The production of greenhouse crops involves a number of cultural inputs. Among these, perhaps the most important is the type of growing medium used. Due to the relatively shallow depth and limited volume of a container, growing media must be amended to provide the appropriate physical and chemical properties necessary for plant growth.
Field soils are generally unsatisfactory for the production of plants in containers. This is primarily because soils do not provide the aeration, drainage and water holding capacity required. To improve this situation several “soilless” growing media have been developed. The following is a description of some of the most commonly used amendments for the production of greenhouse crops.
