This document summarizes Jim Owen's approach to measuring and managing substrate properties for container production. Some key points include: - Engineer substrates to balance water and air content while providing or retaining nutrients. The optimal balance depends on the season, with more water in summer and more air in winter. - Measure physical properties like total porosity, air space, water holding capacity, and bulk density to characterize substrates. These properties can be affected by container size and shape. - Common substrate components include bark, peat, coir, compost, and mineral aggregates. The properties of each component and how they blend together impact the final substrate.

1. Jim Owen, Jr. Substrate Properties: How to measure and manage them North Willamette Research and Extension Center

2. My Approach NUTRIENTS ENVIRONMENT IRRIGATION SUBSTRATE Container

3. My Approach NUTRIENTS ENVIRONMENT IRRIGATION SUBSTRATE Container

4. My Approach Engineer a substrate to balance water and air content while providing or retaining plant nutrients

5. My Approach SUBSTRATE Water : Air “ There is no one fit”

6. My Approach SUBSTRATE Water : Air SUMMER Water WINTER Air

7. Approach SUBSTRATE Water : Air SUMMER Water WINTER Air

8. My Approach STABILITY OVER TIME

15. AIR : WATER RELATIONSHIP

18. Water will not move from small pores (fine texture) to large pores (coarse texture) until small pores are saturated. Small pores large pores Small pores (full) large pores Water movement X

19. Sand over clay Water movement Oklahoma State University

20. Sand over clay Water movement Oklahoma State University

21. Clay over sand Water movement Oklahoma State University

22. Clay over sand Water movement Oklahoma State University

23. Moisture Content Fonteno

26. SOLIDS WATER AIR TOTAL POROSITY 1 2 3 Bilderback and Fonteno

27. 29% 29% 29% SOLIDS WATER AIR TOTAL POROSITY 1 2 3 Bilderback and Fonteno

28. 29% 29% 29% SOLIDS WATER 47% 45% 41% AIR TOTAL POROSITY 1 2 3 Bilderback and Fonteno

29. 29% 29% 29% SOLIDS WATER 47% 45% 41% AIR 24% 26% 30% TOTAL POROSITY 1 2 3 Bilderback and Fonteno

30. 29% 29% 29% SOLIDS WATER 47% 45% 41% AIR 24% 26% 30% 71% 71% 71% TOTAL POROSITY 1 2 3 Bilderback and Fonteno

31. Particle Size

32. Particle Size Capillary Water

34. Particle Size

35. Particle Size Fonteno

36. Particle Size RAW Fonteno

37. Particle Size EAW WBC

38. SUBSTRATE COMPONENTS

40. First, I Digress! Bark Inventory Management

42. Bark Supply Bark Arrives Hot! Steam Haze around pile! Spores

46. Douglas Fir Bark Altland

47. Douglas Fir Bark AGED FRESH Altland

48. Douglas Fir Bark Buamscha and Altland

49. Douglas Fir Bark Water Holding Capacity 27% 37% 45% - 65% Buamscha and Altland 50% 35% 10% - 30%

52. Mineral aggregate Raw Clay Selection & Mining Primary Crusher Secondary Crusher Dryer (RVM) Mill Screen Rotary Kiln (LVM) Oil-Dri Corporation of America Bag or Bulk ≤ 800 °C ≈ 120°C

53. Mineral aggregate Zeolite

54. Mineral aggregate Shulze, D.G., 2002. An introduction to soil mineralogy. In: Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications SSSA Book Series no. 7.

55. Mineral Aggregate Montmorillonite Palygorskite Shulze, D.G., 2002. An introduction to soil mineralogy. In: Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications SSSA Book Series no. 7.

56. Amendment Montmorillonite Palygorskite Surface Area ≈ 90 m 2 /g CEC ≈ 100 cmol c kg Oil-Dri Corporation of America Clinoptilolite Surface Area ≈ 40 m 2 /g CEC ≈ 250 cmol c kg Surface Area ≈ 120 m 2 /g CEC ≈ 20 cmol c kg

57. Amendment Shulze, D.G., 2002. An introduction to soil mineralogy. In: Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications SSSA Book Series no. 7. Heating Dehydration Natural Occurring Low Volatile Material Palygorskite and Zeolite

58. Amendment Heating Dehydration Natural Occurring Low Volatile Material Shulze, D.G., 2002. An introduction to soil mineralogy. In: Soil Mineralogy with Environmental Applications SSSA Book Series no. 7. Montmorillonite

62. Coir

63. Coir Sri Lanka and Mexico

64. Coir waste product

65. Coir 51% 41% Internal 12% 41% Surface PEAT VS COIR Porosity

66. Coir Wettability! 51% 41% Internal 12% 41% Surface PEAT VS COIR Porosity

69. Compost

72. Moisture Content RAW

73. Pine Bark Mixtures 37%

74. Pine Bark Mixtures 37% Inc. Air Space Inc. Available water

75. Clay amended pine bark PRACTICAL APPLICATION

77. Clay Rate Porometer Results

78. Clay Rate

79. Clay Rate

80. Clay Rate

81. Clay Rate

82. Clay Rate Normal Range

83. Clay Rate

84. Clay Rate Max. = 12%

85. Clay Rate

86. Clay Rate Max. = 11%

87. Clay Rate

88. Plastic bag method FIELD QUANTIFICATION

90. Field Quantification Known container volume

91. Field Quantification Fill, pack, remove excess

92. Field Quantification Saturate with known volume = total porosity (weight can also be used)

93. Field Quantification Drain a known volume = air space

94. Field Quantification Container Capacity = total porosity - air space

95. Field Quantification Bulk Density = dry weight / container volume

97. QUESTIONS