Learn The Basics Of Growing Media From Texas A&M University

LM-Bark 1 (Lambert Peat Moss)The Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension website offers growers a primer on growing media. According to the site, the production of greenhouse crops involves a number of cultural inputs. Among these, perhaps the most important is the type of growing medium used. Due to the relatively shallow depth and limited volume of a container, growing media must be amended to provide the appropriate physical and chemical properties necessary for plant growth.

Field soils are generally unsatisfactory for the production of plants in containers. This is primarily because soils do not provide the aeration, drainage, and water holding capacity required. To improve this situation, several soilless growing media have been developed.

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For those wanting to learn more about growing media, the site offers the following:
• A description of some of the most commonly used amendments for the production of greenhouse crops.
• How to prepare soilless growing media
• Best practices for the use of growing media

For more information, go to http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamental/greenhouse-management/growing-media/.

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I’m amazed that the Texas A&M article completely ignored coco coir as an extremely effective, eco-friendly and sustainable soilless growing media! Similar to peat moss but made from the husks of coconuts, it is use worldwide as a growing substrate for greenhouse and hydroponic crops. It works well alone and in blends. For more info, please visit our website : Fibredust.com .

Avatar for Lynn Griffith Lynn Griffith says:

Leaf mold ? Bagasse ? Neither one is a very practical media component option, and bagasse should not be a component of any quality substrate. It shrinks, it heats up, and it doesn’t have the physical structure qualities growers need. I owned a soil testing lab for 28 years, and I have seen these tried a number of times. They simply don’t work.