Growing Media

The authors retract their recent published article [...]

Coffee grounds are the perfect substrate to grow mushrooms, as they contain minerals and nutritional substances useful for their growth - what may seem waste is actually a resource. This is the idea at the base of Funghi Espresso, a start-up inspired by the ideas Blue Economy where discards from a production cycle do not become…

The ten-year experiment on the soil physical properties of biochar-amended Podzol was studied. Biochar was applied to the soil in the following rates: treatment BC10—10 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC20—20 Mg × ha−1, treatment BC30—30 Mg × ha−1 and treatment BC0—Control (soil without the addition of biochar). Biochar was mixed the soil arable layer (0–20 cm). Soil samples were collected ten times, once a year—after harvest rye. They were taken from layers: 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, in six replicates, using 100 cm3 metal cylinders. The soil physical properties were determined: particle size distribution, particle density, bulk density, total porosity, air capacity and permeability (at −15.5 kPa), water content at sampling, field water capacity (at −15.5 kPa), available and unavailable water content, and the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was calculated. It was found that biochar application causes changes in the soil physical condition. The soil density decreased, while the porosity, aeration and water retention increased; the ratio of field water capacity and total porosity was favorable. These changes cannot be considered as permanent. Most of the analyzed properties showed a durability of no more than 3–4 years.

The floating system is a successful strategy for producing baby leaf vegetables. Moreover, compost from agricultural and agri-food industry wastes is an alternative to peat that can be used as a component of growing media in this cultivation system. In a new study, researchers experimented with three…

The floating system is a successful strategy for producing baby leaf vegetables. Moreover, compost from agricultural and agri-food industry wastes is an alternative to peat that can be used as a component of growing media in this cultivation system. In this study, we experimented with three composts containing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), leek (Allium porrum L.), grape (Vitis vinifera L.), and/or olive (Olea europaea L.) mill cake residues, which were used as the main component (75/25 volume/volume) of three growing media (GM1, GM2 and GM3) to evaluate their effect on the growth and quality of red baby leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). We used a commercial peat substrate as a control treatment (100% volume) and in mixtures (25% volume) with the composts. The plants were cultivated over two growing cycles, in spring and summer, and harvested twice in each cycle when the plants had four to five leaves. We found that the percentage of seed germination was significantly higher in plants grown in peat than in those grown in compost growing media. The yield was affected by the growing media in the summer cycle, and we obtained the highest value with GM1. Furthermore, the second cut was more productive than the first one for all the growing media in both cycles. The lettuce quality was also affected by the growing media.

On October 2nd, 2020 Jiffy is introducing European quality peat substrates in the US. Jiffy now offers 26 mixes formulated to fit different crops. As we all know, annuals have different rooting needs than vegetable seedlings. Choosing the right Jiffy substrate helpsgive your plants a great start. All Jiffy’s…

There is a need for plant growing media that can support a beneficial microbial root environment to ensure that optimal plant growth properties can be achieved. We investigated the effect of five rhizosphere bacterial community inocula (BCI S1–5) that were collected at three open field organic farms and two soilless farms on the performance of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The lettuce plants were grown in ten different plant growing media (M1–10) composed of 60% v/v peat (black peat or white peat), 20% v/v other organics (coir pith or wood fiber), 10% v/v composted materials (composted bark or green waste compost) and 10% v/v inorganic materials (perlite or sand), and one commercial plant growing medium inside a plant factory with artificial lighting. Fractional factorial design of experiments analysis revealed that the bacterial community inoculum, plant growing medium composition, and their interaction determine plant performance. The impact of bacterial amendments on the plant phenotype relied on the bacterial source. For example, S3 treatment significantly increased lettuce shoot fresh weight (+57%), lettuce head area (+29%), root fresh weight (+53%), and NO3-content (+53%), while S1 treatment significantly increased lettuce shoot dry weight (+15%), total phenolic content (+65%), and decreased NO3-content (−67%). However, the effectiveness of S3 and S1 treatment depended on plant growing medium composition.

Inoculation with beneficial microbes has been proposed as an effective practice for the improvement of plant growth and soil health. Since soil acts as a physicochemical background for soil microbial communities, we hypothesized that its management will mediate the effects of microbial inoculants on the indigenous soil microbes. We examined the effects of bacterial inoculants [Bacillus subtilis (Ba), Pseudomonas fluorescens (Ps), and both (BaPs)] on the growth of Lactuca sativa cultivated in soils that originated from an organic maize (OS) and a conventional barley (CS) management system. Moreover, the biomass and the community structure of the rhizosphere microbial communities and the soil enzyme activities were recorded. The root weight was higher in CS than OS, while the foliage length was greater in OS than CS treatments. Only in OS pots, inoculants resulted in higher biomasses of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes compared to the control with the highest values being recorded in Ps and BaPs treated soils. Furthermore, different inoculants resulted in different communities in terms of structure mainly in OS soils. For soil enzymes, the effect of the management system was more important due to the high organic matter existing in OS soils. We suggest that for microbial inoculation to be effective it should be considered together with the management history of the soil.

