Greenhouse production is experiencing a rise, with more emphasis being placed on sustainability and efficient resource utilization. Accurate fertilizer applications are now more crucial than ever across various production systems. Soilless growth media possess different physical and chemical properties compared to soil, resulting in differences in nutrient retention capabilities. Because of this, it is imperative to apply precise fertilizer rates. This study evaluated 14 fertilizer blends with varying nitrogen (0-120ppm), phosphorus (0-120ppm), and potassium rates (0-120ppm). ‘Red Ace’ beet seeds were planted into 1-pint pots with Berger BM6 and plants were hand watered weekly with each treatment fertilizer rate to a 10% leaching fraction. Dry shoot weight, fresh root weight, dry root weight, number of leaves, and SPAD were taken as end measurements. This study found that high rate of nitrogen increased fresh shoot weight, while higher rates of potassium increased root weight. More studies should be done to dial in fertilizer rates for different specialty crops grown soilless greenhouse media.
