AT521229A1 - Process for producing a peat-free substrate for ornamental plants - Google Patents

Abstract

The aim is to use an environmentally friendly plant substrate for the cultivation of ornamental plants. In doing so, the environmental idea of a substrate, free of peat and in the composition of regional and renewable raw materials, should come to bear. In a multi-year series of experiments, this process for the production of such a substrate has been developed, tested and finally applied in the production of ornamental plants. The experience consists of the special deposition process in a time span of 0.5 - 3 years, the used certified locally produced bio-compost with additional accumulation of horn shavings, and subsequent admixture in a 3-stage mixing process of the following sustainable raw materials: horn shavings, coarse wood fibers, Fine wood fibers, bark humus, clay granulate, horn semolina and horn shavings.

Description

Summary:

The aim is to use an environmentally friendly plant substrate for growing ornamental plants. The environmental concept of a substrate, free of peat and in the composition of regional and renewable raw materials, should come into play. In a series of tests lasting several years, this process for producing such a substrate was developed, tested and finally used in the production of ornamental plants.

The process consists of the special deposition process over a period of 0.5 to 3 years, the certified, communal manufactured bio-compost used with additional enrichment of chips, and subsequent addition in a 3-step mixing process of the following sustainable raw materials: chips, coarse wood fibers, fine wood fibers , Bark humus, clay granules, semolina and chips.

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Title:

Peat-free substrate for ornamental plants

Description:

The invention relates to the production of a peat-free soil substrate which can be used for the cultivation of ornamental plants.

In a series of tests lasting several years, the project to develop a peat-free substrate in which summer flowers and spring bloomers can be produced in the usual good quality was tested.

Even if the use of peat in horticulture only accounts for a small percentage of the total peat extraction, it should not be forgotten that the peatlands are among the largest freshwater reservoirs on earth, not to mention the unique fauna and flora, which for the most part only occur in these bogs.

Substitute materials such as coconut fibers are also not used, since they also do not meet the sustainable environmental concept. Rather, products are used that arise from renewable raw materials in the immediate vicinity.

Compared to the known prior art, the method described below for producing a peat-free soil substrate offers the advantage that additives such as peat or coconut fibers can be completely dispensed with in the composition of the substrate and only regional organic products are used. The success achieved when using this peat-free substrate proves that it has exactly the same properties as conventional products.

One of the main products is bio compost (1) from the municipal composting plant. This is produced from the contents of the urban bio-bins by means of a rapid process composting. With this quick process, temperatures of over 70 ° Celsius arise during the rotting process. The high temperatures kill most of the weed seeds, which saves us from steaming the compost.

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Biocompost deposition process (4)

Since the fresh organic compost has a very high salt content and is therefore not suitable for immediate use, it is stored in a special storage process for at least 2 more years: after the compost has been delivered, it is loaded with a compact wheel loader approx. 10 meters wide and approx. 3 m high dumps deposited. So that the compost can rot better, approx. 1 kg of horn shavings (2) per m ^{3 is} added when the chute is created. After the compost-horn shavings mixture (3) has been laid out, it is covered with an air- and water-permeable tarpaulin, which prevents the compost from being contaminated with “flying seeds”. So that the organic compost can rot at all, water is required. For this purpose, an irrigation pipe is placed on the top of the bed and the entire compost bed is irrigated. It is important that not only does the upper layer become moist, but that the compost is also moistened inside and kept constantly moist. Due to the high temperatures (up to over 70 ° Celsius) that can occur during the rotting process, the moisture will escape very quickly. Therefore, regular watering is very important. Dry compost would slow down the rotting process very much, if not bring it to a standstill. In order to make post-rotting even better, the compost is used twice a year (spring and autumn). This means that the film is removed, the compost is moved with the compact wheel loader and a new chute is created again. Since the horn shavings decompose only slowly and only slowly but regularly release the necessary nitrogen, they are only added to the compost when they are first deposited. This step does not apply to the other "implementations". The tarpaulin is placed over the chute again and the irrigation pipe is placed on the top so that irrigation can also be carried out regularly. After 0.5-3 years, the deposited organic compost (5) has rotted so much that it can be used for a peat-free substrate. The salt content has at least decreased to such an extent that it no longer poses a problem.

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Description of the substances for the 3-step mixing process (14):

Deposited organic compost (5)

After the locally produced organic compost has been deposited for 0.5 - 3 years using the deposition process described above, it is ready for the mixing process with other components (which will be explained in more detail below) for the production of the peat-free substrate for the cultivation of young ornamental plants. With a share of 20 to 55% by volume, it is the main component of the finally produced substrate. The substrate consists essentially of the following additional substances:

Horn shavings (6) and horn semolina (7) serve primarily for the coarse and fine wood fibers (8/9) as a supply fertilizer. This type of hom fertilizer is used, which is obtained from shredded hom from slaughter cattle. Horns and hooves of cattle are usually ground for home fertilizers. Homdünger is neutral in its effect on the pH of the soil and, due to its organic origin, very nitrogenous. The fertilizing effect of the nitrogen contained depends on the soil temperature, moisture, ventilation and grain size. It is available in various grain sizes, making it easy to take ground flour from the ground due to its small grain size (<1 mm) and therefore it works fastest. Coarser Homgries (7) (grain size 1-5 mm) is generally used for garden soil. Horn chips (6) with a grain size of> 5 mm have a long-lasting effect. By adding this special fertilizer, the wood material is impregnated in order to avoid later problems caused by nitrogen fixation. Although the wood fiber is nitrogen-stable, nitrogen is also added when the substrate is mixed, so that the wood fiber does not completely remove it from the substrate in the rotting process. For this purpose, organic fertilizer in the form of corn grits and horn shavings is added to the substrate at 1-5% by volume. Both serve as a supply fertilizer whereby the horn semolina decomposes faster and is therefore also available more quickly and the horn chips decompose more slowly but remain available for longer.

