Growing Media, Nutrients, and Fertilizers

Plants need a good environment to grow!

? Need a healthy environment above ground

? Need a healthy environment below ground

Plant Growing Media

? Growing medium- Material in which roots of the plants grow

? Provide plants with nutrients

? Place to anchor itself

? Types of media:

– Soil

– Artificial medias (Vermiculite, Perlite)

– Nutrient solutions (Hydroponics)

Soil

? Top few inches of earth’s surface

– Natural medium

– Many kinds

Soilless Medium

? Contains no topsoil

? Organic components

– peat moss

– bark

? Inorganic components

– Vermiculite, Perlite

? made from rock and minerals

? Aids in drainage and aeration

Hydroponics

? Method of growing plants in a nutrient solution

– Nutrient Solution- Contains water and dissolved nutrient salts

? Must use material to anchor plant roots

– Styrofoam, Sand, Gravel,

Mixtures

? Various materials may be mixed to prepare a good medium

– Vermiculite, Perlite, Peat moss, Manure

? Media Must be free of disease, weeds, and other dangerous residues

Composition of Average Soil

Soil: Contents and Structures

? Soil contains three kinds of mineral materials.

– Sand

– Silt

– Clay

Composition of Average Soil

Sand

? Largest mineral particles in soil

? Amount varies in soil

? Soils with more than 85% sand are classified as sand, not soil

? Assists soil drainage

? Soils high in sand may not hold enough moisture for plants to grow properly.

Silt

? Smaller than sand.

? Formed by action of water and other forces that break materials into silt

? Areas near rivers are often high in silt deposits.

Clay

? Smallest size particles in soil

? Fill spaces between particles

? Holds water and keeps soil moist

? Soils high in clay may be slow to dry after a rain. As a result soil may form a hard, compact surface.

Organic Matter

? Decayed remains of plants and animals.

? Decaying leaves, bark, manure, and other plant materials increase organic matter.

? High in nutrients, released for plant growth

Soil Texture

? The proportion of sand, silt, and clay present in soil

? Amount of mineral materials in soil varies and makes some soils better suited for certain uses

Soil Profile

? Vertical section of soil at a particular location.

? Typically shows a layered pattern of materials form surface down to bedrock.

? Layered patterns are divided into horizons.

Horizons

– Surface soils or topsoil- humus, roots, organisms

– Subsoil- accumulation of materials leached from surface, some roots

– Substratum- consisting of partially weathered parent material

– Bedrock or parent material