Aim- To grow spinach on different media.
Introduction-
The spinach growth was performed on different media such as coco-peat, bio-char, 50%natural soil, and 50% biochar, vermiculite, & natural soil. In this experiment, all I need is a tray for growing spinach and water. Let’s see about the different media in detail.
Cocopeat:-

- Cocopeat is naturally extracted from the husk of a coconut
- It is fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut.
- Cocopeat is used as a soil conditioner.
- When the plants are grown exclusively in cocopeat it is important to add nutrients according to the specific plants need.
- It has a high water holding capacity.
- Acceptable pH and EC.
- Good aeration.
- Retains physical properties longer.
Biochar:-

- Biochar is produced by pyrolysis process.
- It is produced by heating biomass.
- It is made by burning organic material from agricultural and forest waste.
- Biochar is made in the same manner as charcoal but it is intended for utilisation as an absorbent.
- It shares properties which activated carbon and charcoal.
- Improves soil fertility due to its ability to retain soil nutrients for longer periods of time, biochar reduces the need of chemical fertilizer.
- Different kind of biochar produced depending on the type of organic material used and the temperature that is reach during pyrolysis.
Vermiculite:-

- Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral
- Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is sufficiently, and the effect is routinely produced in commercial furnaces.
- Vermiculite is formed by weathering or hydrothermal alteration of biotite or phlogopite.
- Large commercial vermiculite mines currently exist in Russia, South Africa, China, and Brazil.
- Vermiculite was first described in 1824 for an occurrence in Millbury, Massachusetts.
- It typically occurs as an alteration product at the contact between felsic and mafic or ultramafic rocks such as pyroxenites and dunites.
- It also occurs in carbonatites and metamorphosed magnesium-rich limestone.
Objective-
- To improve the water holding capacity & cations of soil.
- soil less farming can be done.
- Improves produvtivity.
- Gives efficient kitchen gardening
Materials Required-
- Tray (length 47.5 ,breadth 29,height 5 cm resp.)
- Spinach seeds (100 gm.)
- Water.
- Natural Soil.
- Coco-peat.
- Vermiculite.
- Bio-char(coconut,mustard).
1.Water Holding Capacity Procedure –
- In this process the water holding capacity was done by percolation method.
- The water was added to the sample placed in the funnel with the covered filter paper.
- The water was drained out from the filter paper.
- As the time was not given to the sample for absorption.
- This method was concluded as improper.
2.Water Holding Capacity Procedure-
- 10 gm of each sample was taken for the determination of water holding capacity.
- 100 ml of water was added in 10 gm of sample.
- And it was kept for 24 hrs.
- Then the water and the sample were separated by using the filter paper by percolation method.
- weighing of sample was then done.
- And also the remaining water was calculated.
- Then the wt. of filter paper with absorbed water was calculated differently.
- And then the wt of filter paper was subtracted from the wt.of sample along with wet filter paper.
1.Soil-
- wt of a sample- 10 gm.
- quantity of water- 100 ml.
- wt of a sample after adding water- 17.2 gm.
- water absorbed- 8.7 ml.
2.Vermiculite-
- wt of a sample – 10 gm.
- quantity of water added – 100 ml.
- wt of a sample after adding water -31.98 gm.
- water absorbed- 33.73ml.
3.Coco-peat –
- wt of sample-10 gm.
- quantity of water-100 ml.
- wt of a sample after adding water -70.68 gm.
- water absorbed- 72.73 ml.
4.Bio-char(Mustard)-
- wt of a sample – 10 gm.
- quantity of water -100 ml.
- wt of a sample after adding water- 59.09 gm
- water absorbed – 61.73 ml
5.Bio-char(coconut)-
- wt of a sample- 10 gm.
- quantity of water- 100 ml.
- wt of a sample after adding water – 15.28 gm.
- water absorbed – 15.73 ml.
Bed Preparation-
Bed preparation was done on 8/06/2019
1.Tray A;
- media used – 50% soil & 50% bio-char(coconut).
- wt of media – 1200 gm soil + 1200 gm bio-char.
- seed – 20 gm
2.Tray B;
- media used – bio-char (Mustard).
- wt of media -410 gm.
- seed -20 gm.
3.Tray C;
- media used – soil.
- wt of media – 3500 gm.
- seed – 20 gm
4.Tray D;
- media used – coco-peat.
- wt of media -600 gm.
- seed -20 gm.
5.Tray E ;
- media used – Vermiculite.
- wt of media – 1250 gm.
- seed – 20 gm.
soil bed bio-char(mustard) vermiculite
Spinach length-
Date-12/06/2019 spinach growth was started-
Tray A | Tray B | Tray C | Tray D | Tray E |
4.5 cm | 5.4 cm | _ | 4.8 cm | 7.9 cm |
Date-13/06/2019
Tray A | Tray B | Tray C | Tray D | Tray E |
5.8 cm | 9.5 cm | 4.5 cm | 7.0 cm | 8.1 cm |
Reading of temperature and relative humidity-
Date-10/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 34.4 | 38.7 | 35.6 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 33.9 | 37.5 | 34.5 |
Inside humidity(%) | 56.4 | 41.8 | 57.4 |
Outside humidity(%) | 52.7 | 38.2 | 56 |
Date-12/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 29.8 | 29.7 | 25.7 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 30.3 | 30.3 | 25.7 |
Inside humidity(%) | 57.4 | 58.2 | 75.6 |
Outside humidity(%) | 58.3 | 56.6 | 75.9 |
Date-13/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 30.4 | 31.7 | 29 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 30 | 32.9 | 29.3 |
Inside humidity(%) | 57.5 | 59.5 | 65 |
Outside humidity(%) | 59.9 | 54.8 | 63 |
Date-14/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 30.2 | 32.4 | 30 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 31 | 35 | 29 |
Inside humidity(%) | 58 | 55 | 66.2 |
Outside humidity(%) | 57.5 | 53.2 | 68.5 |
Date-15/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 29.9 | 33.2 | 29.8 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 30.4 | 35 | 29 |
Inside humidity(%) | 60.5 | 58.3 | 61.5 |
Outside humidity(%) | 58.9 | 56 | 63 |
Date-17/06/2019 | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Inside temp(degree celsius) | 29.8 | 29.7 | 25.7 |
Outside temp(degree celsius) | 30.3 | 30.3 | 25.7 |
Inside humidity(%) | 57.4 | 58.2 | 75.6 |
Outside humidity(%) | 58.3 | 56.6 | 75.9 |
vermiculite soil & bio-char bio-char soil cocopeat
Conclusion: It was found that the growth of spinach was efficient in the mustard bio-char. It also increases the water holding capacity of the soil.