TOFG-all

Propagation/Greenhouse Management

Unit 1.3 | Part 1 – 159

INGREDIENT FUNCTION / QUALITIES IMPARTED SOURCE SUSTAINABILITY COSTS / COMMENTS

(^1) CEC = Cation Exchange Capacity (see Unit 2.2, Soil Chemistry and Fertility)
$$$ = expensive input
$$ = moderately expensive input
$ = low-cost input
Appendix 7: Propagation Media—
Ingredients & Properties Imparted
Appendix 10: Propagation Media
Peat Moss
Perlite
5–8 lbs/cu ft
Vermiculite
6–10 lbs/cu ft
Compost
Soil
Sand
Leaf Mold
(decomposed
leaf litter)
Coir Fiber
aka Coco Peat
Grape Seed
Pomace
Canadian peat bogs
Mined silica , volcanic
origin Arizona
Mica from Montana
North Carolina
Produced on-site or
purchased
On-site
Quarried, typically
local
On-site
Coconut industry
byproduct from
Sri Lanka, Madagascar,
Philippines, and India
Winery byproduct

• Fungistatic/acidic


• H 2 0-holding capacity
  10 times dry weight


• H 2 0-holding capacity
  3–4 times dry weight


• Aeration • Drainage


• Drainage • High CEC


• H 2 0-holding capacity
  6–8 times weight


• Has Mg/K


• Moisture retention


• Drainage • Nutrients


• Pathogen suppression


• Minerals • Minor NPK


• Bulk density


• Drainage • Aeration


• Serves as peat substitute


• Acid/fungistatic


• Drainage • H 2 0-holding


• H 2 0-holding • Drainage


• Drainage • Aeration


• K source • Minor N

$$$ • pH 3.5–5.0

• Non-renewable by most counts

$$$ • Non-renewable

• No CEC^1 • No nutrients


• Energy intensive production

$$$ • Energy intensive production

• Non-renewable

Requires labor to produce

• Potential source of weed seed

Free • Weed seed potential

$ • 0.05–2.0mm diameter

• No CEC or nutrients

Free • Required labor to harvest if

suitable material exists locally

$$ • Hard to handle/break up

• Non-fungistatic


• Travels far to Western market

Time/labor

• Perlite substitute for mixes


• Could have high potassium