sikkim universty

1. BY EZEKIEL KHAWAS
ROOTING MEDIA IN
GREENHOUSE

2. INTRODUCTION
Rooting media is necessary in greenhouse as it
include components like field soil, perlite, sand, peat
of many types, barks of various origins, saw dust and
rock wool are used. Some of them are well proved
some other are not so effective.

3. FUNCTION OF ROOTING MEDIA
 RESERVIOR FOR PLANT
NUTRIENTS.
 HOLD PLANT AVAILABLE
WATER.
 PROVIDE MEANS FOR
GAS EXCHANGE.
 PROVIDE ANCHORAGE
OR SUPPORT FOR THE
PLANT

4. PROPERTIES OF ROOTING MEDIA
 STABILITY OF ORGANIC MATTER.
 CARBON TO NITROGRN RATIO.
 BULK DENSITY.
 MOISTURE RETENTION AND AERATION.
 CATION EXCHANGE CAPACITY.
 pH

5. COMPONENT
 PEAT
 MAIN COMPONENT OF
MOST SOILESS MEDIA
 DECOMPOSED PLANT
MATERIAL.
 CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT
OR DARK
 SPAHAGNUM
PEAT,REED-SEDGES
PEAT, HYPNUM
 DECOMPOSE SLOWLY

6. CONT…
 BARK
 BYPRODUCT OF SAW
MILL
 IMPROVE AERATION
 LESS EXPENSIVE
 SHOULD BE
COMPOSTED OR AGED
BEFORE USE
 PINE BARK ARE
COMMONLY USED

7. CONT..
 COIR
 GROUND WASTE, COCONUT HUSK AFTER REMOVING
FIBER
 PARTICLE SIZE RANGES (0.5-2mm)
 HIGH WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
 PERLITE
 HEATED VOLCANIC ROCK
 LOW WATER HOLDING CAPACITY.
 IMPROVE DRAINAGE
 STERILE AND INERT

8. CONT..
 VERMICULATE
 SILICATE MATERIAL
 SOFT PARTICLE AND EASILY COMPRESSED
 HEAT CAUSE TREMENDOUS EXPANTION OF PARTICLES
 AVAILABLE IN NUNBERS OF GRADES FROM FINE TO COARSE
 HIGH WATER HOLDING CAPACITY
 GREAT AERATION
 HIGH CEC (2-2.5meg/100cc)
 NUTRIENT PROVIDES Ca, Mg, and K.

9. CONT..
 ROOK WOOL
 LIQUFIED BASALT
ROCK, STEEL MILL, OR
OTHER MINERALS
 HIGH WATER HOLDING
CAPACITY
 HIGH POROSITY, AIR
SPACE
 ABILITY TO REWET
RAPIDLY

10. CONT..
 GOOD MEDIA
COMPONENT FOR
SUBIRRIGATED CROP
 SLIGHTLY ALKALINE
AND ALMOST NO CEC
OR NUTRIENTS
 SAND
 BEST DRAINAGE AND
AERATION
 NO CEC OR NUTRIENT

11. 3 BASIC TYPES OF MEDIA
 SOILBASED MEDIA- NATURAL LAYER OF THE EARTH
THAT SUPPORTS LIFE.
 SOILLESS MEDIA- ANY MATERIAL FOE GROWING
PLANTS NOT CONTAINING TOPSOIL.
 HYDROPONICS- PLANTS GROWN PRIMARILY IN
NUTRIENT SOLUTION

12. ROOT MEDIA MIXING
 SOILBASED ROOT MEDIA
 1/3SAND, 1/3PEAT MOSS, 1/3SOIL.
 KEEP CLAY CONTENT LOW
 CAN MAKE AT ANY PLACE HOME/LAB W/ ABILITY TO
STERILIZE SOIL
 SOILLESS ROOT MEDIA
 MATERIAL TO USE
 VERMICULATE, ORGANIC MATTER, SAND, PERLITE,
SPAHAGNUM PEAT MOSS.
 CAN MIX BYSELF OR BUY PREMIXED.
 HYDROPONICS
 NO SOIL 16 ELEMENT FOR GROWTH ARE SUPPLIED FROM AIR , WATER AND
FERTILIZERS

13. Pasteurization of Media
 Pasteurization controls
 Weed seeds, pathogens, insects, nematodes
 Steam pasteurization
 Most used
 Pump steam through soil mixture to kill most pathogens
 Chemical pasteurization
 Cheaper
 Must allow to aerate after treatment
 Chemicals are nasty to handle

14. Pasteurization of Media
 Methyl bromide
 Severely injurious to humans
 Can be damaging to some plants
 Chloropicrin (tear gas)
 Can’t use where plants are growing

15. Watering
 Incorrect watering most frequent cause of reduced
crop quality or failure
 Watering Guides
 Use well drained rooting medium
 Wet entire root media w/ each watering (till it drips)
 Leaching can then remove excess soluble salts
 All root area is wet
 Wet before dry stress occurs

16. Fertilizing
 Plant Nutrients
 Vary w/ rooting media & crop
 May need to pay close attention to micronutrients
 May are available as mixtures or can be incorporated into
irrigation
 Slow-Release Fertilizers
 Release over first 3-4 mos
 Some may be 6-15 mos

17. THANK YOU!