1. Soilless Media Mix 101 Nursery Greenhouse
Shandon Agriculture Department- Mrs. Deanna Cargill

2. What is Soilless Media? Soiless Media Mix
A medium containing both physical & chemical components for growing plants in containers. It contains no actual soil but includes various combinations of physical ingredients such as peat moss, composted bark, sand, perlite, or vermiculite, plus small amounts of chemical components such as limestone and other ground minerals or fertilizers.

3. Functions of a Soilless Media?
To Support or Anchor the Plant
To Provide a Constant Source of Moisture
To Provide Good Drainage & Aeration Around the Root Area
To Provide the Mineral Nutrients Needed for Normal
Growth
To Provide a Media Free of Soil-Borne Pests (Weeds, Insects, Disease)

4. Why Use a Soilless Media?
A soilless media can be easily manipulated to produce a medium with superior physical properties.
Usually create a sterile environment free from disease, pests and weeds
Environmentally friendly because some media components are by-products of other industries ex. bark
Control of plant nutrients
Water control- better drainage in pots
Can achieve uniformity of plant growth results
Cuts down on labor cost and protects the growers investment

5. Common Physical Materials Used in Soilless Media Mixes
Peat Moss
Ground Bark or Nitrified Bark
Perlite
Vermiculite
Sand
Sawdust
Rockwool
Expanded Clay

6. Common Chemical Materials Used in Soilless Media Mixes
Phosphorous
Potassium
Nitrogen
Lime

7. Physical Make Up of a Soilless Media Breaks Down Into 4 Parts
The Physical Make Up of a Soilless Media Can Be Broken Down Into 4 Parts:
Solid Volume- 20%-30%
Air Space- 10%-30% (Volume of Air in a Mix After H2O)
Available Water- 10%-25% (Water Easily Available to Roots)
Residual Water- 15%-45%
The Important Parts Are The Air Space And The Available Water Which Depend Mainly On The Particle Size And Shape In The Mix

8. How do the chemical properties affect the soilless media?
Unlike soil, a soilless media cannot supply the nutrients needed by the plants, therefore plant nutrients need to be added to the media and the pH adjusted.
The following are chemical properties you will often hear referred to:
Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC)- This is the amount of available nutrients. The CEC varies based on types of media.
Conductivity (also called salinity, EC or total dissolved solids)- This can stunt plant growth rates if to high
Nitrogen Drawdown Index (NDI)- This is how well the mix is stabilized or composted. The NDI should be a least 70% meaning the amount of applied Nitrogen available after 4 days.

9. OK NOW THAT YOU GOT A LITTLE DIRT ON SOILLESS MEDIA WE ARE GOING TO DO LEARN THE REEIPE FOR MIXIN’ OUR OWN …….

10. YOU CAN DO IT! A LITTLE LONGER….. I NEED TO GIVE YOU THE RECIPE
HANG ON !!

11. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE FOR SEEDING & TRANSPLANT MIX
WARNING: FROM THIS POINT FORWARD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TODAY TO THIS RECIPE BECAUSE SOON YOU WILL BE MIXIN’!

12. The Receipe Seeding & Transplant Soilless Media – 20 Cubic Feet
PHYSICAL COMPONENTS
CHEMICAL COMPONENTS
Ground Bark- 10 Cu. Ft.
Osmocote (Scott’s Plus ) 5 lbs.
Peat Moss- 6 Cu. Ft.
Treble Superphosphate (0-45-0) 1 lb.
Perlite-(Course Grade #2) 4 Cu. Ft
Dolomite Lime- 20 oz.
Potassium Nitrate ( ) 7 oz.
DIRECTIONS:
* Mix all ingredients together from top to bottom….this is very important! After the media is mixed well, wet until Charmin test passes. No excess H2O!

13. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE MEASURE & COMBINE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS
PHYSICAL COMPONENTS IN RECIPE
Ground Bark (Forest Humus)- 10 Cubic Feet
Physical Component- Organic Material, wood residuals broken down from wood products
Role it plays in mix: Provides drainage & aeration
Stable Component

14. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE FOR SEEDING & TRANSPLANT MIX
Peat Moss- 6 Cubic Feet
Physical Component- Organic Material
Collected from dried up parts of swamp beds, mostly supplied from Florida & Canada
Role it plays in mix: Holds water and provides acid
Perlite- 4 Cubic Feet
Physical Component- Organic Material
Comes from volcanic rock
Role it plays in mix: Provides drainage & aeration, it also holds its own weight by volume known as field capacity. In other words it holds only the amount of water needed for the plant.

15. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE FOR SEEDING & TRANSPLANT MIX
Chemical COMPONENTS IN RECIPE
N - P - K
Osmocote- (Scott’s Plus ) Yellow- 5lbs. / 20 Cubic Feet
Chemical Component- Inorganic Material
Non Burning Uniform Pellet
Root actually finds the pellet and then scratches the surface of the pellet in order for it to release the nutrients that is needed
Role it plays in mix: Slow Release Fertilizer- Typically for perennials, they come in 6 to 9 month forms. Apex- Used in annual mixes, green in color, slow release, but release at a faster rate than osmocote, they come in 3 to 6 month or less forms

16. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE FOR SEEDING & TRANSPLANT MIX
N - P - K
Treble Superphosphate- (0-45-0) oz. / 20 Cubic Feet
Chemical Component- Inorganic Material
Grayish in color and each particle is about the size of a bebe
Role it plays in mix: Nutrient to promote fruits and flowers & the main ingredient is phosphorous.
Dolomite Lime- Ag. Type 20 oz. / 20 Cubic Feet
Chemical Component- Inorganic Material
Looks a lot like bleached flour that we cook with, white in color, very fine-dust like
Role it plays in mix: Neutralizes the acid or reduces the excess acid (most plants like the soil’s acid level between 5.5 and 7 or neutral) It is like the “Tums” for heartburn

17. SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE FOR SEEDING & TRANSPLANT MIX
N - P - K
Potassium Nitrate- ( ) 6.60 oz. / 20 Cubic Feet
Chemical Component- Inorganic Material
White in color and looks just like table salt
Role it plays in mix: This helps the plant with health and vigor and it wards off disease. It also helps with roots and cell development, which allows the plant to be healthy and strong.

18. LAST STEP FOR MIXIN’ SOILLESS MEDIA RECEIPE
Mix In Water CAREFULLY!
Directions:
You are going to have one person turn on the hose and adjust the pressure to the appropriate level. The other students standing by are going to mix the media well from top to bottom until the appropriate amount of water is applied.
How dose one know when the correct amount of water is applied?
One should perform the “Charmin” test. Like squeezing a roll of Charmin toilet paper.
If the media sticks together without falling apart you have enough H2O! There should not be any excess of water dripping out when one gives the media a squeeze.

19. Just kidding the LAST step for MIXIN’ soilless media is…..
CLEAN UP !

20. THE END! Soilless Media Mix 101
Shandon Agriculture Department- Mrs. Deanna Cargill