I have a few orchid plants in my garden, and finding Soil for them is very difficult. So I did some researches to discover that is, it possible to see if bonsai soil is suitable for orchids.
Can I use bonsai soil for orchids? Usually, bonsai soil is an excellent growing medium for orchid plants. Orchid plants do need good drainage and aeration for their growth. Bonsai soil can supply both of those essential requirements to orchids. So bonsai soil is suitable for orchids.
If the orchid roots feel too much moisture in the soil, they will begin to rot. So when you use bonsai soil for orchids, consider the following points.
Is it practicable to use bonsai soil for orchids?
Orchid plants need good drainage and good aeration for its proper growth, and if these plants feel high humidity in the growing medium, they start to rot, and the plant will die.
These Orchid plants would like to grow in the air than in the soil. That shows they want good aeration for their growth.
There are about 30,000 species of orchids, and all of them are weak plants. The main weakness is the moisture, and there is no anything faster to kill an orchid plant than Soil that retains more moisture
As well as orchid plants bare flowers annually and some species bare flowers twice a year. But keep in head that orchid plants do not Bears flowers if they get disturbed.
It means if you use to re-pot your orchid plant, it will not bear flowers in that year possibly, and also, If the root system of the tree is shaken, it directly affects the growth of the tree.
So don’t try to re-pot orchid plants and Get used to plant orchids in a lasting pot for a long time and use bonsai soil for orchids.
Bonsai soil can full fill all the requirements of orchids, such as Drainage, Aeration, and Nutrition. So use bonsai soil without fear for your orchids, and you can remake bonsai soil for your orchids.
According to orchid gardeners, orchids should be watered once a week. And the medium should not retain the moisture until it water again.
So as you think, what is the medium that possible to give all those things for orchids. Bonsai soil is the best choice, and it is not hard to find.
Bonsai soil can supply all of these things for orchids.
As you know, bonsai soil is developed for potted plants. It does not hold water in the Soil, and there are many ventilation holes in the bonsai soil. That is why bonsai soil is ideal for orchids.
- Drainage and Ability to repel water.
- Good aeration and air holes.
- Nutrient factor.
# Drainage and Ability to repel water #
Bonsai soil is a mixture of many soil types and rock types. It wearies little by little based on the type of bonsai plant. But usually, all of them are the same.
Potted plants do not need high moisture, so bonsai soil is made to remove the Soil’s moisture.
Normally, bonsai soil contains Rock particles, Minerals, Bark particles, Woodburning charcoal, Brick particles, and so on.
But all of these things are in a proper ratio to balance the drainage and aeration, so this bonsai soil is best for orchids, and Let’s examine the ratios.
| Rock particles | 80% |
| Bark particles | 5% |
| charcoal | 5% |
| Organic soil and fertilizers | 10% |
According to those ratios, you must understand this bonsai soil does not retain exes amount of moisture. And a minimum amount of moisture retains in charcoal and bark particles. It did not harm the orchids.
Also, you can use bonsai soil for succulents without a problem. So don’t be fear to use bonsai soil for orchids as a growing medium.
# Good aeration and air holes #
As you already know, an Orchid is a tree that would like to grows in the air. It means orchid want good aeration in the growing medium. Bonsai soil has good aeration.
If you observe the above chart, bonsai soil contains 80% rock particles that help keep good aeration in the soil. So again, it proves that bonsai soil is best to grow orchids.
As well as these orchids want to absorb air, and they do it with roots. So there must be free air holes in the medium to do so.
# Nutrient factor #
Nutrients in an essential factor when growing anything, and it is common to bonsai and orchids. Bonsai soil has good nutrient content because some plants need large amounts of nutrients to stay alive in pots.
That fact helps to orchids when you use bonsai soil to orchids and mix some Flowering hormones and fertilizers with bonsai soil before planting.
So you can use bonsai soil for orchids because all of the things they do need are possible to full fill by only one mixture of bonsai soil.
