Growing Better Houseplants. Potting Soil

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1 Potting Soil

2 Q: What is potting soil A: Combination of organic and inorganic materials used to provide the basic requirements for plant growth

3 What does Potting Soil Do? Hold water Hold nutrients Permit gas exchange to and from roots Support plant

4 The Ideal Potting Soil Would: Drain well Hold water Hold nutrients Have ideal ph that can be adjusted Produce vigorous plants Suppress disease Reduce nutrient leaching Not accumulate salts Be inexpensive Be readily (and preferably locally) available Be ultra lightweight for shipping and ease of moving nursery crops Facilitate plant establishment in the landscape

5 What is In Potting Soil? Organic Components: Sphagnum Peat moss Pine and hardwood bark Composted materials Sawdust Coir

6 What is Peat Moss? Sphagnum Peat Moss slightly decomposed sphagnum moss mined from bogs must contain over 75% sphagnum moss fiber minimum of 90% organic matter fiber content greater than 66% acidic with a ph of 4.0

7 Hypnum Peat Moss Composted leaves and stems from various species of Hypnum mosses Fiber content over 50% and an organic matter content of at least 90%. Reed-Sedge Peat Minimum of 33% fiber with at least 50% coming form reed- sedge and nonmoss fibers.

8 Peat Humus Fully decomposed. None of the original plant is identifiable Becomes compacted easily and does not have the water holding capacity of peat moss. Disadvantages of peat based products: Non-renewable Rapidly increasing cost as fuel prices go up May be source of chronic disease sporotrichosis (Sporothrix schenckii)

9 Composted Hardwood Bark High ph Should be fully composted to prevent nitrogen deficiency Use no more than 20% to 50% by volume. Pine Bark increases air porosity acidic low cellulose and high lignin content resists decomposition Use composted bark with pieces less than ¼

10 What is Coir? Going coconuts! Fiber outside of hard shell May contain high salt content! Can drawdown nitrogen Holds water well, re-wets well from dry Good air holding capacity

11 What is In Potting Soil? Inorganic Components: Mineral soil Sand or grit Perlite Vermiculite Polystyrene beads Rockwool

12 Inorganic Components Vermiculite mined product of aluminum/magnesium/silicate processed at temperatures close to 1000 o C expands the material by 15 to 20 times larger the particle, the greater water holding and air holding influence can have a high ph

13 Inorganic Components Perlite chemically inert, generally sterile strip mined in New Zealand and the US processed by grinding and high temperatures Resists compaction, improves drainage increases air-filled porosity

14 Sand & Grit maintains good drainage low water holding capacity can decrease aeration and drainage depending on particle size and shape

15 Calcined clay formed from certain clays, fuel ash, or shale fired at high temperatures internal porosity of 40 50% reduce phosphorous leaching high cation exchange capacity.

16 Styrofoam or polystyrene beads totally inert improve drainage and aeration will float to the top of a mix issue in landfills

17 Hydrogel Amendments (hydrophilic polymer) Can be affected by water quality Of benefit in extreme drought conditions (0.4%) Broken down by fertilizer salts Over-wet a moisture retentive mix

18 Fertilizer, Leaching, and the Chesapeake Bay Thanks to: Green Industry Knowledge Center,

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