Articles
Substrates affect irrigation frequency and plant growth of potted orchids
Article number
1104_66
Pages
463 – 468
Language
English
Abstract
Production efficiency is an integral part of potted orchid production.
Proper selection of substrate is essential because it affects the amount of water and fertilizer application and waste, disease incidence, plant growth and production cost, and ultimately determines farm income.
The purpose of this study was to determine the best bark-based medium for orchid production.
Physical properties were assessed by measuring distribution of solid volume, water-filled porosity and air-filled porosity in an 8.9-cm-square pot for redwood bark, volcanic cinder, coir croutons, horticultural foam cube, peat, sphagnum moss and rock wool cubes.
Sphagnum moss, peat and coir croutons were observed to have high water retention; these three media were then individually mixed with bark and physical properties of the mix were assessed.
Sphagnum moss provided the largest increase in water-filled porosity with minimum loss of air-filled porosity when mixed with bark. Oncidium Miltassa Shelob LSQUOTolkienRSQUO plants were subsequently grown in bark:sphagnum media in mixing ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 or 0:100 by volume, and fertigated (1N-0.3P-1.29K) at 15 ppm N at varying frequencies.
There was an interaction between medium water holding capacity and fertigation frequency on the growth of potted orchids after eight months.
Higher sphagnum ratio in the media increased water holding capacity and subsequently enhanced plant growth when fertigation frequency was 1×, 2×, or 3× a week.
However, at higher fertigation frequencies, media composition and water holding capacity had less effect on orchid growth.
Our results confirm that the composition of potting substrates is important for determining the fertigation frequency and plant growth in orchid production.
Proper selection of substrate is essential because it affects the amount of water and fertilizer application and waste, disease incidence, plant growth and production cost, and ultimately determines farm income.
The purpose of this study was to determine the best bark-based medium for orchid production.
Physical properties were assessed by measuring distribution of solid volume, water-filled porosity and air-filled porosity in an 8.9-cm-square pot for redwood bark, volcanic cinder, coir croutons, horticultural foam cube, peat, sphagnum moss and rock wool cubes.
Sphagnum moss, peat and coir croutons were observed to have high water retention; these three media were then individually mixed with bark and physical properties of the mix were assessed.
Sphagnum moss provided the largest increase in water-filled porosity with minimum loss of air-filled porosity when mixed with bark. Oncidium Miltassa Shelob LSQUOTolkienRSQUO plants were subsequently grown in bark:sphagnum media in mixing ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 or 0:100 by volume, and fertigated (1N-0.3P-1.29K) at 15 ppm N at varying frequencies.
There was an interaction between medium water holding capacity and fertigation frequency on the growth of potted orchids after eight months.
Higher sphagnum ratio in the media increased water holding capacity and subsequently enhanced plant growth when fertigation frequency was 1×, 2×, or 3× a week.
However, at higher fertigation frequencies, media composition and water holding capacity had less effect on orchid growth.
Our results confirm that the composition of potting substrates is important for determining the fertigation frequency and plant growth in orchid production.
Authors
J. Lichty, P. Singleton, H.J. Kim
Keywords
media, water conservation, overhead irrigation, production
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