The wood fiber used (8/9) is mainly made from domestic, fir and spruce wood, which are fibered in an extruder in a mechanical-thermal manner. By adding a fertilizer, the wood material is impregnated with special nitrogen compounds in order to avoid later problems due to nitrogen fixation in the substrate. 10-35% by volume of coarse (9) and 10-35% by volume of fine (8) wood fibers are used, as this combination results in the desired floor structure and permeability.

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The bark humus used (12) is made from local fir and spruce bark using the multi-year hot composting process. Bark compost is required to slightly lower the pH value of the substrate and also reduces the high salt content of the biocompost. The bark compost is also nitrogen-stabilized and is added to the peat-free substrate at a level of 10-35% by volume.

The clay granulate (13) is used in the grain size 0-3 mm and in an amount of 10-35% by volume. This is essential, as this serves as a "buffer" for the high salt content and as a water reservoir ensures the correct water balance.

3-stage mixing process (14):

1st stage mixing process (15):

In the first step, coarse and fine wood fibers (8/9) for nitrogen stabilization are fed with equal chips (6) and Homgries (7).

2nd stage mixing process (16):

Here, the 20-55 vol% organic compost (5), as well as the 10-35 vol% wood fibers coarse (9) and the 10-35 vol% wood fibers fine (8), alternately with a compact wheel loader, become a large pile of compost wood fiber Mixture (11) mixed together.

3rd stage mixing process (17):

Then the missing 10-35 vol% bark humus (12) and the 10-35 vol% clay granulate (13) are added to the existing compost - wood fiber mixture (11). Here, 4 wheel loader blades from the compost / wood fiber mixture and 1 wheel loader blade from the bark compost / clay granulate mixture are successively mixed together to form a large pile of substrates.

Basically, the following process conditions should be observed: The entire mixing process should be carried out with increased air humidity, so that the drying out of the substrate is prevented.

After all components have been mixed for the first time in the appropriate ratio in the substrate, the substrate is shoveled around a further 3 times with the shovel of the wheel loader and thereby mixed properly. All of this happens in an outdoor mixing ground. In order to have the substrate available for processing, it must be brought into our “working glass house” with a wheel loader. The substrate is thoroughly mixed again using an earth mixer / 10.

Two further mixing steps take place shortly before processing: On the one hand, the substrate is shoveled again with a wheel loader into an electric earth mixer and mixed in this as follows: The wheel loader guides the substrate into the glass house, empties it into the funnel, which is above the conveyor belt. This transports the substrate evenly into the electric soil mixer. This in turn conveys the substrate with vigorous momentum and thus mixes the substrate again intensively. After the entire peat-free culture substrate (Wiener Original Kultursubstrat) (18) has been produced, it must not dry out before use and may need to be watered.

Mixing ratio of peat-free substrate for ornamental plants (100%)

Deposited organic compost (5) 20-55 vol.%

Bark humus (12) 10-3 5 vol%

Fine wood fiber (8) 10-35 vol%

Coarse wood fiber (9) 10-35 vol%

Clay granulate (13) 10-35V ol%

Hom chips (6) 1-5 vol%

Homgries (7) l-5vol%

Overall, mixing is done twice in the annual workflow. In the culture week 35/36 approx. 130m ³ for the spring flower production and in the culture week 44/45 approx. 500m ³ for the summer flower production.

Test series have ultimately shown that omitting even one component causes a very significant deterioration in the development of the plants. Even percentage shifts within the components have shown deterioration in the plants.

It is important to use high quality materials to enable high quality crop production.

The invention is illustrated using an exemplary embodiment, by means of drawings.

It will be shown:

Fig. 1: Deposition process illustration

Fig.2: Mixing process

Claims (1)

Claim: 1. A process for producing a peat-free soil substrate, which is used for the cultivation of, in particular, ornamental plants and is composed of the deposit (4) of communal organic compost (1) and a 3-stage mixing process (14) according to the following components and in the following order and quantity : > Storage of biocompost (1) with the addition of chips (2) in a deposition process (4) which is carried out in a period of 0.5-3 years, after which a deposited biocompost (5) is present. > 3-step manufacturing process (14) with the following components: deposited organic compost 20-55 vol% (5), coarse wood fibers 10-35 vol% (9), fine wood fibers 10-35 vol% (8), bark humus 10-35 vol% (12), clay granules 10-35% by volume (13), semolina 1-5% by volume (7) and chips 1 - 5% by volume (6), comprising the steps: > Level 1: mixing process (15) Production of a Homspäne - Homgries - wood fiber mixture (10) from: a mixture of Homspäne 1-5 vol% (6) and Homgrieß 1-5 vol% (7) and '? a mixture of fine wood fibers 1Θ-35% by volume and (8) rough wood fibers 10-35 Vol% (9). > Level 2: mixing process (16) Production of a compost - wood fiber mixture (11) from: a mixture of Homspäne - Homgries - wood fiber mixture (10) according to level 1 and deposited biocompost 20-55 vol% (5). > Level 3: mixing process (17) Production of the peat-free culture substrate for ornamental plants (17) from: a mixture of compost and wood fiber mixture (11) according to Level 2 and bark humus 10-35 vol% (12) and clay granulate 10-35 vol% (13).