You have probably seen them before, fluttering through your greenhouse: fungus gnats or sciarid flies. These little mosquito-like flies are a common sight in damp areas. But what do these little insects do exactly? And can they be dangerous to your crops? We will tell you all about them in this article.
Greenhouses provide an ideal environment for the growth of algae. An ample supply of nutrients, high light levels and plenty of moisture in a high humidity environment encourage algae to grow.
A wetting agent facilitates the uptake of water during initial wetting and optimises the movement of water in the substrate which improves the re-wetting of over-dry plants.
We add our own starter fertiliser to Kekkilä Professional substrates to secure the basic nutrient levels. It is very important to compensate the nutrients that plants take from the substrate. The plants’ needs vary depending on plant type and species, pot size, irrigation and local conditions such as season and climate.
The pH measures how alkaline or acid the substrate is, while the EC level tells the level of dissolved salts, thus indicating the availability of nutrients. There are many different methods for measuring pH and EC. Each method implies what liquid and how much of it is used to dilute a certain amount of the substrate. This means that each method can give a different result for the same substrate. It is important that we know the method in question when we talk about specific values.
Loose substrates can be divided roughly into three different types according to fraction size or grade: coarse, medium coarse and fine.
Plants require nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur in greater quantities, hence they are called macronutrients. The ones called micronutrients – iron, boron, manganese, zinc, copper and molybdenum – are required in smaller quantities but are essential for plant growth.
The main raw material of Kekkilä Professional substrates is first-rate White or Brown Sphagnum peat harvested from our own bogs.
Compressed peat based growing media require some loosening and preparation before taking them into use.