Media choice, tray manufacturing and proper fill
Moisture Management Soil moisture management starts before you stick your cuttings. It’s important to consider the soil moisture both before and after the cuttings are stuck. Soil that’s too dry will quickly pull away moisture from the cutting and
to eliminate cells being filled at different levels. Be aware of soil compaction in your trays. If soil is too wet and compact, it can delay rooting time and quality. If you’re using media bound with paper, be sure that the paper isn’t higher than the plug or it will wick away the water.
Uniform, high-quality liner production starts before the cuttings get into the propagation house, so be sure to put the proper emphasis on the manufacturing processes included when sticking your cuttings. Tray Quality We want to highlight the important factors to consider when you stick your unrooted cuttings. Things to consider: uniform soil levels in propagation trays, appropriate soil moisture at the time of stick, proper dibbling and utilizing rooting hormone. There are many media options to choose from – paper pots, peat, peat perlite, foam plugs and stabilized media. Things to consider are: Will you fill your own trays or order pre-made trays? Do you prefer loose fill, media bound with paper or a stabilized media like Preforma? You should make your decision of what media to use by considering your operation and environment and the cost versus the benefit of each. The quality of the liner depends on many different things. First, the media – be sure to check pH and EC weekly or biweekly. The pH should be between 5.5 and 6.0 and EC should be between 0.5 and 0.75. You want to ensure uniform filling of the trays and
The soil level needs to be uniform in your propagation trays.
The moisture level scale is shown in this tray, with 5 being completely saturated on the left and 1 as extremely dry on the right.
MOISTURE MANAGEMENT Level 5
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Soil Color Moisture Content Soil Adhesion
Black
Dark brown Brown
Light brown Tan
Water freely drips from soil Forms ball like tofu or pudding
Drips when squeezed
Single drip when squeezed No dripping No dripping
Soil ball sticks together
Soil ball cracks apart
Soil ball crumbles
Soil ball won’t form
6
Powered by FlippingBook