Beds and Benches

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Beds and Benches
Mindy Moore HORT 6050
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Beds for Cut Flowers

• Raised and Ground Beds
• The beds can be level with the ground or they can
  be elevated and have side walls.
• The beds are filled with soil or artificial
  substrates in which the plants are directly
  grown.
• Beds are also common
• in vegetable production.

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Types of Benches for Potted Crops

• Raised benches
• Ebb and flow tables
• Trough systems
• Flood floor systems

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Raised Benches

• Description
• Height 32 to 36 inches
• Width 3 ft (near a wall) to 6 ft (if both sides
  are accessible)
• No sides and floor of bench is open
• Materials
• Spruce or redwood lath
• Welded wire fabric or expanded metal
• UV-resistant polypropylene tops
• Two types
• Stationary and Moveable

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Raised Benches
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Raised Benches
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Ebb and Flow Tables

• Description
• A system in which the bench top is made of
  shallow plastic.
• The bench is flooded to water and fertilize the
  plants.
• Depth of water is about an inch.
• Length of time varies between 5 to 20 minutes.
• The water that is not taken up by the plants is
  returned to a storage tank.

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Ebb and Flow Tables

• Other Information
• Versatile
• 80 to 90 space efficient.
• Costs about 4.50 to 7.00 per ft2.
• A large portion of the cost
• is the plastic trays.

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Ebb and Flow Tables
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Ebb and Flow Tables
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Trough Systems

• Description
• A system made of separate troughs that house the
  pots and a delivery pipe at the high end of the
  troughs that trickles solution down the troughs.
• As with the ebb and flow tables, the water that
  is not taken up by the plants is returned to a
  storage tank.

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Trough Systems

• Other Information
• Not as versatile as the ebb and flow tables
  because the width of the troughs restricts the
  pot sizes.
• Better air movement than with ebb and flow
  tables.
• 70 to 80 space efficient.
• Costs about 3.00 to 5.00 per ft2.

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Trough Systems
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Flood Floor Systems

• Description
• A system in which the entire greenhouse is
  covered with a concrete floor.
• The floor must be carefully designed to allow
  water to enter and leave the floor via the
  delivery and return pipes.
• The floor is flooded when the plants are to be
  watered and fertilized.
• Similar to the ebb and flow system.
• Same flooding level and time.
• Same pump and filtration system.

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Flood Floor Systems

• Other Information
• Versatile
• 85 to 95 space efficient.
• Costs about 4.50 to 5.50 per ft2.
• Labor intensive because of the plants being grown
  on the floor.

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Flood Floor Systems
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Flood Floor Systems