![]() ![]() ![]() Perlite has moisture-wicking qualities similar to peat moss, and you can buy it in coarse or super coarse grades that help to aerate and improve drainage. Perlite. These crumbles of bright white volcanic glass appear in most commercial potting soil for a reason.So what kinds of ingredients might you want to add to your Anthurium’s potting mix? We’ll take a look at a few common options and talk about their benefits and drawbacks. That’s great! Experimenting will only make your thumb greener in the long run. Experimentation. Maybe you’re naturally inclined to tinker, or you want to test different mixtures and find the perfect one for your home and your plants.Many people prefer to use more sustainable alternatives. Environmental impact. Peat moss, a standard ingredient in most premade potting blends, is a non-renewable resource that takes hundreds of years to form in the bogs where it’s harvested.Better drainage. Commercial orchid media drains fairly well, but you can amend the mix to make it even coarser if you’re really worried about root rot.There are a lot of reasons you might want to make your own potting mix for an Anthurium: Many prefer to take matters into their own hands and create their own home-brewed blend. Not all Anthurium lovers are content with a store-bought orchid mix. They help to keep the interior of the pot slightly damp but not completely soaked – perfect for Anthurium roots. The other ingredients are there to soak up excess water and parcel it out slowly. They’re also slightly acidic, so they’ll help to maintain the right pH for your Anthurium. The big chunks of bark leave plenty of room for air and water to flow through the pot. These blends are usually made from chips of conifer bark mixed with some slightly spongier ingredients like sphagnum peat moss and perlite. Instead, look for a potting mix intended for Phalaenopsis orchids, which are epiphytes just like Anthuriums. And even a standard soilless houseplant potting mix – typically a blend of peat moss, fertilizer, and fragments of absorbent minerals like perlite and vermiculite – doesn’t drain fast enough or provide enough air for Anthurium roots. This is one of the most common ways that houseplants die, and the fleshy roots of Anthuriums are especially susceptible to this condition. Waterlogged soil can lead to the buildup of opportunistic microbes that can cause root rot. They don’t like their roots to sit in sludgy, clinging dirt. That might sound like a good thing – plants need water to live, right?īut Anthuriums are adapted to absorb water from damp bark or moss, or to breathe it in from the air itself. The fine particles in ordinary soil also tend to trap and retain water, especially inside a restricted space like the inside of a pot. Their roots need more oxygen, so they prefer a looser substrate with lots of large air pockets. Their roots often dangle in the open air or extend into the moss and leaf litter that builds up in the crevices of trees.Įpiphytes aren’t well-suited to a dense medium like soil. Like many types of orchids and bromeliads, Anthuriums are epiphytes, plants adapted to climb along cliffs and branches. No, that’s not a zen riddle – it’s just good gardening advice. The best kind of soil for Anthuriums is no soil at all. What Is The Best Potting Soil For Anthuriums? Above all, make sure the pot has drainage holes to prevent water from pooling in the base and causing root rot. Anthuriums are acid-loving plants, so keep the soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5.Ĭhoose your Anthurium’s container based on your watering habits – if you tend to overwater, a moisture-wicking terracotta pot will work best, whereas forgetful owners may be better off with more water-retentive plastic or ceramic. Store-bought orchid potting mix works well for Flamingo Flowers, but you may want to enhance the drainage by adding some chunky ingredients like pumice, charcoal, or coconut husks. The most important quality in ideal Anthurium soil is good drainage, so use a coarse, loose growing medium for your Anthurium. So what kind of container and potting mix will help your Anthurium live its best life? It’s only fair to put some thought into making the plant’s own home as welcoming as possible. Anthuriums do a lot to make your home a more pleasant place, from improving the air quality to adding a touch of tropical beauty. ![]()
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