Abstract
Effects of growth medium physical conditions were studied. Peat and two series of peat mixed with hydrophobic mineral wool or perlite in three mixing ratios were prepared. Growth media porosities were characterized by the “standardized time method” and seedling development by measurements of stem length and fresh and dry weight.
Seedlings grown in media containing mineral wool showed less mortality, were larger and had more living root apices than seedlings in media lacking mineral wool. Growth media influenced most the stem length and dry weights and was best at higher porosity. The difference between mineral wool and perlite amendments was greater for dry weight than stem length, although the effect of mixing ratio was observed for mineral wool only.
The media induced qualitative differences in shoots (foliage spiralling) and roots (branching, number of living root apices, lenticel intumescence).
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Baule, H., and Fricker, C. 1970. The Fertilizer Treatment Of Forest Trees. BLV Verlags-Gesellschaft, München, 260 p.
Benzian, B., and Warren, R.G. 1956. Copper deficiency in Sitka spruce seedlings. Nature 178: 864–865.
Bergmann, E., and Bergmann, H.W. 1985. Comparing diagrams of plant/leaf analysis presenting by rapid inspection the mineral element status of agricultural crop plants. Potash Review, Subj. 5, 52th suite, No 2: 1–10.
Coutts, M.P., and Philipson, J.J. 1978. Tolerance of tree roots to waterlogging. II Adaptation of Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine to waterlogged soil. New Phytol. 80: 519–526.
Galaaen, R., and Venn, K. 1979. Phytium sylvaticum Campbell & Hendrix and other fungi associated with root dieback of 2–0 seedlings of Picea abies (L.) Karst. in Norway. Rep. Norw. Forst Res. Inst. 34.12: 265–280.
Goh, K.M., and Haynes, R.J. 1978. The growth of Tagetes erecta. Petunia hybrida nana compacta and Myosotis alpestris in a range of peat-based container media. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 9: 357–373.
Goodnight, J.H. 1979. GLM Procedure Introduction. GLM procedure Reference. P. 237–263 In “SAS user's guide” 1979 edition. SAS Institute, Raleigh, 494 p.
Haynes, R.J., and Goh, K.M. 1978. Evaluation of potting media for commercial nursery production of container-grown plants. IV Physical properties of a range of amended peat-based media. New Zealand J. Agr. Res. 21: 449–456.
Hook, D.D., and Scholtens, J.R. 1978. Adaptation and flood tolerance of tree species. P. 299–331 In Plant Life In Anaerobic Environments. Hook, D.D., and Crawford, R.M.M. (eds.) Ann Arbor Sci., Ann Arbor, Mitch., 564 p.
Ingestad, T. 1959. Studies on the nutrition of forest tree seedlings. II Mineral nutrition of spruce. Physiol. Plant. 12: 568–593.
Jackson, D.K. 1974. Some characteristics of perlite as an experimental growth medium. Plant and Soil 40: 161–167.
Joiner, I.N., and Conover, C.A. 1965. Characteristics affecting desirability of various media components for production of container-grown plants. Proc. Soil Crop Sci. Soc. Fla. 25: 320–327.
Kawase, M. 1981. Anatomical and morphological adaptation of plants to waterlogging. Hort. Sci. 16: 30–34.
Langerud, B.R. 1985. Betydningen av fysiske rotvekstbetingelser for rotavdoing i planteskoler. In Norwegian. Aktuelt fra Statens Fagtjeneste for Landbruket Nr 3: 7–22.
Langerud, B.R. 1986. A simple in situ method for the characterization of porosity in growth media. Plant and Soil. 93: 413–425.
Nash, V.E., and Laiche, A.J., Jr. 1981. Changes in the characteristics of potting media with time. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 12: 1011–1020.
Ogner, G., Haugen, A., Opem, M., Sjotveit, G., and Sorlie, B. 1984. The chemical analysis program at The Norwegian Forest Research Institute, 1984. Norw. Forest Res. Inst., 27 p.
Prasad, M. 1979. Physical properties of media for container-grown crops. II. Peat mixes. Scient. Hort. 10: 325–330.
Roo, H.C., De 1977. Meeting mountain laurel's container mix requirements. American Nurseryman 145: 14, 88–92.
Sena Gomez, A.R., and Kozlowski, T.T. 1980. Growth response and adaptation of Fraxinus pennsylvanica seedlings to flooding. Plant. Physiol. 66: 267–271.
Sonneveld, C. 1980. Growing cucumbers and tomatoes in rockwool. P. 253–262 In Proc. 5th Int. Congr. Soilless Culture, Int. Soc. Soilless Culture, Wageningen, 566 p.
Tripepi, R.R., and Mitchell, C.A. 1984. Stem hypoxia and root respiration of flooded maple and birch seedlings. Physiol. Plant. 60: 567–571.
Vartapetian, B.B., Andreeva, I.N., and Nuritdinov, N. 1978. Plant cells under oxygen stress. P. 13–88 In Plant Life in Anaerobic Environments. Hook, D.D., and Crawford, R.M.M. (eds.) Ann Arbor Sci., Ann Arbor, Mitch., 564 p.
Venn, K. 1985. Rotavdoing hos bartreplanter i skogplanteskoler (Root dieback of coniferous seedlings in forest nurseries). In Norwegian, English summary. Research paper 3/85, Norw. Forest Res. Inst., 11 p.
Verdonck, O. 1984. New developments in the use of graded perlite in horticultural substrates. Flortecnica Int. 69: 27–30.
Verwer, F.L., and Welleman, J.J.C. 1980. The possibilities of Grodan rockwool in horticulture. P. 263–278 In Proc. 5th Int. Congr. Soilless Culture, Int. Soc. Soilless Culture, Wageningen, 566 p.
Virolainen, V. 1977. Mineral wool as a growing substrate for greenhouse cucumber. Ann. Agric. Fenn. 16: 97–102.
Whitcomb, C.E. 1979. Understanding the container system. Research report, Agr. Exp. St., Oklahoma State Univ., No P-791: 14–19.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Langerud, B.R., Sandvik, M. Development of containerized Picea abies (L.) Karst. seedlings grown with heavy watering on various peat, perlite and mineral wool mixtures. New Forest 1, 89–99 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00030054
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00030054