The domestic features of production of foliage plants were investigated to facilitate an advancement of indoor horticulture industry. Fifteen farms in four foliage plant producing complexes in Seoul and Taigu areas were randomly selected to investigate the production. The results are summarized as follows:
1. Cultural conditions in plastic house Sindoup complex was the largest one among the studied. Most of fifteen farms were in small scale with rented land smaller than 33a as an average, which in the major limiting factor or´ facility modernization. Among growing conditions, temperature was the best maintained environmental factor and humidity the next. The humidity was relatively too high, light condition were poor with 21% light transmission rate (indoor/outdoor × 100%) as an average. Difference between maximum and minimum temperatures was great to concern with cold demages in some farms. The plastic house in Taigu ccomplex showed high transmission ratio due to the improvement of covering materials.
2. Growth media were consisted of base materials such as field soil, leaf mold, sand with pig, cow and chicken manures or briquete ashes. Soil electric conductivity (EC) and pH were inadequate in some farms and needed improvement.
3. Underground water was used for irrigation in most farms. Irrigation water of some farms contained NO₃-N high enough to worry about water pollution.
4. The best indicator plant (Pilea cadierei) growth was noticed in the farms of Sindoup complex, the plants grew almost as equally as between the complexes of Wumyeondong and Huninnung. However, there were considerable differences in the plant growth among those farms. The extreme differences in growth among the farms were 6 times more in top fresh weight, 10 times more in root fresh weight, 4.7 times more in leaf area, 2 times more in length and 1.5 times more in leaf width than others.
Differences in photosynthetic capability of the indicator plants (Pilea cadierei Silver King)
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