THE AUSTRALIAN BAGULEY TRAY SYSTEM FOR CARNATION GROWING

The Baguley Tray* is 470 X 365 X 100 mm and has 2 compartments. Each compartment has a drainage hole arranged to give a reservoir of liquid in the base after watering, which is via a trickle system. The medium is usually crushed scoria. This system has been in use 7 years.

The physical characteristics of the system have been investigated including water use, water holding capacity and aeration, and salt accumulation. Comparisons of different media were made.

Water holding capacity is sufficient for 1/3 to ½ day's use. Scoria, 4–5 mm diameter, is a good medium as its physical characteristics allowed better root development than other media. Yields for a 12 month crop were 399 – 445 blooms m-2 at a plant density of 28 m-2. Because of the lower density of planting normally used with this system and the good control of nutrition, quality of blooms is high.

The advantages of the system are its relative simplicity and ease of operation, avoidance of soil-borne diseases, and high quality production. Its disadvantages are cost, labor requirements in setting up and changing over a crop, salt accumulation in the top layer of the medium. It is concluded that it is a successful commercial method and may not be completely replaced by rockwool systems because these require more exacting management.
(* Trade name).