe For The Soil Mix Of Chinese Evergreen Plants
The best soil mix for Chinese evergreen plants must meet factors such as nutrient-rich soil, good drainage, and air circulation. Soil should be loose, retain good moisture for plants, and avoid waterlogging. So you can manually mix any mixture from the ingredients above and combine them accordingly. Here are some potting mix recipes that you can refer to to create the best environment for Chinese evergreen plants.
Recipe #1: 30% potting soil, 25% vermicompost, 25% coco peat/peat moss, 20% perlite. You can use ordinary soil as a base and keep it moist. Coir and peat moss will help the soil to be loose and airy. The vermicompost will improve the nutrients in the soil. Meanwhile, perlite will create openings to drain excess water and better air circulation.
Recipe #2: 25% sand, 25% clay, 25% cocopeat, 25% compost. A mixture of clay and sand will form layers of soil to trap and drain moisture. Organic fertilizers will add nutrients to plants and cocopeat to help the soil to be loose and good for air circulation.
Recipe #3: 3 parts potting soil and a part perlite. You should choose potting soil that is rich in nutrients and has good moisture-holding capacity. Add a portion of perlite to prevent waterlogging and root rot in plants.
In addition, the quality of the soil will degrade over time, so you need to add nutrients, soil, and additive ingredients to create a mixture that is most suitable for Chinese evergreen plants. You also need to replace the soil for plants when they have root rot or the amount of soil has been reduced and the roots of the plants are exposed.
When plants have root rot, bacteria, and fungi will lurk in the soil even though you use drugs that kill them. Replace the soil mixture with new soil to completely remove harmful bacteria and fungi from the soil. In addition, when you find roots sticking out of the ground, you also need to replace the soil mixture because the soil is too barren and not enough to cover the entire pot.
Questions Related To The Soil Problem Of Chinese Evergreen Plants
To stimulate plant growth and maintain plant health, you should pay attention to soil conditions. Here are a few questions that most people are interested in on this topic.
Can I Use Cactus Soil To Grow Chinese Evergreen Plants?
Cactus potting mixes are usually well-draining due to the composition of gravel and perlite. Therefore, you can use the potting soil of the cactus to grow Chinese evergreen plants. This type of soil will help you limit waterlogging and root rot. In particular, the soil of the cactus also has a suitable pH for this plant. You just need to add high-nitrogen fertilizers to promote leaf health.
Do Chinese Evergreen Plants Need A Deep Pot?
Chinese evergreen plants are plants with short and shallow root systems. So you don’t need to use deep pots to grow this plant. You should use pots with wide and shallow surfaces to grow Chinese evergreen plants. Deep pots will suit plants with deep roots underground. Pots that are too large and too deep will accumulate excess water and excess moisture. You should only change the pot when the roots have risen to the surface or the soil in the pot has been lost.
Can Chinese Evergreen Plants Be Grown In Water?
You can grow Chinese evergreen plants hydroponically without root rot. This method will work well when you do the propagation. Small roots will begin to grow and you can observe this process through the glass vase.
To combat fungal diseases and root rot, you need to prepare a glass jar, rainwater, or distilled water for plant propagation. You should not use tap water because it contains chemicals and excess salts that accumulate over time. You can add a little charcoal and a drop of liquid fertilizer each day to boost plant health.
Can I Use Coffee Grounds To Mix In The Soil Of Chinese Evergreen Plants?
Coffee grounds can be used as a natural fertilizer because it contains high levels of nutrients for plants. Coffee grounds contain acidity, nitrates, and other nutrients necessary for plant growth. In addition, coffee grounds also can absorb and retain water for the soil environment.
However, coffee grounds are not suitable for mixing into the soil mix of Chinese evergreen plants. Soil mixed with coffee grounds usually has a pH of 6.7, while the ideal pH for this plant is below 6.5. Coffee grounds can increase acidity in the soil and this is not good for Chinese evergreen plants.
Conclude
Chinese evergreen plants have the ability to adapt to many different living conditions and environments. However, they also have requirements on the quality of the soil for the best growth. Soil mixes must have good drainage to avoid waterlogging and root rot. You should use organic matter as fertilizer, perlite, or gravel in the bottom layer to enhance drainage.
In addition, you can add additional ingredients such as mud, moss, or coir. You should not use pots that are too wide and deep because they will contain a large amount of excess water. Choose a soil mix that has factors such as rich nutrients, moisture, porosity, good drainage, and good air circulation.