U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Application Technology Research: Wooster, OH
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                                    Software
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Departments
                        Agricultural Engineering
                                    Entomology
                                    Horticulture
                                    Plant Pathology
                                    IR-4 programSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Midwest Area Wooster, Ohio Application Technology Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Altland, Jamesitem
                                            Frantz, Jonathan
  Submitted to: Hortscience Proceedings
                                    Publication Type: Abstract Only
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/24/2009
                                    Publication  Date: 7/1/2009
                                    Citation: Altland, J.E., Frantz, J. 2009. Use of Switchgrass as the Primary Potting Component in Nursery Containers. Hortscience Proceedings. 44:1130.Interpretive Summary:
                                Technical Abstract: Pine bark is the primary potting component for nursery containers in Ohio and other Upper Midwest states.  Most pine bark comes from lumber or paper mills in southern states.  Due to the recent energy crisis, availability of pine bark has declined while the cost to import pine bark from southern states has risen dramatically.  The objective of this research was to determine if locally grown switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) could be harvested and used as an alternative to pine bark in nursery containers.  Switchgrass was processed through a hammermill with a 2.5 cm screen prior to use.  Switchgrass was blended with either 0%, 30%, or 50% sphagnum peat moss by volume.  Roses (Rosa ‘ChewMayTime’) from 5.7 cm wide cells were potted into 15 cm tall and wide plastic containers with one of the three substrates.  Switchgrass with 0% peat moss had low water holding capacity (36%) compared to that amended with 30% or 50% (45% and 53%, respectively).  Substrate pH of switchgrass with 0% peat moss was 6 or greater throughout the experiment.  Amendment with peat moss at 30% or 50% reduced pH to between 4.0 and 4.5 throughout the experiment.  Despite differences in substrate physical properties and pH, substrate type caused no differences in root or shoot growth over the course of the experiment (8 weeks).


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov