Many research studies have evaluated potential organic and mineral container substrate components for use in commercial potting substrates. Most studies report results of plant growth over a single production season and only a few include physical properties of the substrates tested. Furthermore, substrates containing predominantly organic components decompose during crop production cycles producing changes in air and water ratios. In the commercial nursery industry, crops frequently remain in containers for longer periods than one growing season (18 to 24 months). Changes in air and water retention characteristics over extended periods can have significant effect on the health and vigor of crops held in containers for 1 year or more. Decomposition of organic components can create an overabundance of small particles that hold excessive amounts of water, thus creating limited air porosity. Mineral aggregates such as perlite, pumice, coarse sand, and calcined clays do not decompose, or breakdown slowly, when used in potting substrates. Blending aggregates with organic components can decrease changes in physical properties over time by dilution of organic components and preserving large pore spaces, thus helping to maintain structural integrity. Research is needed to evaluate changes in container substrates from initial physical properties to changes in air and water characteristics after a production cycle.

Addition of a polyacrylamide hydrogel to pine bark and pine bark + sand substrates had no effect on total porosity, regardless of incorporation rate. Container capacity was increased with increasing rate of hydrogel in both substrates. Air space in pine bark was slightly increased at the lowest rate but was reduced with higher incorporation rates. Air space in pine bark + sand was reduced with all hydrogel additions. The dry weigh', of hydrogel cubes recovered from both substrates was similar to amounts predicted. This result indicates that blending hydrogel granules into the substrates was uniform and did not contribute to variability in hydrogel studies. After allowing dry hydrogel granules to expand freely in distilled water for 24 hours, hydrogel granules expanded 317 and 372 times their dry weights at the lowest and highest rates, respectively. Reduction of expansion (in water) at higher rates may have been due to physical restriction of expansion. Conversely, recovered hydrogel cubes from substrates watered to drainage (-10% excess) for 6 weeks absorbed 25 to 55 times their dry weight while in the container. Subsequent rehydration of extracted gels in distilled water was greater for hydrogel cubes from the pine bark + sand medium (104 to 130) than in pine bark alone (51 to 88). Because of anomalies in hydraulic conductivity and pressure plate contact, three techniques were used to study unavailable water content in gels expanded in distilled water. Hydrogel cubes placed in direct contact with the pressure plate released ≈95% of their water at pressures ≤ 1.5 MPa. Effectiveness of ployacrylamide gels in coarse-structured substrates is influenced by physical restrictions to expansion in the substrate and hydraulic conductivity between the hydrogel cubes and the surrounding substrate.

Production of containerized nursery crops requires high inputs of water and mineral nutrients to maximize plant growth to produce a salable plant quickly. However, input efficiencies remain below 50% resulting in major quantities of water and nutrients leached. This study was conducted to determine if production factors could be altered to increase water and phosphorus uptake efficiency (PUE) without sacrificing plant growth. The effects of a pine bark substrate amendment (clay or sand) and a 50% reduction in both P application rate (1.0 g or 0.5 g) and leaching fraction (LF = effluent ÷ influent) (0.1 or 0.2) were investigated. Containerized Skogholm cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri Schnied. ‘Skogholm’) was grown on gravel floor effluent collection plots that allowed for calculation of water and nutrient budgets. Pine bark amended with 11% (by vol.) Georgiana 0.25 to 0.85 mm calcined palygorksite-bentonite mineral aggregate (clay) increased available water 4% when compared with pine bark amended with 11% (by volume) coarse sand. Decreasing LF from 0.2 to 0.1 reduced cumulative container influent 25% and effluent volume 64%, whereas total plant dry weight was unaffected by LF. Reduction of target LF from 0.2 to 0.1 reduced dissolved reactive P concentration and content by 8% and 64%, respectively. In a sand-amended substrate, total plant dry weight decreased 16% when 1.0× P rate was reduced to 0.5× P, whereas total plant dry weight was unaffected by rate of P when pine bark was amended with clay. Plant content of all macronutrients, with the exception of N, increased when pine bark was amended with clay versus sand. Reducing P rate from 1.0× to 0.5× increased PUE 54% or 11% in a clay or sand-amended substrate, respectively. Amending pine bark with 11% (by volume) 0.25 to 0.85 mm calcined palygorksite-bentonite mineral aggregate produced an equivalent plant with half the P inputs and a 0.1 LF, which reduced water use 25% and P effluent losses 42% when compared with an industry representative substrate [8 pine bark : 1 sand (11% by volume)].

