ISHS Acta Horticulturae 548: International Symposium on Growing Media and Hydroponics
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROSE CULTIVATION ON COCO-SOIL AND PUMICE WITH RECIRCULATION OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION |
| Authors: | T. Syros, A. Economou, A. Galaftis, G. Tsicritsis, P. Ralli |
| Keywords: | hydroponics, plant nutrition, Rosa sp., substrate |
| Abstract:
Ownrooted rose plants (cv. ‘Madelon’) were planted in pots containing coco-soil or pumice. Each pot had 2 or 3 plants (6 or 9 plants per gross m2) cultivated with the arching system on benches with circulation of the nutrient solution. The amount of fertigation daily was 800 and 1000 ml approximately per plant for coco-soil and pumice, respectively, and was applied automatically in 8 equal doses. The average inputs of the major nutrients in the solution were approximately: 0.25 mmol·l-1 NH4+, 15.7 mmol·l-1 NO3-, 1.5 mmol·l-1 P and 4.2 mmol·l-1 K. In two periods of 4 weeks each, from May to August, samples of the drain water were taken for measuring the pH, EC and the concentration of the major nutrients. The pH was found to be 6.0 in coco-soil and 6.0 in pumice, while the EC was 2.6-5.9 and 2.2-3.9 mS·cm-1 in coco-soil and pumice, respectively. As far as flower production was concerned, more flowers were harvested from plants grown on coco-soil than on pumice, independently of the planting density. On the other hand, stem length and weight were the same in rose flowers produced on both substrates. | |
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