500Foods shared this story from HD.com. Simplified soilless cultivation (SSC) systems have globally spread as growing solutions for low fertility soil regions, low availability of water irrigation, small areas and polluted environments. In a recent study, four independent experiments were conducted for assessing the applicability of SSC in the…

Substrate wettability is an important factor in determining effective and efficient irrigation techniques for container-grown crops. Reduced substrate wettability can lead to lower substrate water capture, excessive leaching and poor plant growth. This research examined substrate water capture using surface and subirrigation under three initial moisture contents (IMC). Sphagnum peat moss, coconut coir, and pine bark were tested at IMCs of 67% 50%, and 33%. Substrate water capture was influenced by both IMC and irrigation technique. Surface irrigation increased the water capture of coir and peat, regardless of IMC, whereas IMC influenced pine bark water capture more than irrigation method. Surface-irrigated coir at or above 50% IMC provided the greatest water capture across all treatments. The first irrigation had the highest capture rate compared to all other events combined. Container capacities of pine bark and coir were unaffected by IMC and irrigation type, but the CC of peat was less by ~ 40% volumetrically under low IMC conditions. Coir, had the greatest ability to capture water, followed by pine bark and peat, respectively. Moisture content, irrigation type and component selection all influence the water capture efficiency of a container substrate.

Peat-free growing media constituents and stand-alone substrates are the basis for the economic and ecological efficiency of the soilless culture system. Nevertheless, divergence between the model and practice still exists, coming from large gaps in the knowledge of alternative organic materials and of their effects on crop performance. A more detailed understanding of these topics is necessary to increase the soilless culture management capacity. In this respect, this critical review collects research outcomes concerning the sustainability of soilless culture and growing media constituents and their impact on the environment. In particular, the review covers designated articles stressing the pros and cons of soilless culture and growing media constituents, the exploitation of different organic materials and their economic and environmental relevance.

A crop that uses an aeroponic method relies on mist and air to grow rather than soil. It’s an inventive way to avoid aggregates that traditional agriculture methods require. Each plant receives nutrient-rich moisture through a spritz to its roots. This practice allows growers to create a flexible, mobile garden wherever they please.

Water holding capacity is greatly influenced by the size of the growing medium particles. Coarse particles create macropores which account for drainage and air porosity, while fine particles create micropores which retain water. A mixture of coarse and fine particles can be prejudicial for a substrate…

The tomato is an important horticultural crop, the cultivation of which is often under influence of abiotic and biotic stressors. Grafting is a technique used to alleviate these problems. Shortage of water has stimulated the introduction of new irrigation methods: deficit irrigation (DI) and partial…

Saint-Gobain Cultilene introduces a new cube for pepper growing: Dry Comfort. A cube that allows the grower to grow drier and at the same time more comfortable. This guarantees optimal controllability and good root development. With Dry Comfort, Cultilene is launching a new cube that is extremely…

Growing media are one of the most widely used materials for growing greenhouse crops. With many different formulations available for growers, it can be a challenge to choose which is the best blend to use. Understanding the composition, functions and intended use can make the selection process easier.…

Good quality starting material is very important in the horti- and floriculture sector. The quality of the crop is inextricably linked to the quality of the starting material that has been used. With virus pressure getting higher and higher, this subject has become even more important. Therefore, this month we are focusing on…

500Foods shared this story from HD.com. Plantlogic is focused on designing solutions for substrate production that will increase the health of plants and enable growers to adequately fertigate their crops. With these goals in mind, Plantlogic presents its newest, innovative product for hydroponic production of vegetables. The "Kratos" is aimed…

There are hardly any areas in the world where coco producer and supplier Dutch Plantin does not deliver. Professional growers worldwide use the coco substrates for their soft fruit, vegetable and flower cultivation. But perhaps the most innovative customer is just around the corner. Jan van den Elzen…

The biological suppression of common plant diseases increasingly becomes the preferred alternative to chemical plant protection. Adding biostimulants to a growing medium can induce the required suppressing effects. Based on long-term research, Klasmann-Deilmann has developed TerrAktiv PLUS, a unique constituent consisting of…

US based FibreDust announces the release of Coir WTF 70/30. "The patent pending blend takes coir to the next level. We are blending wood fiber and coir at our factories and compressing the product for efficient global delivery in grow bags, grow cubes, disks, layflat slabs, and more. "Fibredust is always…

For the growing of tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers in the greenhouse, there is a new, sustainable product from the Gregor Ziegler GmbH from Plößberg. What's special about the Grow Bags are the domestic ingredients, which are made of 100 percent of the quickly renewable raw material wood. A central…

Political and commercial pressures are increasing to cease the use of peat for horticulture crop production. Defra is due to publish its peat strategy later in 2020, which may precipitate further measures if the industry fails to move closer to the 2030 zero peat use target for commercial horticulture.…

A recent whitepaper from Grodan discusses growing media and the efficient use of nutrients.  One of the 15 global challenges formulated by the Millenium project is “How can population growth and resources be brought into balance?" One aspect of this challenge is improving the use efficiency of the global resources…

Coir has become the substrate of choice for most of the UK’s major strawberry growers, but the debate about in which system to use it continues. Here are some pros and cons of the various options. The rapid rise in popularity of coir as a growing medium has transformed strawberry production. Many growers…