An experiment with two leaching fractions (LF = volume of water leached ÷ volume of water applied) and two fertilizer rates was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduced irrigation volume in combination with reduced fertility on irrigation use efficiency, nutrient efficacy (retention), and plant growth. Rooted cuttings of Cotoneaster dammeri Schneid. ‘Skogholm’ were potted into 3.8 liter (#1) containers in a pine bark: sand substrate (8:1 by vol). Osmocote 24N-1.7P-5.8K (24-4-7) was topdressed at 3.5 g N or 1.75 g N per container at treatment initiation. The experiment, a RCBD with four replications was conducted for 100 days on a container-grown plant production area subdivided into 16 separate plots that allowed for the collection of all irrigation water leaving each plot. Twenty containers were placed in each plot. Irrigation water was applied daily to attain either a high LF of 0.4 to 0.6 or a low LF of 0.0 to 0.2. Irrigation water was applied in two cycles with a two hour rest interval between each application via pressure compensated spray stakes at a rate of 200 ml/min (0.28 in/min). Volume of effluent from each plot was measured daily and analyzed for NO3, NH4, and P. Low LF decreased irrigation volume and effluent volume by 44% and 63%, respectively, compared to high LF. Irrigation use efficiency [total plant dry weight (volume applied-volume leached)] by plants irrigated with low LF was 29% greater than high LF. Compared to high LF, low LF decreased cumulative NO3 and NH4 contents in effluent by 66% and 62%, respectively, for containers fertilized with 3.5 g N. Low LF also reduced cumulative P content in the effluent by 57% compared to high LF. Shoot and total plant dry weights produced with low LF were reduced 8% and 10%, respectively, compared to plants grown with high LF. Root dry weight was not effected by LF. Shoot, root, and total plant dry weights with 1.75 g N were reduced by 26%, 26%, and 28%, respectively compared to 3.5 g N. Nitrogen efficiency was higher when plants were fertilized with 3.5 g N regardless of LF. To maximize N absorption and minimize N losses requires a combination of maintaining an adequate N supply which is this study was 3.5 g N per 3.8 liter container in combination with a low LF.

Environmentally compatible production practices are conscious efforts to design and retrofit nursery container growing areas to improve irrigation and nutrient efficiency, and reduce exposure of ground and surface water supplies to contaminated effluent. Irrigation of ornamental crops in containers can be very inefficient, using large quantities of water and fertilizer. Irrigation water and fertilizer use efficiencies are directly related to each other. Improving irrigation efficiency improves nutrient efficiency and reduces water volume and nutrients leaving production beds. Increasing efficiency can be accomplished in many ways. Grouping plant species and container sizes into blocks with similar water requirements improves efficiency. Redesigning overhead sprinkler systems to accomplish uniform distribution across growing beds or replacing worn nozzle orifices can significantly reduce application variability. Low volume/low pressure systems that distribute water directly into containers and apply less water in a specific amount of time compared to overhead sprinkler application, will conserve water. Applying irrigation in short cycles rather than long cycles improves wetting in substrates and conserves electrical energy, water and directly reduces nutrient leaching from containers. Creating microclimates in nurseries to optimize light or reduce container temperatures, disease pressure and crop stress can improve water and nutrient efficacy. Flow of water running off growing areas must be engineered to slow velocity, filter and contain effluent. Strategies should be site-specific. Capture, containment and recycling of irrigation water has been a common practice in many nurseries in the U.S., as a means to provide adequate water supplies. Vegetative filter strips adjacent to beds and containment basins have been installed at nurseries to reduce contaminants in runoff before water enters recycle irrigation supplies. In areas with sandy soils, some nurseries have developed closed systems where drainage channels and collection basins are lined to prevent nitrogen movement from runoff into shallow groundwater.