A melhor TERRA pra sua PLANTA

The year has begun, and so has your decision to have a vegetable garden. Now is the time to get your hands dirty and make it happen. But do you know what soil is? There's topsoil, black soil, organic compost, substrate... don't worry, the "Starting from Scratch" series, created by our gardener Carol Costa, is for just that: explaining what substrate is. Come and discover this world of soil! Get used to this name: substrate. This is what gardeners call any mixture in which something will be planted. Soil is a very generic name, besides being what we call our planet. Our plant-loving friend points out three important characteristics that all substrates have: physical, chemical, and biological (don't worry, it's easier than it seems!) Physical characteristics – depending on the size of the substrate's "pieces," it can retain more or less water. A substrate like that for orchids allows water to drain much more than a substrate for seedlings, which is that very soft black soil. The smaller the substrate grains, the better it holds water. Chemical characteristics – one substrate can be more fertile than another. Many plant species are adapted to grow in soils with few nutrients, such as cacti that live in desert regions. Knowing what makes up the substrate and knowing the plant that will live in it will greatly help you choose what to bring home. Biological characteristics – not all substrates are composed of a single material, such as rocks. Mixtures almost always contain organic matter that is processed by microorganisms. Dried leaves and twigs, cow dung, worm castings, and even dead insects can make up the substrate. There are substrates of mineral origin, such as sand, and of plant origin, such as pine bark. However, most are a mixture of both. Here's a list of substrate types, organized from the least water-retaining material to what's practically a sponge—of course, the Virginian gardener wouldn't list them just like that! Gravel—(mineral origin) the rock we find even on parking lot floors. It works well as a drainage layer. Perlite – (mineral) lightweight, great for mixing into the substrate for plants that don't like water. Sand – (mineral) much easier to find than perlite. Even construction sand is fine, but beach sand is not. Pine bark – these are pine tree trunk chips, treated to prevent borers and remove tannin from the material. Orchid substrate – composed of pine bark, coconut chips, and charcoal chips. Shredded coconut fiber – extracted from the outer part of the coconut, it's a soft, washed, and treated material. Sphagnum moss – a type of moss, often used for orchids. Seedling substrate – the most common; it can be called black soil, organic compost, or topsoil. Carbonized rice hulls – the straw that covers the grain is separated and "toasted." Seedling substrate with rice hulls – creates a very soft, fertile soil. Seedling substrate with coconut fiber – good for plants with Delicate roots that like moisture Seedling substrate with vermiculite – a mineral that helps retain water, perfect for plants that like moist soil Red soil – a clayey material that, when wet, forms a type of clay All of these materials can form the ideal substrate for your plant. There's no single recipe, as some species prefer sandy soil, while others prefer clay. In fact, we call sandy the type of substrate that tends to have more sand in its composition, and clayey the one with more clay or red soil. The cool part is that now that you know the types of substrate, you can prepare your own mix according to your needs. You can make substitutions, use what's easiest to find in your area, and do something our gardening teacher does a lot: test! Write below about the types of mixes you've tried and share your experience!