ISHS Acta Horticulturae 133: Nutrient Film Technique and Substrates, XXI IHC
BARKCOMPOST, A NEW ACCEPTED GROWING MEDIUM FOR PLANTS |
| Authors: | O. Verdonck, D. De Vleeschauwer, R. Penninck |
| Abstract:
Barkcompost is accepted in the last two years as a normal used substrate for ornamental plants. Due to the difference in physical and chemical properties, it takes a certain time before the growers have accepted as a substrate which is as good as the classical substrates (pine litter and peat). Before it can be used as a growing medium, bark has to be transformed in a compost because of the nitrogen hunger and fytotoxic compounds. The composition of bark can be done with mineral and organic nitrogen sources. As mineral nitrogen source urea is accepted as the best one. A lot of organic nitrogen sources as chicken and piggery manure, tobacco waste and hydrolysed protein sources, have been tested out. The barkcompost is physically and chemically optimized in order to know what is the ideal irrigation pattern and fertilizer program for barkcompost used as a growing medium. These determinations will help the practical growers to use the barkcompost in the most ideal circumstances. | |
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