How Your Growing Media May Affect Water and Nutrient Management

Posted by Brian Sparks|August 25, 2023

Growing media consist of mixtures of components that provide water, air, nutrients, and support to plants. The media provide plant support, while the nutrients are provided by added fertilizers. Water and air are provided in the pore spaces in the media.

A recent post from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment notes there are four main factors that affect air and water status in containers: the media components and ratios, height of the media in the container, media handling, and watering practices.

The post also offers a checklist of the effects of growing media characteristics on water and nutrient management:

Avoid compaction of growing media. Containers should be lightly filled and the excess brushed off the top. Do not stack growing containers or pre-fill them too far in advance.
Add water to peat-based mixes before filling plug trays to help create more aeration.
Test the media pH, electrical conductivity and wettability before use.
Do not make changes to your current growing media without experimenting first to see if changes may affect your cultural practices.
If mixing your own media, thoroughly mix components, but do not over-mix, especially if a media contains vermiculite or controlled release fertilizer.
Do not store media that contains fertilizer especially if the media is moist.
Avoid contamination of components for finished media by keeping amendments in closed bags or by covering piles.
Avoid contamination of bagged commercial media by keeping any broken bags covered.
It is advisable to wear a dusk mask when handling dry peat moss or vermiculite to avoid inhaling these materials.
Use surfactants occasionally to assure rapid wetting of the media.

Learn more in the original post here.