Can you use honeycomb coal soil to plant flowers? How to make flower soil without honeycomb coal slag

Honeycomb coal is a traditional fuel in the home. It may not be used much now, but in the past, every home had it, and there would be old men selling coal on the road. The soil after burning honeycomb coal can actually be processed and reused as flower soil. So how to deal with it specifically?

Can you plant flowers with honeycomb coal soil?

You can use burnt honeycomb coal slag to plant flowers, but it is not recommended to use it directly.

Coal contains trace elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, magnesium, calcium, iron, sulfur, and nitrogen, and coal ash is the solid and gaseous compounds produced by the combustion of these trace metal elements and other elements. For example, iron oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, sulfur dioxide, etc. These solid compounds are basically insoluble in water, and the trace metal elements in them are also difficult to become ions and dissolve in water. The gaseous compounds such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide produced after combustion will be adsorbed on these residues. If the coal ash is directly applied to the flower soil, the sulfide and nitride will harm the root system of the flowers.

Therefore, it is recommended to place it outdoors in the wind and rain for 2-3 months to reduce the nitrogen and sulfide it absorbs, and also reduce its weak alkalinity to neutral. After 2-3 months, it can be crushed and mixed with flower soil.

How to make flower soil from honeycomb coal slag

Honeycomb coal slag cannot be used directly and must undergo various treatments before it can be used as flower soil.

When choosing coal slag, you should choose the kind of fully burned coal slag. The sulfur content of the coal slag that is not fully burned is relatively high, which has a great impact on the growth of flowers and plants. After choosing the coal slag, soak it in water for about three days. Change the water every day, then take out the soaked coal slag and dry it before crushing it, otherwise it will easily become mud.

After crushing, sift the coal slag. Sift out the coarsest coal slag and use it as a base. The finest can be used to grow seedlings. Usually, an iron sieve is used to sift the coal slag. If you don't have one, you can use a vegetable basket at home. After sifting, rinse it to wash away the dust.

The last thing is soil configuration. The south has a lot of rain and high humidity, so the soil needs to be more breathable and water-permeable. The north has less rain and is relatively dry, so it needs to be better at retaining water. The recommended proportion of coal slag in the south is 30-50%, and 20-40% is best in the north.

If it is possible to collect leaf humus, you can use humus soil to match coal slag and coarse river sand to plant flowers, and the effect is very good. If it is difficult to collect leaf humus, you can use it together with peat soil. When mixing the soil, add some perlite, volcanic rock, etc., which can better improve the air permeability and drainage of the soil.

How to deal with honeycomb coal slag to grow succulents

First, soak the coal balls in water for two days to remove the alkalinity. Change the water twice in the middle to clean the powdered soil of the coal balls. If it is cloudy and rainy, you can also directly throw the coal balls outside in the rain, which is much easier.

Then, break the coal balls into pieces and make sure they are the size you need. Rinse them in water three or four times to clean the powder in the coal slag. Then, collect the large particles with your hands. Repeat this several times and the small cutting-level particles will be exposed.

Large particles can be used as a base, and small particles can be mixed with river sand, perlite, and humus soil. Remember that the mixed soil must be exposed to the sun for a few days before use, so that the sun can kill the bacteria in the soil.

Honeycomb coal slag can also be used to grow aloe vera, Christmas cactus, sedum, cactus, etc. The mixing ratio depends on the air permeability of the flowerpot. If the air permeability is not good, it is okay to add more coal slag.