cocopeat

Soilless Cultures

Many methods of soilless culture are being used successfully. Some of the media used are peat, vermiculite, perlite, sand, pumice, rice hulls, and plastic Styrofoam. Often mixtures of these media are used in various proportions. Growing trials with various mixtures determine which proportions are most suitable to the plants in question. For example, flowering potted plants such as chrysanthemums, poinsettias, and Easter lilies and tropical foliage plants can be grown well in mixtures of peat-sand-pumice in a 2:1:2 ratio.

Peat: -

• Peat consists of partially decomposed aquatic, marsh, bog, or swamp vegetation. The composition of different peat deposits varies widely, depending on the vegetation from which it originated, the state of decomposition, mineral content, and degree of acidity
• There are three types of peats: moss peat, reed-sedge, and peat humus. Peat moss is the least decomposed and is derived from sphagnum, hypnum, or other mosses.
• It has a high moisture holding capacity (10 times its dry weight), high in acidity (PH 3.8 – 4.5), and contains a small amount of nitrogen (about 1.0%) but little or no phosphorus or potassium. Peat from hypnum and other kinds of mosses breaks down rapidly, as compared with sphagnum, and is not as desirable. Peat from sedges, reeds, and other swamp plants also decomposes rapidly.

Vermiculite: -  

• Vermiculite is a micaceous mineral, which is expanded when heated in furnaces at temperatures near 1093 degree Celsius. The water turns to steam, popping the layer apart, forming small, porous, sponge-like kernels. Heating to this temperature gives complete sterilization.
• Chemically, it is a hydrated magnesium-aluminium-iron silicate. When expanded, it is very light in weight (6-10lb/ft3) (96-160 kg/m3), neutral in reaction with good buffering properties, and insoluble in water, it is able to absorb large quantities of water, 3-4 gal/ft3 (0.4-0.5 mL/cm3).
• It has a relatively high cation exchange capacity and thus can hold nutrients in reserve and later release them. It contains some magnesium and potassium, which can be used by plants.
• Horticultural vermiculite is graded in four sizes:-
  • particles from 5 to 8 mm in diameter.
  • regular horticultural grade, from 2 to 3 mm.
  • particles from 1 to 2 mm
  • most useful as a seed-germinating medium, from 0.75 to 1 mm.

• Expanded vermiculite should not be pressed or compacted when wet, as this will destroy its desirable porous structure.

Perlite: -

• Perlite is a siliceous material of volcanic origin, mined from lava flows. The crude ore is crushed and screened, then heated in furnaces to about 760 degree Celsius, at which temperature the small amount of moisture in the particle’s changes to steam, expanding the particles too small, spongelike kernels, which are very light, weighing only 5-8 lb/ft3 (80-128 kg/m3).
• The high processing temperature gives a sterile product. A particle size of 0.063-0.13 in. (1.6 – 3.1 mm) in diameter is usually used in horticultural applications. Perlite will hold three to four times its weight of water.
• It is essentially neutral, with a pH of 6.0 -8.0, but with no buffering capacity; unlike vermiculite, it has no cation exchange capacity and contains no minor nutrients. It is most useful in increasing aeration in a mixture since it has a very rigid structure. While it does not decay, the particle size can become smaller by fracturing as it is handled.
• A fine grade is useful primarily for seed germination, while a coarser type of horticultural grade is best suited for mixing with peat, in equal parts, for propagation or with mixtures of peat and sand for growing plants.

Pumice: -

• Pumice, like perlite, is a siliceous material of volcanic origin. However, it is the crude ore that is obtained after crushing and screening without any heating process. It has essentially the same properties as perlite, but is heavier and does not absorb water as readily since it has not been hydrated. It is used in mixtures of peat and sand for the growing of potted plants.

