How your soilless mix can improve water and nutrient retention

摘要

While recently watching a television special on the great women of ancient Egypt, I was reminded that depictions of containerized plants, specifically non-native trees being transported in large containers, can be traced back millennia. By the fifth century, containerized plants were common, and some fast-growing herbaceous species were grown in containers for use in festivals. These ancient gardeners likely faced many challenges, as the soil they used in the containers was likely mineral soil and inappropriate for container gardening. The use of field soil in container mixes, although inappropriate, was common until the mid-1950s with the development of the University of California (UC) mixes. The basic UC mix was 50 per cent sand and 50 per cent peat by volume.