Containers and growing media Flashcards
1
Q
Materials used in manufacture of plant containers
A
- Terracotta
- Plastic
- Polystyrene
- Peat
- Paper
- Natural and reconstituted stone
- Recycled materials e.g. plastic milk bottles
2
Q
Properties to consider in materials used for plant containers
A
- Weight
- Strength
- Colour
- Porosity
- Heat retention
- Longevity/durability
- Disposability
- Watering requirements
- Relative cost compared to other containers
3
Q
Terracotta as a plant container
A
- Natural looking material and looks good
- Available in range of shapes and sizes
- Porous to allow excess moisture to evaporate (but plants will dry out more quickly)
- Not all frost resistant
- Heavy (but provides stability)
- Expensive compared to plastic
- Easily broken
- Difficult to stack and handle
4
Q
Plastic as a plant container
A
- long lasting/durable
- impermeable to water/not porous (so growing media more moisture retentive) os watering more critical
- easily cleaned/low maintenance
- lightweight
- frost resistant
- Range of colours and mimics other materials.
- Poor heat retention and becomes brittle when exposed to light
5
Q
Polystyrene as a plant container
A
- used for modular bedding containers—very lightweight, non-porous, brittle but strong,
- supplied in white - doesn’t heat up plant root zone excessively
- excellent insulator - retains heat (reflects heat back onto plant)
- Watering from below effective as holes in bottom for root growth.
- Not designed for re-use/damaged easily, but can be broken up and used to increase drainage in large containers
- Not recyclable.
6
Q
Peat as a plant container
A
- biodegradable planting pots made from peat moss that has been combined with shredded wood pulp fibers and firmly compressed
- Pot can be lunged into soil to avoid root disturbance at planting stage
- porous
- doesn’t break down quickly
- Difficult to re-wet once dry
- limited use (only once)
- not sustainable/environmentally friendly
- usually acidic
7
Q
Paper as a plant container
A
- environmentally friendly
- limited lifespan/short term use
- inexpensive compared to other materials
- lightweight
- minimises root disturbance at planting as biodegrades in soil
- Do not create waste in garden
8
Q
Natural or reconstituted stone as a plant container
A
- very heavy,
- natural looking material
- frost resistant
- fairly non-porous
- durable
- only available in a few shapes and in limited range of colours.
- Reconstituted stone can look realistic, has a long life, and less expensive than natural stone
9
Q
Recycled materials as a plant containers
A
- e.g. milk containers
- sustainable material
- environmentally friendly
10
Q
Plastic vs terracotta for plant containers
A
11
Q
Factors to consider when choosing containers for display, including management considerations and appeal
A
12
Q
Named materials in growing media
A
- Sphagnum moss peat: naturally sterile, water retentive, excellent structure, well aerated. Very acidic and difficult to re-wet once dried out. Not environmentally sustainable.
- Shredded bark: non-clumping with an open structure and good aeration. Can lock up nitrogen and has low water holding ability. pH can very.
- Perlite: inert, durable, light and sterile. Improves drainage and air-filled porosity in a growing media. Water only held on surface of granule and produces dust which is an irritant.
12
Q
Named materials in growing media
A
- Sphagnum moss peat: naturally sterile, water retentive, excellent structure, well aerated. Very acidic and difficult to re-wet once dried out. Not environmentally sustainable.
- Shredded bark: non-clumping with an open structure and good aeration. Can lock up nitrogen and has low water holding ability. pH can very.
- Perlite: inert, durable, light and sterile. Improves drainage and air-filled porosity in a growing media. Water only held on surface of granule and produces dust which is an irritant.
