THE LIME REQUIREMENT OF TOMATO PLANTS GROWN IN PEAT

Shredded sphagnum peat is now widely accepted as an excellent growing medium for plants.
In some countries it is preferred to mix the peat with sand, vermiculite or similar materials, in others the use of peat without the addition of such materials is recommended.
This is the case in Norway where the work of Roll-Hansen (3) has given rise to an extensive use of peat in the propagation of tomato and cucumber plants.
In recent years attempts have also been made to grow the plants in peat beyond the propagation stage.
These attempts have primarily been stimulated by the work of Puustjärvi (1) who claims to have obtained exceptionally high yields in peat-culture.

Since the peat is extremely acid, liming is necessary in order to obtain a satisfactory growth of the plants.
Finely ground dolomite is usually recommended as liming material.
The rates of application which are recommended vary, however, to a large extent.
While 2–3 kg per m³ of peat seems to be widely accepted as a sufficient amount, Puustjärvi recommends rates of applications in the order of 8 – 10 kg per m³. This discrepancy may indicate that the rate of application is not very critical and that heavy liming does not adversely affect plant growth.
However, the effect of liming on the growth of plants in peat has apparently not been investigated to any large extent.
It thus seems appropriate

Symposium on Vegetable Growing under Glass

E. Strømme, J. Öydvin

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1966.4.34