How to use bonsai soil with orchids?
When you use bonsai soil for orchids, you must have some problems in your mind because you have never done this before.
There are up to 30000 species of orchid plants, and all of them have the same requirements. But when you use bonsai soil for them, you can’t use any bonsai soil.
If you want, you can make bonsai soil at your home to use with orchids, and it is not hard to do as well as you can make an orchid mixture at your home.
Now let’s dive into the things you have to know when using bonsai soil with your orchid plants. First, you have to understand how to select the most suitable Soil for orchids.
What is the Most suitable bonsai soil to be used?
Orchids are a type of Selfish plant. If their needs are not met, they starts to die. So always be aware of selecting the most suitable Soil.
We cant recommend appropriate Soil for your orchid. But let’s discuss some common factors you have to check when you are buying bonsai soil for orchids.
First, you need to check if the composition of the Soil goes with the orchid. It means to check if there are an excellent drainage facility and good aeration as well.
Because as you know, orchid plants need a medium that does not retain moisture, So rock particles are most important to Chase away water from the Soil.
You can check it by the composition chart. If the bonsai soil contains 80% rock particles or more, you can use it for orchids, and if it below 70%, You should re-mix the bonsai soil.
Second, If you are buying bonsai soil from a shop for orchids, always buy the most appropriate soil for orchids.
Bonsai soil varies with the type of plant it uses to be grown Bonsai soil varies with the type of plant it uses to be grown. So do not buy soil that ideal for moisture required plants like Ficus, Kubuk, maples, and so on.
Always buy bonsai soil Contained lava rocks, pumices, and gravels.
# What do I need to do before use bonsai soil for orchids? #
Check the composition and buy the most appropriate Soil for your orchid. Then before you use it to orchid plants, sift out the soil mixture to remove dust.
Sometimes bonsai soil contains dust, and normally, they do not bother the growth of bonsai plants. But orchids do need good drainage and aeration. If dust remains in the Soil, it disturbs the aeration and drainage.
So before using bonsai soil for orchids, sift out the soil mixture. Then you can use it for orchid plants.
I missed to tell you something. If you already have a repotting bonsai tree, you can Reuse bonsai soil for orchids without a problem.
How to make orchid soil with bonsai soil?
If you can’t find suitable bonsai soil for your orchid, you can make soil that appropriates for orchids by using bonsai soil.
First, you have to change the composition of the bonsai soil by adding and removing soil particles and rock particles. The most considerable thing is drainage and, you have to improve it.
You can improve soil drainage by adding various things such as rocks, Barks, sand, etc. But you have to add them in a ratio.
So add all of those things according to the above table, and there is something else you can do. You can add large rock particles and wood particles to your Soil, and orchids also do like to grow in environments like that.
For further details, read How to make bonsai soil at home for succulents. In that way, you can make bonsai soil for orchids also.
Things to be aware
Remove dust from bonsai soil before use.
First of all, sift out the bonsai soil before using it for orchids. Because there are many dust particles in bonsai soil and they disturb the Drainage and aeration of the soil.
As well as do not add soil particles such as compost to your orchid soil mixture. They do not need more Soil to grow, and they do love to grow their roots on barks and stones.
Use the most appropriate pots.
If you use bonsai soil for orchids, use a pot with several drainage holes to remove water instantly, as well. Bonsai soil retains a minimum amount of moisture Soil, and it will not damage your orchid.
So use an orchid pot with large drainage holes and always add some stones near the holes to avoid soil let out.
Water properly
Bonsai soil can retain some moisture in Soil, so you don’t have to water the orchid plants in bonsai soil like other orchid plants.
Watering once a week is enough for orchid plants that are potted in bonsai soil.
Conclusion
Bonsai soil can full fill all the requirements of orchid plants, such as drainage and aeration facilities. So you can use bonsai soil for orchids and if you can do the above changes to your bonsai soil and use.
