and inorganic components commonly used by nursery growers in California. The aforementioned papers illustrate the broad number of substrate components and virtually unlimited number of combinations that nursery growers use. Physical properties of
recommendations ( McCarty et al., 2016 ). Sand and fines from the native soil were then mixed uniformly in increments increasing by 10% v/v to create 11 different soil mixtures ranging from 100:0 to 0:100 sand:soil ( Table 1 ). Table 1. Physical properties of 11
these additives is often evaluated in terms of their effects on physical properties such as water-holding or air-filled capacity ( Bunt, 1983 ; Martinez et al., 1997 ) or indirectly during the growing ( Rivière et al., 1995 ) and rarely in terms of
volume of substrate in which water, gas, and solute availability can fluctuate over a short period of time ( Polak and Wallach, 2001 ). Physical properties of substrates known to affect roots include AS, container capacity (CC), total porosity (TP
and leaching. Organic amendments improve soil physical properties by increasing waterholding capacity, soil aggregation, soil aeration, and permeability and decreasing soil crusting and bulk density ( Oades, 1984 ; Tisdall and Oades, 1982 ). Soil
containing up to 30% ground feather fiber. However, no information was reported regarding how the inclusion of the feather fiber affected the physical properties of the substrates. The objective of this study was to determine whether the incorporation of
Physical properties (particle size distribution, bulk density, capillary pore space, non-capillary pore space, hydraulic conductivity, and water retention) of three imported silica sands (Perth, Malaysian, and Newcastle), a man-made sand product (Mansand), and coral sand alone and in peatmoss mixtures were determined to evaluate their suitability as golf-green substrates. Based on laboratory evaluation of physical properties, the silica sands amended with peatmoss (15%) were superior to coral sand or crushed basalt (Mansand) amended with 15% peatmoss for use in high-traffic turfgrass areas.
paraffin sections and cryosections, and the relationship among the structure, components, and physical properties were illuminated. The aim of this study was to ascertain the influence of shell structure and components on the physical properties of the
their availability, favorable physical properties, and lack of detrimental chemical constituents ( Handreck and Black, 2002 ). A saleable containerized crop can be produced quickly in bark substrates; however, water and nutrient uptake efficiencies may
Laboratory testing is often conducted to characterize static physical properties followed by controlled environment or field experiments to develop and refine substrate recommendations for crop producers. Porometers are used to quantify maximum