Growing media in floriculture crops

Abstract

Use of growing media is proved effective for higher production of horticultural crops, due to their good water holding capacity, aeration and more uptake of nutrients. A good quality growing media plays an important role for obtaining luxuriant vegetative growth as well as profused flowering in various ornamental crops. Several growing media such as sand, peat, perlite, rockwool, sawdust, cocopeat, compost etc. singly or in combination are found suitable for growing high value crops like gerbera, carnation, rose, orchids, alstroemeria, lilium etc. Maximum net profit for ornamental crops can be obtained when various kind of growing media were used in combination with organic substrates because growing media play direct or indirect role in plant growth. Hence in this review article we have summarized the literature available on effect of various types of growing media in ornamental crops.