There was no wilting in PhytaTrayTM boxes during the observation period and the positive effects of the granules were evident in the excessively moist PhytaTrayTM boxes, where thegranules made the soil structure more favorable for plant growth and absorbed excess water. All plants on excessively moist PhytaTrayTM trays with pure substrate died (photo1),whereas the plants growing on Novigo granule mix exhibited no signs of stress.
Photo 1. Photo on the left shows the plants growing on the excessively moist substrate and the one on the right shows the plants that grew on PhytaTrayTM with Novigo granules mixed into the substrate.
Growth substrate pH measurements in the experiment indicated that both soils (clean and mixed with granules) were slightly acidic (pHrange5.6–5.8) and adding the granules did not affect the pH of the soil.
The water absorption capacity of the granules was assessed with the analytical scale AXISALN220,which offers a degree of accuracy to four decimal places. For a smaller diameter granule, the amount of water bound per gram of granule after saturation with water for 10 minutes was an average of 6.5 grams. The amount of water bound per gram of the larger granule after 10 minutes was an average of 8.9 grams.
In conclusion, Novigo can be used successfully to improve soil moisture and structure during pre-growing plants. The discussed experiments suggest that the granules are recommended especially in temporarily excessively moist conditions. Since peat soils have good water-binding properties, experiments should be carried out on mineral soils where the granules’ positive effects could be more prominent. In addition, future growth experiments should include plant species that require less demanding growing conditions, and are valuable in gardening or landscaping (such as plants suitable for hanging baskets and planter boxes).
Reporter:
Mari Tilk
TallinnBotanic Garden
+37255630016/+372606269
