GERBERA CULTIVATION ON COIR WITH RECIRCULATION OF THE NUTRIENT SOLUTION : A COMPARISON WITH ROCKWOOL CULTURE

Abstract

An experiment with Gerbera 'Aurelia' was set up to evaluate flower production and flower stem quality in an open and a closed growing system. For both systems two substrates, coir and rockwool, were evaluated. No major differences were detected between the nutrient composition of the drainage water for both cultivation systems and both substrates. Re-use of the drainage water resulted in fertilizer savings of +/- 35 %. No differences in flower production and in flower quality were found with re-use of the drainage water in comparison with an open drain system. The choice of the substrate however, influenced the flower quality but not the number of flowering stems. For Gerbera 'Aurelia' grown on coir the flowering stems were periodically shorter than for plants grown on rockwool, yet flower stem weight was superior for plants grown on coir than for those grown on rockwool.