Abstract
Two species of foliage plants were subjected to different root-zone temperatures up to 30°C on heated aluminium benches with a usual greenhouse temperature of 20°C or lower. Elevated root-zone and air temperatures had a promoting effect on growth rates in the beginning of the cultivation period. In the later stages of growth, no effect of the root-zone temperature on growth could be detected. Bench heating with a root-zone temperature of 30°C and an air temperature among the plants of 23–24°C reduced the cultivation time for Schefflera arboricola ‘Compacta’ and Ficus benjamina by 2.5 weeks compared with the lowest temperature of 19°C, while the ornamental value was not unfavourably affected. A large part of the total heating demand can be supplied by bench heating systems as relatively high root-zone temperatures up to 30°C can be used during the whole cultivation period. Bench heating increased the accumulation of salts in the 4-cm top layer of the potting soil. Both crops tolerated high electrical conductivity levels in the top layer, even if salts were rinsed back to the roots by watering on top of the potting soil during post-harvest life.
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