Soil Culture

Soil for green house cultivation must be well drained. Soils can be improved by applying
ample quantities of well-rotten livestock manure and compost. All manures should be applied
before fumigation. Soils should be fumigated or sterilized with steam at least two weeks before
planting.
A soil test should be taken before planting to determine the amount of fertilizer to apply
for each crop. All phosphorous and potassium fertilizers should be applied before planting and
incorporated directly into the soil.
Media preparation for greenhouse production: The media used in greenhouse generally
have physical and chemical properties which are distinct from field soils.
 A desirable medium should have a good balance between physical properties like
water holding capacity and porosity.
 The medium should be well drained.
 Medium which is too compact creates problems of drainage and aeration which will
lead to poor root growth and may harbour disease causing organisms.
 Highly porous medium will have low water and nutrient holding capacity, affects
the plant growth and development.
 A low media pH (<5.0) leads to toxicity of micronutrients such as iron, zinc,
manganese and copper and deficiency of major and secondary nutrients while a
high pH (>7.5) causes deficiency of micronutrients including boron.
 A low pH of the growth media can be raised to a desired level by using lime (calcium
carbonate) and dolomite (Ca-Mg carbonate).
 A high pH of the media can be reduced by sulphur and gypsum.
Peat and peat-like materials: Peat moss is formed by the accumulation of plant materials in
poorly drained areas. The type of plant material and degree of decomposition largely
determine its value for use in a growing medium.
Sphagnum moss – is the dehydrated remains of acid-bog plants from the genus Sphagnum. It
is light in weight and has the ability to absorb water 10 to 20 times of its weight. This is
 attributed to the large groups of water holding cells, characteristic of the genus. Sphagnum moss
contains specific fungi static substances which accounts for its ability to inhibit damping-off of
seedlings. Drainage and aeration are improved in heavier soils while moisture and nutrient
retention are increased in lighter soils.
Wood Residues: Wood residues constitute a significant source of soil less growing media.
These materials are generally bi-products of the lumber industry and are readily available
in large quantities. Nitrogen depletion by soil micro-organisms, during the decomposition
process, is one of the primary problems associated with these materials. However,
supplemental applications of N to the growing media can make most wood residues
valuable amendments.
Leaf Mold – maple tree, oak tree are suitable for the preparation of leaf mold. Layers of
leaves and soil are composted together with small amounts of nitrogenous compounds for
approximately 12 to 18 months. The use of leaf mold can effectively improve the aeration,
drainage and water holding properties of a growing media.
Sawdust – the species of tree from which sawdust is derived largely determines its quality and
value for use in a growing media. Several sawdust, such as walnut and non-composted
redwood, are known to have direct phytotoxic effects. However, the C: N of sawdust is such
that it is not readily decomposed. The high cellulose and lignin content along with insufficient
N supplies creates depletion problems which can severely restrict plant growth. However
supplemental applications of nitrogen can reduce this problem.
Sand: Medium and coarse sand particles are those which provide optimum adjustments in
media texture. Sand is generally the least expensive among all inorganic amendments and is
the heaviest. Sand is a valuable amendment for both potting and propagation media.
Perlite: Perlite is a silicous mineral of volcanic origin. The grades used in container media are
first crushed and then heated until the vaporization of combined water expands it to a light
powdery substance. Lightness and uniformity make perlite very useful for increasing
aeration and drainage.
Perlite is very dusty when dry and has a tendency to float to the top of a container during
irrigation. Although costs are moderate, perlite is an effective amendment for growing media.
Vermiculite: Vermiculite is a micacious mineral produced by heating to approximately
745oC. The expanded, plate-like particles which are formed have a very high water holding
capacity and aid in aeration and drainage. Vermiculite has excellent ex-change and buffering
capacities as well as the ability to supply potassium and magnesium. Although vermiculite is
less durable than sand and perlite, its chemical and physical properties are very desirable for
container media.

Recommended Growing Media

The composition of a growing medium should be largely determined by the crop being
produced. However there are some media formulations which may be used as a base. The
following is a list of several of the most commonly used soil less mixtures:

Table 1. Commonly used soilless mixtures for greenhouse crops.

