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Orchids are as diverse as they are beautiful and occur across a wide range of habitats worldwide. The orchid plants are notoriously picky about their growing substrate, which makes it important to give them the right growing medium to thrive. Can orchids be grown with ericaceous compost, or is it unsuitable for these plants?
Ericaceous compost is not typically used for orchids since they have a specialized growing medium that is usually formulated to provide the right growing environment, including the 5.5 to 6.5 pH required by these plants. A little ericaceous compost can be added if you make your own orchid-growing mix.
Growing orchids is more an art than an activity, and many people become so enamored with these beautiful flowering plants that growing them becomes a hobby. Many growers experiment with different growing mediums for orchids, but can ericaceous compost be included in this category?
Can Ericaceous Compost Be Used On Orchids?
Orchids grow on almost every continent and flourish in these locations if the environment is right. When we “domesticate” these plants and grow them artificially in our homes, we must provide them with a growing environment as close to their natural habitat as possible.
The growing medium is one of the key components to get right to have a happy, flowering orchid to bring beauty to your home.
Most orchid species are epiphytes, which means they do not grow in a normal substrate like other plants. They often grow by attaching themselves to other plants, such as the bark on tree trunks or shrubs, where they establish themselves and grow quite happily.
Consequently, ericaceous compost is not a typical or suitable growing medium for orchids. The growing medium must be tailored to be similar to their natural habitat.
Orchids obtain the moisture they need from the air or rainwater on the tree bark where they have anchored themselves. These methods for obtaining water mean that the plants do not have vigorous root systems that penetrate deep into the growing medium.
What kind of growing medium do orchids need, and what acidity do they prefer for their environment?
What Soil pH Is Best For Growing Orchids?
Orchids prefer an acidic growing environment with a pH of between 5.5 and 6.0. This pH range is generally within the range of ericaceous compost, so one may think this type of compost would be suitable for growing orchids.
Soil pH is only one aspect of the growing medium important to plants. Many orchids do not grow well in environments that are too nutrient-dense.
Ericaceous compost may be able to provide the right pH for goring orchids, but it is too rich in nutrients to be suitable as a growing medium for these plants. The level of nutrients the compost supplies may even be too much if only small quantities are added to the orchid’s growing medium.
The specialized fertilizers used to feed these plants periodically provide an acidic environment for orchids grown in pots.
What Type Of Soil Do Orchids Prefer?
Standard potting mixes and composts are not good growing substrates for orchids. These mediums are too dense for the orchid roots to penetrate and retain too much moisture, which can cause the orchid’s roots to rot.
Orchids need a very loose, well-draining growing medium that provides enough stability for the plant, aeration for the roots, and limited moisture retention.
Remember that most of these plants can absorb moisture from the air and quickly deteriorate or drown when exposed to a growing substrate that is too damp.
Typical orchid growing medium consists of bark chips, sphagnum moss, and a mixture of perlite and vermiculite. The sphagnum moss provides the moisture content needed in the substrate, the bark is usually from fir trees, which helps with acidity, and the perlite vermiculite mixture provides a light, aerated growing medium.
You can create your own homemade orchid potting mix by combining the following ingredients.
- Pine bark – 50%
- Sphagnum moss – 25%
- Vermiculite – 10%
- Perlite – 15%
A homemade orchid-growing medium can be significantly more cost-effective than commercial orchid bark growing mediums.
If you make your own mixture for growing orchids, you may add a little ericaceous compost if you need to adjust the pH balance, but you must be careful not to add too much.
Adding too much compost can upset the balance of drainage and water retention provided by the other ingredients in the mixture.
What Other Conditions Do Orchids Need?
Orchids typically prefer growing in a humid environment, which helps them to absorb most of their moisture needs from the air. A 60% to 80% humidity is an ideal range for most orchid types.
The substrate the orchids are growing in must be kept moist but not wet. Overwatering is a common mistake that beginner orchid growers make because the water demands of these plants are considerably less than other plants with which we are familiar.
The best way to tell if your orchids need watering is to feel the substrate with your finger. If it feels damp, there is no need to water the plant. If the substrate feels a little dry in some places, then give the plant a little water.
The best way I have found to water orchids is with a spray bottle with the nozzle set to mist. Spray the substrate with the mist spray, which will help to prevent overwatering the orchid.
Different orchid varieties require varying amounts of daily light exposure. Some varieties do very well indoors all year round if they are in a room with plenty of windows to let in a good amount of light.
Other species need 12 to 14 hours of light and may need to be moved about your house or garden to get the most benefit of the available natural light, or they may need artificial lighting.
Conclusion
Growing orchids requires a mindset change from the way other plants are grown. Orchids prefer acidic soil but do not like a nutrient-rich substrate, which ericaceous compost would provide. Consequently, ericaceous compost is not recommended as a suitable growing medium ingredient for orchids.
The pH value range of 5.5 to 6.0 is generally provided by the specialized orchid food or fertilizers commercially produced for these plants.
References
- https://www.thespruce.com/choose-orchid-growing-media-1315968#:~:text=Orchids%20are%20usually%20grown%20in,depending%20on%20the%20media%20included.
- https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-repot-orchids/#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20mimic%20their,maintaining%20their%20health%20and%20vitality.
- https://www.repotme.com/pages/water-and-ph#:~:text=For%20most%20orchids%20we%20recommend,high%2C%20micronutrient%20deficiency%20can%20occur.
- https://orchidden.com.au/2021/08/25/basic-tips-for-re-potting-orchids/#:~:text=The%20most%20commonly%20used%20potting,product%20knowledge%20for%20its%20use.
- https://www.orchids.uk.com/Potting-Sequence#:~:text=We%20recommend%20bark%20compost%20as,years%20for%20two%20main%20reasons.
- https://www.cmac.com.au/blog/common-mistakes-growing-orchids-in-doors#:~:text=The%20ideal%20humidity%20for%20most,by%20air%2Dflow%20and%20watering
