| | | Various Potting Techniques - I | | | | | |
| Various Potting Techniques - I
The way a gardener handles growing media can profoundly affect the final quality of the bedding plants. The potting process can make all the difference, even if all other factors, such as media formula, light, water, fertilizer, and temperatures are optimal.
Pre-Moisten Growing Media.
Some growing media, such as peat moss sphagnum, coconut coir, and vermiculite absorb water and expand when wetted. When they expand inside a pot, the number of large pores is reduced and, in the process, the aeration, and available water is reduced. Aeration is required for the roots to perform gas exchange.
Water should be added to the growing media before potting, or placing in flats. Prefer to place some dry growing media in a small plastic bag ("baggie") and then gradually add a little water at a time. With your fingers, work the water thoroughly into the growing media through the bag, only when no big lumps are left should more water be added. Best results are obtained by adding water slowly and steadily.
Dry spots in the media are avoided which can result in root damage. This procedure should be used even if a wetting agent has been added to the growing mix.
The goal is a moist, not wet, media, so not a lot of water is needed to moisten the media in this way.
Moist Growing Media.
The consistency of the growing media after wetting should be damp, not wet. If you pick up a handful of damp growing media and squeeze it, it should hold together as in a ball when you open your hand, but when you touch the ball with your fingers it should easily break apart. If it does not crumble when touched, it is too wet. If it does not hold together when you open your hand, it is too dry. If squeezed hard, no water should drip from the media.
Exact Potting Procedure.
Fill the pot with pre-moisten growing media and then tap the container on the potting bench to settle the growing media. Add more moist media and repeat the tapping process until it does not settle after tapping.
Air porosity gets reduced if the growing media depressed. This will compact the growing media and reduce air porosity. Then sow the seeds carefully on top of the moist growing medium.
Next, fill a deep container with lukewarm water and immerse the pot into the container for the media to wick up moisture from below (capillary action). The water level should be 1/2 - 3/4 the height of the pot, or the pot left to float in the container. Avoid forcing the pot into the container so water bubbles up through the drainage holes with force and floods the surface of the media.
When the surface of mixture starts to glisten and turn from dark brown to black (typical color change seen with peat moss sphagnum), lift the pot back out and put aside to drain. Proper drainage should take at least 3-5 minutes, but longer is not a problem.
This procedure will guarantee maximum air porosity for optimum root growth.
Note: It is important that the growing media has been moistened before filling the containers. This will retain maximum air porosity and ensure even capillary action (wetting).
|
|
|
|
