Soilless substrates for baby leaves growing

Two experiments were conducted in a glasshouse to evaluate the effect of different soilless substrates on the number of leaves and yield of lettuce and spinach grown as baby leaves. Results showed that peat-based substrates enriched with zeolites significantly improved plant productivity compared to pure substrates. The addition of 25% enriched zeolite increased yield and leaf number, while higher doses did not result in additional benefits. The findings indicate that enriched zeolites enhance nutrient availability and water retention, improving the performance of both natural and commercial substrates.