ISHS Acta Horticulturae 178: Symposium on Nutrition, Growing Techniques and Plant Substrates
GROWING MEDIA FOR BULBS IN BOWLS |
| Authors: | W.R. Carlile, C.P. Turner |
| Abstract:
Proprietary media marketed in the UK for raising bulbs in bowls are mainly sphagnum peat based, but contain vastly differing concentrations of nutrients. Experiments using combinations of sphagnum peat, sedge and peat, composted pine bark and perlite demonstrated that little difference occurred in rate of growth, leaf and flower development, spike height and flower quality of hyacinths raised in media. Varying nutrient concentrations had equally little effect on the growth of hyacinths. Plant and flower development was not retarded, even in media of high bark content where nitrogen immobilisation was seen to occur. Bulbs raised in bowls appear to be tolerant of a wide range of media with vastly differing chemical and physical characteristics. In this respect, it appears that some media marketed for bulb raising in the UK may contain unnecessarily high nutrient concentrations. | |
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