ISHS Acta Horticulturae 99: Symposium on Substrates in Horticulture other than Soils In Situ
PERLITE SYSTEM FOR TOMATO PRODUCTION |
| Author: | G.C.S. Wilson |
| Abstract:
This system uses perlite which is an ideal rooting medium which can hold large amounts of water in a form readily available to the plant and yet be very well aerated. It has sufficient conductivity to ensure fairly rapid capillary rise from a layer of nutrient solution at the bottom of a bag. Conventional polythene growbags are filled with thirtythree litres of perlite which is absolutely sterile because it has been expanded at 1000 °C. The grower then incorporates calcium magnesium and trace elements using gypsum, limestone and fritted trace elements, plants his plants, then feeds conventionally with drip feeding from a diluter using standard commercial liquid feeds. This system has all of the advantages of the "thin film technique" and "aggregate culture" without their disadvantages. The other important point about this system is that there does not appear to be the same root death that occurs in soil, peat and recirculating water culture, possibly being due to the very good aeration in perlite. Experimental work has been carried out over a three year period and yields of tomatoes are similar to peat grown plants. Reuse for a second year has also been studied. | |
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