Volume/Volume Ratio Components
2:1 Peat, Perlite
2:1:1 Peat, Perlite, Vermiculite
3:1:1 Peat, Perlite, Vermiculite
2:1:1 Peat, Bark, Sand
2:1:1 Peat, Bark, Perlite
3:1:1 Peat, Bark, Sand

Media ingredients and Mix

Commercially available materials like peat, sphagnum moss, vermiculite, perlite and locally
available materials like sand, red soil, common manure/ compost and rice husk can be used in
different proportions to grow greenhouse crops. These ingredients should be of high quality to
prepare a good mix. They should be free from undesirable toxic elements like nickel,
chromium, cadmium, lead etc.
Pasteurization of greenhouse plant growing media:
Greenhouse growing medium may contain harmful disease causing organisms,
nematodes, insects and weed seeds, so it should be decontaminated by heat treatment or by
treating with volatile chemicals like methyl bromide, chloropicrin etc.

Agent Method Recommendation

Heat Steam 30 min at 180° F
Methyl 10 ml/cu. ft. of medium Cover with gas proof cover for 24-
bromide 48 hr. Aerate for 24-28 hr before
use.
Chloropicrin (Tear gas) 3-5 ml/cu. ft. Cover for 1-3 days with gas proof
of medium cover after sprinkling with water.
Aerate for 14 days or until no
odour is detected before using.
Basamid 8.0 g/cu.ft. of medium Cover for 7 days with gas proof
cover and aerate for atleast a
week before use.
Formalin 20 ml/l of water (3%) Apply 2 l/cu.ft. cover for 14 to 36
hr and aerate for at least 14 days.

Disinfection of the growing media can also be achieved by fungicides or bactericides

Fungicides and their effect on a few fungi

Chemical Rate of Effect against

application
Captan 2 g/l of water Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and
Phytophthora. Some extent to root and
stem rot, white mold ,black rot, crown rot
and damping off.
Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 1 g/l of water Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium and
(Ridomil MZ 72 WP) other soil borne pathogens

Temperature necessary to kill soil pests

 115°F for water molds (Pythium and Phytophthora)
 120°F for nematodes
 135°F for worms, slugs and centipedes
 140°F for most plant pathogenic bacteria
 160°F for soil insects
 180°F for most of weed seeds
 200°F for few resistant weed seeds and plant viruses

Types of Steam Application

Surface Steaming
The easiest system to set up but the least effective is to lay perforated pipe on top of the bed.
Perforated metal pipe is placed on top of the soil. A porous canvas hose is often used because it
is easier to handle than pipe and works as well.
Buried Pipe Steaming
A better system uses perforated poly pipe buried 12 inches (30.5 cm) or deeper under the top of
the bed
Fumigation in greenhouse: Physical propagation facilities such as the propagation room,
containers, flats, knives, working surface, benches etc. can be disinfected using one part of
formalin in fifty parts of water or one part sodium hypochlorite in nine parts of water. An
insecticide such as dichlorvos sprayed regularly will take care of the insects present if any. Care
should be taken to disinfect the seed or the planting materials before they are moved into the
greenhouse with a recommended seed treatment chemical for seeds and a fungicide –insecticide
combination for cuttings and plugs respectively. Disinfectant solution such as trisodium
phosphate or potassium permanganate placed at the entry of the greenhouse would help to get
rid off the pathogens from the personnel entering the greenhouses.

Flooding in greenhouse: In this system the entire floor of the greenhouse is covered with a
concrete carefully designed and installed to pitch toward openings in the floor. Through
these openings the irrigation solution enters to flood the floor and, following flooding, the
excess drains back to the storage tank. The floors can be installed with bottom heating and
divided into zones for separate flooding and bottom heating.
Flooded floors can be used to grow plants in all container types and sizes as long as
separate irrigation zones are provided for each type. Space efficiency is about 85-95%. Most
greenhouses with flooded floors were built with them rather than retrofitted later. The bottom
heating option an efficient way of providing the proper growing temperature for the plants
because the air close to the plants is heated and the larger volume of the greenhouse does not
have to be heated so much.