Rice Hulls: -

• Rice Hulls are the outer husk or shell of the rice grain. After the rice grains are dried, the outer hulls are removed in the milling as a by-product. The rice hulls are thin, feather-light, and pointed in shape similar to rice grains.
• They do not decompose readily, lasting from 3 to 5 yr. They are neutral in pH and have no nutrients. Their smooth surface does not allow them to retain moisture. They are used in the raw state to free up heavy soils to help oxygenate the soils.
• They can also be used as a hydroponic substrate. They are mixed with peat or coco coir, usually at 20% of rice hulls. However, most soilless mixes using rice hulls prefer to use charcoaled rice hulls. This is done extensively in the greenhouse flower industry. Rice charcoal is created by burning (smouldering) the rice hulls very slowly. After burning, their structure becomes full of tiny pores, thus increasing their water-holding capacity and capillary action. Also, in this state with their large surface area, they provide sites for beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms and therefore are an excellent soil amendment.

Soilless mixtures: -

Most mixtures contain some combination of sand, peat, perlite, pumice, and vermiculite. The specific proportion of each component used depends on the plants grown. The following are some useful mixtures.

Peat: Perlite: Sand	2:2:1 for potted plants
Peat: Perlite	1:1 for the propagation of cuttings
Peat: Sand	1:1 for the propagation of cuttings and for potted plants
Peat: Sand	1:3 for bedding plants and nursery container-grown stocks
Peat: vermiculite	1:1 for the propagation of cuttings
Peat: sand	3:1 lightweight, excellent aeration, for pots and beds, good for azaleas, gardenias
Vermiculite: perlite	1:1 lightweight good for the propagation of cuttings
Peat: Pumice: Sand	2:2:1 for potted plants.

 

• Hydroponic is the act of raising plants without using soil, but rather in a water medium with nutrients.
• The plants are placed in a hydroponic system that supplies the required nutrients to the roots with the help of the water medium.
• The use of hydroponic has helped farmers to evade serious seedling diseases and pests like fungus and gnats, which mostly attack in moist soils.
• Media like coconut fibre, plugs, and peat pots have necessary nutrients and ensure that the seeds have a healthy growth.
• Rockwool or oasis can serve as a medium, the seedlings can be transplanted along with the cube into a complete hydroponic system later.
• Rapid rooters are mostly used as a medium as they have large numbers of important microbes and Mycorrhizal fungi that help in colonizing the root thus maximizing uptake of nutrients by the plant and evade serious diseases.

Other options:-

• Other than rapid rooters, there are other hydroponic options you can go for like, rock wool, coconut fibre, peat and oasis cube.
• While the rapid rooters retain a lot of water, oasis and coir retain very little water.
• The rock wool has a high PH concentration; therefore, the cubes should be rinsed in the solution of both water and vinegar to neutralize the PH before putting the seeds in the cubes to grow.
• Mix a teaspoon of vinegar in a cup half-filled with water and dip the cubes into the resulting solution shaking off the excess.
• Rock wool needs more attention because it is alkaline in nature.

Location: -

• The container should be placed where it can receive maximum light.
• If you choose to grow your seeds in the house, the convenient places are like on a table or near a window where there is partial light either in the morning or in the afternoon.
• In case you want to grow outside, then you should select a partially sunny location like a porch.
• The container should be away from heavy rainfall and winds.
• Since the container is small and portable, it should be moved from one place to another to protect it from bad weather.

Maintenance: -

• Water should be added only when the cubes start to get dry. Because much water favours the development of molds on the rock wool.
• On the other hand, if there is no water for a long time the seeds will not germinate. Thus, the cubes should be moist but not wet or dry.
• When the seedlings reach 2 inches in height, add diluted nutrient solution or fish water to the water in the container. This will greatly boost the root growth.

Transplanting: -

• The seedlings are ready for transplanting to a hydroponics grow system when they reach 3-4 inches in height. Look for 3 to 4 true leaves.
• Fill the net pot with clay pellets until it is half full. Which supports the plants.
• The best time of day to plant is in the late afternoon when the sun is not hot, and the wind has calmed down. By taking advantage of this time of day, the new plants have overnight to acclimate.
• Strong sun and wind are very hard on new transplants. Unless watered carefully, and in some cases provided with some shelter from the wind and sun, they can severely wilt.
• This places the plants under stress at the very beginning of their growing cycle and is not a good idea because sometimes they never bounce back and don’t thrive as well as they could have.